Ponnusaami Subramaniam - International Student Ambassador

Background…

Salam Sejahtera and Vanakam!

My name is Ponnusaami Subramaniam, I’m 39 years old and I come from a truly Asian country….Malaysia.

I have been interested and have dedicated a lot of my effort and time on psychology, specializing in clinical psychology since graduating with a basic degree from University Kebangsaan Malaysia (National University of Malaysia) in 1996. I also studied a Masters degree in Clinical Psychology in 1998.

Since graduating as a Clinical Psychologist, I have been employed as a Researcher and lectured in various subjects on psychology. However, since May 2003, I have been employed as a full time and permanent Clinical Psychologist and Lecturer in the Health Psychology Unit, National University of Malaysia. In 2008, I was offered a full scholarship for a PhD in Psychology at Bangor University.

I also enjoy extra curriculum activities including student societies and sports and I have held key positions in several societies.

Why Bangor….

I came across the fact that the Dementia Service Development Centre under the Institute of Medical Research and Social Care in Bangor University is well known for its high standard of research. Furthermore there is only one Professor of Clinical Psychology of Older People in the UK…..which is the head of the centre at Bangor and he agreed to be my supervisor……how lucky am I?!

The International Student Ambassador Scheme…

The scheme will promote better connection between current students and new students. The scheme will also be good to promote Bangor University to the international community from a student’s point of view or perspective.

Why did you become involved?

I’ve been working in academia setting between 1999 and 2008. Some segments of my previous work involved promoting my institution and courses offered to the local community. This included giving public lectures about psychology, the courses offered and career talks. On some occasions, I was put in-charge of my institution’s open day and represented my institution in local and international education fairs.

Now I’m back as a student and with my own experiences I’m able to support Bangor University in many aspects.

My duties…

Being a student in a foreign country will be difficult, especially for new international students. Meeting other international students that have been studying here will be a great relief. Sharing information and other relevant support will surely help them adjust themselves as soon as possible. I’m happy to be an International Student Ambassador to promote Bangor University and provide support to other international students.

Best thing about Bangor…..

Bangor is a wonderful place for students. It’s a safe place with a low crime rate compared to other parts of the UK. Although Bangor is small city, it provides almost everything you need for a great student life e.g. entertainment, sport facilities, etc. It’s truly a city of learning!

Advice for prospective students…

Being an international student will be full of challenges especially at the beginning.

You will have to adjust to a different life style, language and culture and sometimes you may feel a bit low. All these obstacles are temporary. The University has excellent student support services with highly skilful staff that are willing to listen and help you at anytime.

The future…

I’m doing research about psychological intervention for people with dementia.
Although I already had a good job with the National University of Malaysia, the knowledge and skills that I am acquiring at Bangor University will help me excel in many more research projects in future.