"Going back to university after 10 years was a big gamble in terms of time, money and career. But looking back choosing SPAIS over other schools to study MSc International Security has paid off better than I expected.

The programme, with its carefully structured syllabus and reading material, was not only intense and rigorous - it pushed me hard to the limits of my analytical skills, often beyond them. Most importantly I learnt how to think critically. The school equipped me with the much needed foundation and grounding in the theoretical aspect of issues shaping contemporary global politics and security. Unsurprisingly, the program has changed the way I look at news now."

Nishtha won the 2013 Guardian International Development Journalism competition and attributes her success with the skills that she learned during her time at SPAIS.