Nicholas has a genuine passion for international relations and world politics due to his Cypriot heritage and witnessing conflicts caused by breakdowns in communication. He believes studying international relations will provide skills to analyze complex political and cultural issues and seek solutions to global problems. After his studies, he aims to travel to turbulent regions like Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Kyrgyzstan to gain a broader understanding of different cultures and political issues shaping these areas. Nicholas possesses strong communication, teamwork, problem solving, and analytical skills from work and extracurricular experiences that he believes will serve him well in an international relations program and potential future career with the foreign service.

1. Nicholas Payne Personal Statement 21.09.15
My decision to study international relations at a higher level was never a difficult one.
Having a genuine interest in world politics, foreign affairs and international security, this
course covers topics that I have an unrelenting passion for. Being of Cypriot origin, a country
that has witnessed several conflicts due to the breakdown in communications between all
parties involved, I have seen the importance of politics and international relations for
providing a safer future and stability. It is my belief that politics can be seen as a convention
indissolubly linked to the origin of diversity and conflict, while also seen as a determination
to cooperate collectively with other nations and organisations.
The appeal of this subject extends beyond an academic aspect; my passion has
allowed me to discover books such as The Globalization of World Politics which has enabled
me to gain a broader understanding of international relations and the effects it has on modern
society. After my studies, I would like to travel to some of the most fascinating yet turbulent
nations. From the states of Armenia & Azerbaijan who remain in a state of frozen warfare to
Kyrgyzstan, whose ethnic violence in 2010 claimed 420 lives, I aim to get a broader
understanding of the world and its many cultures and to familiarize myself with the many
political indifferences that have shaped these regions and to gain an understanding as to
whether there is any hope of peace in the future. This trip is designed to benefit my
understanding of complex political and cultural issues, often in changing environments.
For me, some of my most proficient skills regard being a good problem solver, being
able to weigh up arguments whilst being a great team player. The study of international
relations requires the ability to research and analyse information from a variety of sources
and through this, I believe that these skills will be essential. While currently working at
Primark, my role as a retail operative requires excellent communication skills to be able to
frequently engage with customers and provide great customer service, while teamwork is
essential in maintaining high standards and ensuring maximum profitability in the store.
Studying human geography for four years has delivered me a greater understanding of the
socio-economic aspects of geography, allowing me to examine and seek solutions to the
range of human problems in our globalised world, a skill that would be very useful for an
international relations course which necessitates the capacity to critically analyse evidence
and construct coherent arguments based on human interaction.
An example of being a team player was during the Duke of Edinburgh award silver,
where working as a team and using problem solving skills was essential in being able to hike
for 3 days in an uneven topographic landscape and be able to set up multiple camps.
Voluntary work experience gained from the Duke of Edinburgh scheme includes working as
a swimming coach, allowing me to work with a dedicated team of individuals, helping young
children fulfil potential and achieve other valuable skills. My passion for competitive
swimming left me waking up at 05:00am on Wednesdays in order to train for an hour and a
half before school. Training over 4 times per week & swimming on average 2500m per
session, I utilised my skill effectively in order to swim 5000m for Marie Curie Cancer Care.
My academic success allowed me to qualify for the “The Brilliant Club,” otherwise known as
the Scholars Programme, a supra-curricular activity, which successfully helped me gain
experience of the work demands and the standard of work required for university.
With a degree in international relations, I would love to pursue a career in the foreign
services, being able to work with government organisations such as the Foreign and
Commonwealth Office (FCO), a government department responsible for protecting and
promoting British interests across the globe.