Karun is from New Delhi in India. Karun was enrolled in and completed the Master Science in Internetworking (Extended) and was also a recipient of the Dean's ACS Foundation Scholarship.
I wanted to study overseas to broaden my perspectives on life in a multi-cultural environment. I decided that Australia would be a great place to provide me with that experience. I received many recommendations from friends and family who had completed technical degrees in Australia, that UTS:IT was the place to study an IT degree. UTS:IT had an excellent reputation and a strong focus on practice-based learning that appealed to me. I also looked at the research strengths of the different schools in my faculty and found UTS to be closely aligned to my professional aspirations.
As UTS is located in the heart of Sydney’s central business district which meant I would be studying in close proximity to leading businesses that could facilitate professional networking opportunities. The services offered to International students at UTS were outstanding, as were the peer and academic support.
I enrolled in the Master of Science in Internetworking (Extended) which is a 2 year postgraduate coursework program and never regretted it. I was able to gain both my CCNP and CCNA certifications and specialise in converged networking and security subjects. As UTS:IT is a Regional Cisco Network Academy I benefited from having access to one of the most up-to-date and comprehensive networking courses along with access to all the latest hardware. I found that the case studies used in class highlighted real-life production issues and they complimented the theoretical components of the course very well. Also, as the course is so flexible I was able to tailor the course with my elective subjects to study the technologies and specialisations that were of most interest to me.
I had a wonderful time studying at UTS, where I not only learnt the latest in networking technologies but where I was able to experience a rich and diverse academic environment. I was lucky to be taught by staff with such a depth of knowledge and practical experience within the Cisco Regional Academy. I really appreciated the different teaching style in Australia where classes were very interactive, and we could put forward and debate our views. I have come to really value the importance of teamwork as well. For a Voice-over IP subject the entire class were working on the same case study throughout the semester, where collaboration with other groups was critical as the modules were inter-dependent.
While at UTS I got involved in lots of activities as I wanted to make the most of my experience studying overseas. I was a peer networker, which involved working on various events during Orientation Week to help and welcome new students to UTS. I also represented postgraduate students on a committee to assess staff nominations for UTS Teaching and Learning awards.
I was also chosen to represent UTS at the NSW Netacad Skills Competition in 2008 which was a network troubleshooting and problem solving competition hosted by Cisco Systems. We finished a close second at this event. This was a fantastic opportunity to network with like minded individuals as well as to test our practical skills on Cisco technologies and equipment.
In addition to this I was also given the opportunity to work with the Australian Olympic Committee in an IT role at the Australian Youth Olympic Festival (AYOF) 2009 and Sydney World Masters Games. This experience working on a global sporting event was very rewarding and really helped me to understand how critical IT systems are to any organisation or business.
When I began the course I wanted to work in a Network Specialist role in an ICT company specialising in security and converged networks and I am now working with Pacnet Australia as a Network Engineer.
My long term goal is to be engaged in industry oriented research and development so I can further pursue my academic pursuits. I would eventually like to take my international experience and start up an entrepreneurial venture back home.
