As a member of the Postgraduate Development Award (PGDA), I received an email about a Santander competition that required students to write a proposal in line with their field of study and only ten would be selected and sponsored. There were countries and institutions listed as partners of Santander and with my home country of Spain listed and my little knowledge of the EUIPO, I structured my proposal to meet the criteria.

I applied for the competition through the Graduate School and they were helpful. I noticed after their advice that my proposal was good but could be better, especially as there would be a panel whose duty would be to look for the best. I went back to my proposal and, with the support of my tutor, I submitted it. I was nervous but kept my fingers crossed and one afternoon I received an email saying I had been chosen as one of the ten and that there were a lot of other very good proposals. I was overwhelmed with joy. The lesson here is it’s ok to be good but you can be better. Why settle for a merit when you can reach for a distinction or a first? I have resolved to always give my best and pursue the best possible.

I have now travelled to Spain and visited the Intellectual Property Office in Alicante. The exposure and research from this project has tremendously improved my confidence as an Intellectual Property law practitioner and empowered me with more knowledge about the subject matter. I had the experience of travelling to another country, gained organisational skills from the administrative procedures and protocols required to travel as an official BU student. It was an experience which gave me a clear understanding of how leading and successful organisations are run with transparency and accountability.

My communication skills improved at the EUIPO foreign office and my networking skills were also enhanced in the process. I now have contacts should the professional need arise, and advisory experience to render to future clients in my professional practice of Intellectual property law.

The fear of doubting the outcome of something I have not attempted has certainly been conquered as part of this process.

Macdonald Amaran
LLM Intellectual Property