How Birkbeck's Global Buddies programme sparked a lasting mentoring partnership
When Chevening scholar Sekulu Nyekha arrived in London from eastern India to begin her MSc in Social Research at Birkbeck, she was navigating life in a new country. Joining Birkbeck’s Global Buddies programme, which connects alumni with international students who hold an offer to study at Birkbeck, helped ease that transition and led to a connection that neither she nor her mentor expected.
“For me, it was about wanting someone who would help me with settling in and act as a support system,” Sekulu said. She was paired with Amrita Hurley, who studied MA Medicine, Science and Society at Birkbeck in 2003 and has been a Global Buddies volunteer for several years. Raised in central London, she brings both professional experience and local knowledge to the role.
Amrita said: “When you’re in a new country, it’s daunting. It really doesn’t take a lot to make a difference - signposting, practical things or just knowing where to go.”
For Sekulu, that support extended far beyond initial expectations. Amrita even connected Sekulu with her own niece, who is also studying a Master’s at Birkbeck. Sekulu said: “Amrita was proactive in giving me information I didn’t even know I needed, even with things like signing up to a GP and helping me to understand the process of seeing a doctor. I saved the information she shared, so when things came up later, I already knew what to do.”
What quickly became clear was that their connection was rooted in shared values. Both have worked in sexual and reproductive health, shaped by a commitment to tackling health inequalities. Amrita said: “I realised on that very first meeting that this was the perfect person for me to be matched with. We’re doing the same work, but in different contexts and at different stages of our careers.”
As Global Buddies is a one-term programme, both were reluctant to let the relationship end. When Sekulu applied to Mentoring Pathways, Birkbeck’s year-long mentoring programme focused on career development, she requested to continue working with Amrita.
“I really value the conversations I have with Amrita,” Sekulu says. “I can ask her questions about my work without giving context because she gets it. I am keen on learning through Amrita's experience about navigating this topic here in the UK as someone who comes from a different cultural context. I want to learn about what type of roles and volunteering opportunities exist in this field of work and where I could fit in.”
For Amrita, mentoring is equally rewarding. She said: “I feel energised. There’s a sense of purpose and identity.”
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