‘Deakin is an amazing family and I have never felt out of place.’

With an undergraduate degree in law from his home country of Kenya, Ronald Ong’udi needed a postgraduate law course that matched his growing interest in commercial and corporate law.

When a friend from Kenya suggested he add Deakin to his list of university options, Ronald did his research online and made an immediate connection with the university.

 ‘My friend currently studying a master’s degree in information systems at Deakin recommended the University to me– when I went through Deakin’s website its profile online, I instantly loved it,’ he says.

Now in the final year of a Master of Laws degree, Ronald says he has enjoyed the program’s researched-focused assessments and hands-on experience.

‘I love the fact that all my units emphasised research papers through the assessment tasks. This has helped me develop good research and writing skills,’ he says.

As part of his course, Ronald has undertaken research methodology units, a research thesis and also participated in the Deakin Law School’s skills-focused New Venture Law Clinic unit.

‘This offered me an opportunity to interact with clients and take part in resolving commercial and corporate-related legal issues,’ he explains. ‘It was a highly-valuable, hands-on experience that built my confidence and analytical skills. Through this unit I was able to understand the challenges that start-up companies face and how they can be resolved.’

As an international student, Ronald says that Deakin has provided him with a secure and friendly environment.

‘Deakin is an amazing family and I have never felt out of place. I’ve been able to make friends over my course of study and the student mentors have been a great help. The lecturers are also very inclusive in their approach to teaching and this make us all feel very comfortable.’

With a strong cohort of international students, Deakin has also provided Ronald the opportunity to strengthen his global links through collaborative learning.

‘Through my interaction with students from different countries I’ve been able to learn more about the legal systems in their countries and cultures. Together with the New Venture Law Clinic, the group assignments have also been instrumental in this,’ he says.

Ronald’s diligence has enabled him to achieve excellent results throughout his course and he’s now considering further study and the possibility of undertaking a PhD.

‘Attaining high grades in this course has been really encouraging. I’d like to take this on to a PhD program and then pursue a career in academia back in Kenya when I’m done,’ he says.

In the meantime, Ronald is focused on completing his master’s degree and hopefully securing an internship within the legal profession. He says he’s also grateful for the opportunities that being an international student at Deakin has offered him.

‘I would really encourage Deakin to keep up the good work. The student support – including writing mentors – are great initiatives that have helped me settle in very fast. I would love the opportunity to pursue a PhD at Deakin and continue being part of this amazing family.’