“I was always keen to pursue a PhD abroad, having spent a majority of my life in one country. Then the opportunity from Study Options came up in which they offered me full support around the process of applying to PhD programmes in New Zealand. From this I was directed into the path of the University of Canterbury under the supervision of Dr. Carl Petersen.

“Going abroad for a significant period of time, especially considering how far NZ is away, is a daunting experience. However, Study Options made the process far more appealing with the information, knowledge and interactive events to ease any concerns. When I was approaching the challenge of finding an ideal PhD route my main considerations were the cost and quality of the environment. Study Options put me in touch with the right people to the right time to sort out all administration behind the move.

“When I first arrived in NZ I found a nation full of beauty and friendly people who were there to help me settle in. There are a lot of parts in Christchurch which link very closely to English culture and sport being me main focus. I am currently completing a PhD focussing on injury prediction in football and rugby union. NZ and Christchurch are sport-mad and as part of my research I have found that this is a massive advantage!

“At present I am working as the Head of Sport Science & Medicine at Mainland Football and Canterbury United, who participate in the top football division in the country. This opportunity only came about due to my research at the University of Canterbury and therefore I am grateful to Study Options for helping me come out to NZ. At Canterbury United I have found a home away from home as football has always been my life. Even though NZ is miles away from home there are some things that don’t change from location to location such as football.

“The University of Canterbury is a great institution within NZ and has some of the best facilities in the country for research. The UCSA (student union) is extremely proactive and provides students with a multitude of opportunities to interact. I have found that a majority of my friends are other like-minded international students meaning I now have more reasons to explore the world!

“One element of student life I have as been encouraged to embrace is entrepreneurship in which I have been given an opportunity to experience. Through the University of Canterbury’s Centre for Entrepreneurship I have begun my own start-up company called Komodo Monitr. We are an advanced athlete monitoring platform which analyses elite sports team’s data to provide actionable insights to reduce injuries and optimise performance. Again this has only been possible due to the environment set out at the University of Canterbury.

“From my experiences of moving abroad to study it is the best decision I have ever made in my life. The opportunities that NZ has provided means I feel confident of my future steps into other professional football environments in my field of Sports Science. My recommendations to anyone else considering this opportunity would be speak to Study Options, the experts in connecting you to the world’s education opportunities.”