Something about me

From an early age, I tried to get involved in whatever community I was in. It started with the student council at my primary school, then the student parliament and environmental action group at the UWC Maastricht in the Netherlands. After finishing secondary school, I worked for a year at the international school UWC Changshu China. I received my bachelor’s at BISLA, with a major in political science and a minor in sociology. During my studies there I worked in NGOs, founded multiple student organizations, and in 2018 was elected to represent my college at the Student Council for Higher Education.

In November 2019 I was elected to the position of Vice-president for Foreign Affairs. My key activities included representing Slovak students abroad (ex. European Higher Education Area Ministerial Conference 2020), a survey on impacts of the pandemic on students, and student week of mental health. I turned my student activism into a job as an analyst at the Slovak Accreditation Agency for Higher Education. In my brief career, I explored many positions, but I keep returning to education.

I hope my passion for education inspired you to support me and continue my story.

What am I planning to do after Oxford?

My story does not here and after my studies at Oxford, I plan to keep being involved in the development of education, whether through research or via involvement in the educational policy. The educational sector is undergoing massive shifts, the role of formal education is in question as well as the problems of accessibility and meritocracy. I believe that the experiences and knowledge from Oxford will help me to contribute to these developments.

Higher education institutions specifically in Slovakia are undergoing at the same time massive reforms in their accreditation, financing, and governance. Not only higher education, but all education at all levels in dealing with the pandemic, which is reshaping the way we learn, teach and do research. Educational systems are trying to prepare graduates for the fast-changing labor market and life after school, which is greatly affected by many global challenges we are facing. After finishing Oxford, I plan to apply what I learned there, spend more time with these challenges in education, and do my part in its development.

Thank you for your support and for becoming part of my story.

Why Oxford?

The University of Oxford belongs to the top of the field across the spectrum, while it offers specialization that you can find in only a few other universities. Every year only 12 students from all around the world are selected to attend MSc Education (Higher Education). The course is heavily focusing on research in education trying to explore topics such as access, tuition, rankings, internationalization, relationship with the labor market, and social justice.

Oxford is also the home to the Centre for Global Higher Education – a top research center that studies higher education. While selecting the right course, it was important to me that the topic of education would be approached multidisciplinary. Not only higher education institutions are spaces for learning and research, but they have also a strong relation to the economy, society, culture, and politics.

I believe that my studies at Oxford will expand my experiences, I will acquire important research competencies, and I will have a chance to explore many problems that higher education is facing globally.

How much financial support do I need?

Due to Brexit studying at Oxford became significantly more expensive for EU students, and they are no longer eligible for a loan from the British government.

Even though I applied for every financial support I was eligible for, I was not successful in securing my funding. I have sufficient savings to cover most of my living expenses. Nevertheless, I am still short on funds to cover my tuition (approx. 30 thousand euros) and part of my living expenses (approx. 5 thousand euros). To confirm my offer, I need to declare sufficient funding by the end of June (approx. 47 thousand euros).

For this reason, I am reaching out to my friends and the public, to aid me in fulfilling my dream. At Oxford, I will gain new knowledge and skills from the most renowned experts, which I will later use in my work to improve education.

Thank you in advance for every donation.