STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

SHOBHIT KUMAR MEHLA

Master of Sustainability
Deakin University
INTRODUCTION:
I am Shobhit Kumar Mehla, I was born to Mr. Ram Kumar and Mrs. Sheela on 16 th June,
1997, in karnal, Haryana, India. My parents and teachers have always encouraged me to learn
more in my life. I like to learn almost everything and I am very passionate about making my
career in the field of sustainability and environmental sciences. My interest in this field leads me
towards the advance knowledge and contemporary skills in the multidisciplinary approaches to
examining environmental impacts, why they occur and to develop appropriate solutions of these
impacts. Therefore, I chose highly renowned Deakin University in Australia to study Master of
sustainability program.
FAMILY BACKGROUND:
I was born and brought up in a nuclear family where I learnt the emotions and value of
relationships. I have also learnt about how to be independent in life. My family consists of four
members and it includes my parents, my sister and I. My sister is studying in India. My family
financially strong and is very supportive to fulfill my dreams to study abroad. My family can
easily sponsor me for the whole duration of my studies in Australia. I assure you that I won’t be
having any type of financial problems during my studies in Australia.
ACADEMIC DETAILS:
As per my education, I completed my secondary schooling from reputed Pratap Public
School (Central Board of Secondary Education) with 10.0 CGPA in year 2013. Later I had
completed my 12th class (Central Board of Secondary Education) with 78.60% in year 2015
(76.25% in best four subjects). In my senior secondary, I have studied the subjects like physics,
chemistry and math.
During my senior secondary class, I had developed a great interest in the field of Science. I kept
on preparing working models and projects during my schooling. Therefore I had pursued my
graduation, Bachelor of Science from renowned Dyal Singh College, Karnal which is
affiliated with highly prestigious Kurukshetra University. In this degree, I was introduced to
a wide range of subjects inside and outside the field, such as chemistry, environment science, and
physics. But it was the field of environment science and sustainability that captured my interest.
I had completed my Bachelor of Science degree sucessfully recently in May, 2018.
REASONS TO CHOOSE DO MASTERS DEGREE IN SUSTAINABILTY:
By the time I completed my graduation, I had acquired a strong grounding in the theoretical
concepts of environmental science and chemistry and a keen interest in sustainability of
environment. So I start gathering information about the field of sustainability the application of
this field and sustainability strategies required in India. During my search over internet about the
scope of the field I came across many facts which left me surprised and also motivated me to add
something to this sector.
I got to know that despite India is growing at very fast pace economically, still it is far behind
most other countries when it comes to preserving environment and ecology. India is suffering
with a number of environmental problems which need to be sustain such as poor management of
waste, growing water pollution, soil degradation, and air pollution etcetera. There is great need
of understanding these problems critically and dealing with them in efficient ways and for this a
large number of highly qualified and skilled professionals are required.
In my research I found that it is a development that meets the needs of the present without
compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. The United Nations
General Assembly is working on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development which presents
a set of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and these goals are being implemented and
achieved in every country from the year 2016 to 2030. I felt really impressed when I researched
about it. Hence, I made my mind to pursue my master in this field.
IELTS SCORE DETAILS:
It was then I got aware of the fact that to apply for foreign universities one must clear Language
proficiency test, thus I appeared for my IELTS exam on 29th Sep, 2018 and scored 7.0 band
overall. My individual score in IELTS is L: 8.0, R: 7.0, W: 6.0, S: 6.5.
I started searching the best Universities in Australia where environment and life science are
popular. Then I found many universities like Deakin University (Melbourne), RMIT University
(Melbourne), Griffith University etc. After a detailed research, I have reached on the decision of
pursuing Master of Sustainability program at Deakin University which would prove to be a
strong platform that would give me advanced practical knowledge related to the advanced
demand of industry.
Note: I also got the Bursary from Deakin University and the total value of the bursary
amounts to a 10% tuition fee reduction of my total course fee and is to be awarded each
trimester according to my enrolled units.
RELEVANCY OF THE COURSE WITH MY EXISTING STUDIES:
Chemistry and environmental science are crucial for sustainability, as these knowledge of these
fields are required to find sustainable solution of far-reaching challenges such as energy
provision, environmental protection, food & water safety. With the knowledge of chemistry and
environmental science one can focus on environmental impact of chemistry including
technological approaches to prevent pollution and reducing the consumption of non renewable
resources. The combination of physical chemistry, biochemistry and environmental science will
provide me a sufficient platform to enhance my skills and to be able to carry out various
processes through the use of latest technologies and contemporary skills as well as to do practical
and experimental learning. By devoting my career in this area, I hope to bring a fresh perspective
to student’s development in my country, and I will be able to apply what I will learn in this
reputed University.
REASONS TO CHOOSE AUSTRALIA FOR HIGHER STUDIES:
Australia is a well renowned country in every aspect since it has contributed a lot to science and
research through fascinating discoveries, high quality educational opportunities and international
collaboration. Moreover, it is located near Asia, one of the fastest growing regions, so it has
immediate ties to most powerful economic hubs in the world. The most appealing factor that
influences students to study from Australia is its education system and high standard of living,
which makes it hot spot for international students. It is currently ranked as third largest education
provider in world with 8 of Australian universities in top 100 universities of the world. Also,
Australia has 3 universities in top 50 worldwide across the study areas of Arts and Humanities,
Engineering and Technologies, Natural sciences, Life Sciences, Social Sciences & Management.
Moreover, in recent years, it has become an education hub and called as country of opportunities,
diversity and adventures. It has also marked as one of the leading countries in today’s world in
the field of environment protection and sustainability. The Australian Government has a range of
environmental policies to minimize the impact of government operations on the environment.
During my course at Deakin University, I can also get a chance to do research and case studies of
these international policies. Australia is working on greenhouse emissions, waste management
and its recycling, waste and resource recovery, chemical and hazardous waste management,
improving fuel and air quality, portable water use and many more. After studying them, I can
incorporate these policies in India and help to minimize the environment problems in India.
Besides all these attributes, I am left with many things but, among all those, ESOS act that is
Education Services for Overseas Student (https://www.studyinaustralia.gov.au), it is a
framework that protects the rights of students studying in Australia, thus it makes Australia a
safer country to live and study as compared to any other country in the world. Hence, Australia is
best suited destination for my higher studies.
INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROPOSED COURSE:
The Master of Sustainability course are Deakin University will boost my skills with an
understanding of complex sustainability challenges and discover tools to measure, report on and
identify solutions to these challenges. To complete the Master of Sustainability course at Deakin
University, I must attain 16 credit points in 16 Subjects. In year 1 of this program, I have to
achieve 8 credit points which consists of Academic Integrity (0-credit-point compulsory unit),
3 core units (3 credit points), one specialization (4 credit points) and 1 elective unit (1 credit
point). In the 2nd year of this program, Research pathway or Industry Practice pathway (8 credit
points).
The core units are Research Planning and Communication, Research Impact and Management,
Research Frontiers Project. There are two specializations are being offered under this course
which are named as Sustainable Regional Development and Environmental Management.
In the Sustainable Regional Development specialization the subjects offered are Climate Change
Adaptation and Mitigation, Regional Development Economics and Planning, Systems and
Strategic Thinking, and Regional Development Modeling.
In the Environmental Management specialization the subjects offered are Risk Assessment and
Control, Policy and Planning for Sustainable Development, Climate Change Adaptation and
Mitigation, and Environmental Management Systems.
Master of Sustainability at Deakin focuses on change-oriented processes for sustainable
development, including organizational change, education and capacity building, and strategic
planning. The world's governments have agreed to 17 challenging sustainable development goals
to address poverty, justice and prosperity, while ensuring a healthy planet. By tackling key
global issues, this course will equip me to take my career in diverse areas from environmental
science, from law to urban planning, and sustainable building design. Thus, this course is best
suited to my career requirements.
PROBLEMS WITH INDIAN EDUCATION SYSTEM:
There are many institutions such as Amity School of Engineering and Technology, Guru
Jambheshwar University of Science and Technology, Delhi Technological University, Indian
institute of Technology, Maharishi Markandeshwar University, etc. which are offering the
relevant courses for Environmental Science and Technology. But I am not choosing any of these
universities because I am not satisfied with the concept and approach of Indian education system.
During my previous academic experience at Kurukshetra University, I have realized that there is
no interaction between the academic institutions and industrial organizations. Indian institutes
just burden their students with a lot of rote learning instead of incorporating useful practical
skills in them. In spite of these facts, there is very tough competition to get a seat in the top notch
institute in India because of high population and seat allocation policies of these institutes. Many
of Indian students are being disappointed and are really unsatisfied about how the Indian
education system works. Hence I don’t want to be a part of this system again for my higher
studies. Due to this reason I am not choosing India for my future endeavors.
REASONS BEHIND NOT CHOOSING ANY OTHER COUNTRY:
Before selecting any country, I searched a lot to discover the best possible country for my higher
studies, as it’s a juncture of future so I traversed as much as I could. I started my search from
exploring internet, reading reviews of students and also discussed with some of the highly
educated teachers of my previous college. After proper evaluation, I found a few number of
countries that offers high quality education which are USA, UK, Australia and Europe.
USA is top most education provider and highly preferable by students but getting admission in a
top institute is highly tough due to a large number of students from all over the world forward
their applications and hence visa rules are very restricted. Moreover, tuition fee is also very high
in the universities like Yale University, Stanford University, Tufts University, Rochester Institute
of Technology, Kogod School Of Business, American University, George Washington
University etc.
If I talk about UK, I found that it is more popular destination for Law studies, and also technical
courses offered are too expensive. The reputed universities in UK like The University of
Edinburgh, University of Leeds, University College London, University of Southampton are
providing my course but the duration of this course is only of one year which is not acceptable
by indian employers. Hence, I don’t want to pursue a degree which is of no use in my home
country, India. Moreover, there is no law to protect the student’s rights but in Australia they have
ESOS Act which protects the rights and tuition fee of international students studying in
Australia. Thus I don’t consider it as a good option for myself.
I didn’t consider Canada as an option for me because Canadian Universities require 4 years of
bachelor degree to start a master degree and above all, the education system of Canada is less
developed as compared to Australia because most of the Canadian institutes are known for their
short term, graduate and post graduate diplomas. The extremely harsh weather conditions of
Canada is an another concern which I took in my consideration while researching about my
study options abroad.
In Europe, I found it is also technically rich and sound country but technical courses are directed
using a foreign language of instruction. For moving to Europe, I have to learn a new language,
for which I need to spend at least 1 year which I think is not worth because after completion of
my course I will come back to my home country. By considering all these factors, I found
Australia comparatively safer, more affordable and more technically sound for studying my
desired course.
REASONS TO CHOOSE DEAKIN UNIVERSITY:
Deakin university is one of the prestigious universities in Australia which is highly recognised
for its teaching excellence and research facilities, it provides to its domestic as well as to
international students. The Deakin University always stand tall in the world rankings and
reputation. Deakin university was established in1974 and above 40 years of excellent experience.
It is one of the leading Australian tertiary education providers. The degree programs at Deakin
are highly collaborated with industrial bodies. Deakin consistently works on to maintain works
on to maintain excellent teaching quality, ethical practices, multicultural environment and
sustainability in terms of the student’s experience.
Deakin is a 5 star rated university and there are 45000 numbers of students and 1600 faculty
staff. Deakin university is the number 14 university in Australia according to world ranking
system. Deakin university is on the ranked 3rd in AUS for employability.
Deakin has ranked among the top 50 young university in the world. According to QS world
ranking system by subject Deakin has ranked 24 in the list. According to all major international
ranking system Deakin has ranked in the top 1 percent of universities in the world education and
training. In addition ,deakin has made a great impact in world rankings also. Deakin is ranked at
309th position on QS world ranking system and at number 17 in Australia. Deakin is positioned at
number 267th on the US news world ranking system. According to CWUR (Centre for world
university rankings) system Deakin is positioned at number 16 in Australia. Deakin is ranked at
number 7 in Australia on the QS universities the fifty year old ranking Deakin is ranked at
number 16 on the QS graduate employment graduate rankings Deakin is ranked at number 43 on
the Times higher education best world university ranking under fifty years of age. Deakin offers
the best of infrastructure at 4 of its campus which are located at Geelong Waurn Pond,
Melbourne Burwood, Geelong Waterfront and at Warranmbool. So, I firmly believe that Deakin
is the best place to start and shape my career.
