MA International Heritage Management student, Yasna Fabiola Cabrera Gallardo, tells us more about her experience studying at the University of Birmingham.
Why did you choose International Heritage Management at the University of Birmingham?
“I chose International Heritage Management at the University of Birmingham for different reasons. Firstly, I attended to a conference of Dr John Carman in Chile (the country where I come from) and I really liked his approach to Heritage Studies, and then I found out that he is a professor at this University. Secondly, I wanted to specialise in the heritage field, both from a theoretical and a practical scope, and when I looked at the different modules of the course, it seemed to me that I could get that in this Masters programme. Thirdly, to be able to get the scholarship of my country, I had to choose one of the best one hundred universities in the world, and by looking at the rankings of the University of Birmingham, I realised it was very well positioned in the world rankings.”
What has been the highlight of your course?
“Although I have liked the course generally in all its aspects, there have been two main highlights. Firstly, we as students get to learn both the theoretical and the practical aspects of the heritage field, through modules such as ‘Critical Heritage Approaches’ in the first case, and ‘Heritage Management Practices’ in the second case.
Secondly, we were able to visit a lot of different places. Some of them presented heritage practices very appropriate for the sites, but also, some of them had practices that could be improved, and that made us think about how they could be more effective.”
What have you learnt from your programme?
“I have learnt different aspects of the heritage management, from how to communicate the content, how to make it more accessible to everyone, to how a heritage site cafeteria or gift shop could be presented to visitors. Besides, I have explored different approaches to the theoretical heritage discussions, concerning different aspects, such as ownership, materiality, dissonance, among others.
All these different perspectives will be useful for me when I go back to Chile, in terms of their conductions, but also, to think critically the different practices associated with heritage.”
What is life like as a student at the University of Birmingham?
“Life as a student at the University of Birmingham has a lot of fun, but also, a lot of hard work. During this year I had the chance to know people from different countries around the world and to build strong friendships. There were also times in which we had to work very hard, and as international students, we work double, by learning new content, but also by exercising continuously our English language skills. It was a great experience and I recommend it to everyone who wants to specialise in the heritage field, in a multicultural environment.”