Aiden Chong

St Cross MSc in Sustainability, Enterprise and the Environment Scholarship

Joining us from: Malaysia

MSc in Sustainability, Enterprise and the Environment (2021)

I was born and raised in Malaysia and I pursued my undergraduate degree in Land Economy at the University of Cambridge where my appreciation for the multi-faceted nature of real estate was ignited. Building upon this, I started my career in investment banking in London where I advised real estate clients on corporate finance matters. Here, I witnessed the role that real estate and enterprise can play in the sustainability and net zero agenda, and this spurred my decision to pursue the University of Oxford’s inaugural MSc in Sustainability, Enterprise and the Environment (“MSEE”) course. At Oxford, I hope to embark on my next journey of improving the sustainability of the built environment – to make them greener, more liveable and more resilient.

I chose St Cross as my first choice given the relaxed nature of the college and it helped that the college has presented itself as a truly international college which I have found to be true having experienced it myself. I also particularly enjoy the diversity of the college members coming from across the globe, of which many had varied backgrounds, as this has resulted in some extremely intellectually stimulating conversations.

It has been such a privilege and honour to be awarded the scholarship as it has reassured me of my academic capabilities and skills I have acquired to date. In addition, I am also very grateful as the scholarship has provided me an amazing platform to make impact in the future through the opportunity to pursue the MSEE course.

I am truly excited to be part of the inaugural MSEE cohort and to also be a part of the vibrant St Cross community!