COMPARISON WITH OTHER UNIVERSITIES:
Before finalising my decision of choosing Deakin, I had evaluated many Australian Universities
based on the rankings, academic scores, research scores, student satisfaction rate etcetera. After a
good comparison, I found that my chosen Deakin university stands tall over any other university
according to my requirements. Deakin University is most preferred university by the
international students for the engineering and technology related courses.
1. The QS world ranking of Deakin is 309 th while Griffith University is at 325 th rank in the
list.
2. Also the ARWU ranking of Deakin is above 201 while RMIT is above 401 and Griffith
University is above at 301.
3. Also, the science ATAR score of Deakin (64.1) is high as compared to Griffith
University (55.8) and RMIT University (62.45).
4. Curtin University is also offering Master of Sustainability and Climate Policy course but
the academic rankings and reputation of Curtin University is far behind in a comparison
to Deakin University.
5. The University of Sydney (Master of Sustainability) and Macquarie University (Master
of Sustainable Development) is also offering this course but as a matter of fact, the tuition
fee at these university is very high which is unaffordable for me while studying at Deakin
University I can also get AQF recognised degree at very affordable cost with all the
update knowledge and skills.
6. Also, Deakin have less number of students than above mentioned universities which
means more personalized teaching experience for the students.
 7. I also got the Bursary from Deakin University and the total value of the bursary
amounts to a 10% tuition fee reduction of my total course fee
So, keeping these factors in mind, I am choosing Deakin University over any other university.
SCOPE OF MY COURSE:
According to the United States Department of Labor, the Environmental science and studies is
one of the fastest growing professions in the US, with a project growth rate of 15 percent from
2012 to 2022. My earned skills and the knowledge in area of environment that will make me
eligible for various other job designations such as Sustainability Specialist, Policy Analyst,
Water Management officer, Ecologist, Environmental Health and Safety Manager, Sustainable
Design Specialist, Wildfire Biologist, GIS Specialist, Resource conservation Specialist,
Environmental Attorney, Environmental Impact Analyst, Energy program Officer, Solid Waste
Program Manager, Waste Diversion Consultant, Water Reduction and Recycling Officer etc.
MY FUTURE PLANS:
After gaining all the practical knowledge, I will utilize my acquired knowledge in my home
country because there are bright chances for career opportunities in India in this sector. In my
country, on the basis of my international degree there are various exciting roles which will be
available for me such as Sustainability Manager, Operation Manager, Sustainability
Analyst, Sustainability Associate, Corporate Responsibility& Sustainability Manager,
Business team leader, Strategic Manager, Public Relations Manager etc.
I would like to become Corporate Responsibility& Sustainability Manager, who is
responsible for defining and developing the strategies which underpin a company’s CSR
objective. They conduct research, come up with ideas, develop policies, create detailed plans,
and build relationship with partner organizations. It also tends to involve aspects of marketing
and publicity of activities and initiative. The salary range in this job is around 12-14 lakhs
annually according to www.economictimes.indiatimes.com.
There are many international employers in my home country which are hiring candidates with
the management degrees in international business. The name of the multinational companies in
my chosen field are Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd. Jubilant life sciences Ltd., Nestle India Ltd.,
Chambal fertilizers and chemicals Ltd., Aditya Birla Nuvo and many more.
STUDENT VISA CONDITIONS:
In Australia, there are various study visa conditions which I find at the official website of
Australian government (www.homeaffairs.gov.au). There are number of conditions such as:
 I should dedicate at least 20 hours to my studies.
 I cannot work more than 40 hours per fortnight when their course is in session.
 I must remain enrolled in a registered course and must maintain attendance in the course
and course progress for each study period as required by education provider.
  I must maintain adequate arrangements for health insurance (OSHC) during stay in
Australia.
 I must continue to satisfy the requirements for grant of student visa. This means, for
example that student continue to have sufficient financial supports for study and stay in
Australia.
 I must provide the address where live in Australia within seven days of arriving and
should inform the related authorities within seven days of change if there is any change in
address.
IMMIGRATION HISTORY:
I don’t have any immigration history. This is the first time I am applying for a visa.

Therefore, I would like to request you to grant me a study visa which will give me a chance to
study at reputed Deakin University in Australai. I am firmly believe that this study opportunity at
an international level will definitely fulfill my career dreams in my home country, India.

Thanks and Regards

Shobhit Kumar Mehla