Chamila Karunarathne

Hi! I am Chamila, a Master of Laws student specialising in International Banking and Finance Law at the University of Leeds. I am from Sri Lanka and completed my Bachelor of Laws degree at the University of Colombo. After taking oaths as an attorney-at-law, I worked in corporate and finance law related sectors and wanted to follow an internationally recognised LLM at a prestigious foreign university which would add value to me in pursuing my future career aspirations.

While looking for a good LLM programme, I was quite thoughtful about the university’s ranking, scholarship opportunities and the programme’s module content. University of Leeds is a leading British university, ranked within the world’s top 75 universities, and is a member of the Russel Group for its excellence in teaching and research. Also, it’s School of Law offers International Excellence Scholarship awards for the LLM programmes, which I am proud to say I won!

University of Leeds is a leading British university, ranked within the world’s top 75 universities, and is a member of the Russel Group for its excellence in teaching and research.

I believe the LLM in International Banking and Finance Law is the ideal programme for me who aspire for a legal career in banking or finance, one day. The programme offers an interdisciplinary knowledge and a set of skills via its range of modules and experts on various aspects of law and business. The programme itself is so international that it touches the legal frameworks of key foreign jurisdictions such as US and Canada, while focused mainly on the UK. Leeds city is known as the biggest financial hub in UK outside the busy London, housing prominent local and international banks, accountancy and law firms. This is of particular importance to me as a Banking and Finance Law student! Thus, studying at Leeds is giving me a practical and a global exposure and the opportunity to learn in one of the most advanced legal systems in the world. For an international student like me, this exposure is invaluable.

Leeds city is known as the biggest financial hub in UK outside the busy London, housing prominent local and international banks, accountancy and law firms. This is of particular importance to me as a Banking and Finance Law student! Thus, studying at Leeds is giving me a practical and a global exposure and the opportunity to learn in one of the most advanced legal systems in the world. For an international student like me, this exposure is invaluable.

Leeds city is known as one of the largest city in the UK and a great place for business, thus giving you the ideal opportunity to find part-time opportunities during the studies and/ or employment upon completion of the programme. Due to the global reputation, the University has strong partnerships with the industry which I witnessed within my very first month at the Uni via its career fairs, newsletters, Joblink, social media pages etc. This gives me the confidence that being an alumni of the University of Leeds would certainly help me to stand out one day in the competitive job market.

My journey so far at the University of Leeds has been amazing. What I most like about the University is its vibrant student culture which gives you ample opportunity to make friends from all over the world, get involved in law school activities & various other clubs, be a part of sustainability initiatives, make use of health & wellbeing activities, get career guidance, learn languages and many more! University has a diverse student community from all over the world, thus a perfect platform for networking. Outside my studies, I often enjoy hanging out at the popular Leeds University Union (LUU) premises or exploring the bustling City Centre which is within the walking distance from the Uni.

I currently reside in a student accommodation located at a beautiful neighbourhood just few miles away from the Uni. With so many friends around, I do not feel alone although I am way far from my home. My accommodation gives me quick access to several supermarkets and local shops. My experience there has taught me how to handle certain responsibilities on my own and given me a sense of independence and maturity.  Further, this gives me ample exposure to get mingled with the local community through various community events, markets and festivals.

Breathtaking natural environment and the magnificent historical Yorkshire architecture have made me fall in love with my learning journey at the University of Leeds. Leeds in fact is the perfect blend of nature and city life that my mind was once yearning for! Leeds is also just few hours away from major cities like London, Manchester and Edinburgh and also quite close to international airports. Being an international student, I have never felt alienated here as Leeds in general is multi-cultural and a student friendly city with several higher education institutes located in proximity to each other, making it a perfect city to study.

Leeds in fact is the perfect blend of nature and city life that my mind was once yearning for!...Being an international student, I have never felt alienated here as Leeds in general is multi-cultural and a student friendly city with several higher education institutes located in proximity to each other, making it a perfect city to study.

Thus, my student experience so far at Leeds has been transformative and enriching. While I am eagerly looking forward to what future may offer to me at Leeds, I can confidently say that joining the University of Leeds for my postgraduates is one of the best decisions I have so far made in my life.

Email Chamila at chamila-link@leeds.ac.uk or chat on UniBuddy below: