Studying for the Cambridge Master of Law (LLM) inspired Shanya Ruhela (St Edmund’s 2016) to pursue her dreams, and move from the private sector into academia.
John Milton famously quoted: “He who reigns within himself and rules his passions, desires, and fears is more than a king.”
John Milton was an alumnus whose words suitably sum up the year I spent at Cambridge. I believe Cambridge enriches people to be the best version of themselves they can be, and as Mr Milton said, when we conquer ourselves, the sky is the limit.
Ever since I read about Newton’s laws of motions in sixth grade, I had been enchanted by the idea of studying at Cambridge. Whilst working in India, teaching undergraduate law students, I was awarded the J N Tata Endowment scholarship and the K C Mahindra Educational Trust scholarship, which made possible studying for the Cambridge Master of Law (LLM).
Being part of a College gave me a sense of belonging and my fellow students at St Edmund’s soon felt like family.
– Shanya Ruhela
A city to call home
Cambridge is a town that is bustling with academics, scholars, artists and thinkers. I immediately fell in love with the city, and although I have travelled and lived all over the world, I have never felt more at home than in Cambridge.
It was such a privilege to be taught by some of the world’s leading experts in law and I found the tutorial system to be incredibly helpful. Along with my studies I got involved with lots of other activities – attending workshops, participating in debates and attending numerous networking events and seminars.
Being part of a College gave me a sense of belonging and my fellow students at St Edmund’s soon felt like family. Meeting individuals pursing a range of diverse disciplines in the Junior Common Room (JCR) was both intellectually stimulating and emotionally fulfilling.
St Edmund’s College by Sir Cam
Discovering new directions
My fellow LLM classmates came from many different backgrounds but we were united by our passion for chasing excellence. It was a privilege to be studying together and learning from each other. I firmly believe that when people of various nationalities, languages, races and cultures come together to work in harmony, unique perspectives can be reached and innovative ideas developed.
At Cambridge, I specialised in commercial law, but I also took an interdisciplinary module in law and economics, taught jointly by the Faculty of Law and the Faculty of Management. I had long been fascinated by the interplay of law, politics and the changing technological landscape. In particular the global financial crash of 2008 sparked in me a passion to work in a profession that could help steer economies towards sustainable growth.
In pursuit of dreams
Cambridge instilled in me the courage to pursue my dreams, no matter the risk. After graduation, inspired by the law and economics module I had studied, I decided to pursue doctoral studies in mainland Europe, transitioning from the private sector to academia.
Today I am undertaking doctoral studies in financial standardisation at the Law and Economics Centre of Tilburg University, Netherlands. Along with my PhD research, I am involved in career counselling and guiding students with university applications.
After graduation, wherever I have lived, in India or Europe, there has always been an active alumni group which regularly organises ‘meet and greet’ events and helps new graduates with career advice. It is definitely not an overstatement to say that studying at Cambridge results in a worldwide community for life.
Shanya Ruhela has a Master of Law and attended St Edmund’s College. Contact her via LinkedIn or Instagram (shannya.ron).
This article has been written by Shanya Ruhela and the opinions expressed are those of the author.
This content was found at https://www.alumni.cam.ac.uk/alumni-stories/community-for-life-shanya-ruhela
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