It was a bit late, but better late than never. Before going any further, I would like to thank Moshood Emiabata and Anam Khan for their support in helping me set up this society. It wouldn't have been possible without them. I would also like to thank James Richardson, Director of the Global Engagement Directorate for his incredible support and we certainly hope to deliver our best as students and ambassadors of this great university.
First of all, I would like to welcome all the International Scholars of 2018-19 to Sheffield Hallam University. You have done amazingly well to make it past the selection criteria. Every year around 3000 International students study at Sheffield Hallam and only 35 of them receive any form of scholarship. It is not an automatic discount, or a grant, but a scholarship, which is a competitive process. And the success rate is approximately 1 in 86 students.
However, I would like to remind you that just receiving the scholarship doesn't mean that you have achieved everything. This is just the beginning of a long road. We might all be excellent students, but without the right attitude and hard work, excellence counts as nothing. Remember all the hurdles you faced to make it to Hallam and if you ever feel down and out, wanting to give up, use all the hurdles you faced to motivate yourself.
As a student, it is very easy to get distracted and do unproductive things. By no means I am saying that you shouldn't have fun during your time at Hallam. But always remember your primary responsibility, which is academics. Always stay on top of your university work, push your comfort zone, do things related to your degree, make use of all the available support in the university and take each and every opportunity coming your way.
As the world is evolving, it is very important we all have contacts in the industry. While the Scholars' Society gives an opportunity for all the current scholars of the university to come together, it is also a platform where you can create a network with all the previous scholars of the university. We have already added both Taruka Srivastav and Mohar Moghe as our alumni members and in the coming days we will be adding more members to our alumni network.
In terms of the society, we are going to have an informal meeting towards the end of this month with all our members and when James returns from his overseas visit to partner institutions, we will be having a formal meeting. The society might have been created by me, Moshood and Anam, but by no stretch it is ours. It belongs to each and every Scholar of Hallam and we all have a responsibility to make sure we lay the right foundation for upcoming scholars.
Make the most of your time in the university, take each and every opportunity coming your way, create contacts in the industry, live the best time of your life in this city and always be a proud ambassador of Sheffield Hallam University. I hope to see you all soon.
Sarthak Mondal
Founder and President
Scholars' Society
Twitter: @sm_speaks
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