Kholood Alam - Oil, Gas and Renewable Energy Law LLM

With a background in law and a desire to expand her expertise in the energy sector, Kholood found RGU to be the perfect fit for her academic and international professional aspirations.

The relevance of the course content, the expertise of the teaching staff, and Aberdeen's status as the UK's energy hub were key considerations in her decision to study at RGU.  English is not her first language and Kholood managed to overcome any difficulties. 

Kholood said: “I felt the postgraduate qualification at RGU would open more opportunities for me globally. In particular, the legal aspects of the energy, and oil and gas sectors would give me a very specialised qualification that would enable me to join international law firms, and energy industry companies.   

I am happy to say that I have managed to acquire a new language skill and completed a university course in English for the first time. I also obtained very valuable practical skills on speaking, research, writing, and presentation. The course allowed me to grow in confidence during the tutorials and class exercises by working on my own and also in very diverse groups on specific assignments.”

Kholood also enjoyed the practical aspects of her course. Site visits to the Aberdeen Harbour, the Drilling Simulation Facility, and a working wind turbine provided hands-on learning experiences. A full-day placement with an international oil company in Aberdeen allowed her to learn from experienced in-house legal counsel. Additionally, her involvement with the Grampian Community Law Clinic helped her develop practical legal skills, including case work and reporting.

Now actively seeking full-time employment opportunities in law firms and the energy industry, Kholood feels well-prepared for the next step in her career. She also said a leg injury has not stopped her from achieving academically.

Kholood said: “I have enjoyed my studies, and I am very happy with the guidance that I have received from my lecturers. The law staff have been helpful, and all the students in my class have also been very supportive and positive during classes and our group exercises. As a fulltime student I enjoyed the friendly and open atmosphere on the campus, and everyone on campus were very helpful.

 “During my dissertation stage, unfortunately I fell and broke my leg and after surgery I spent some time at home, however my dissertation supervisor and course leader made it as convenient for me to continue my research without any further interruption to complete within the time. As a result of my research mainly from home, I achieved a distinction in my dissertation. My time at RGU has been very positive.”