Skip navigation


You are in:  Home » About SCAR » Education & Training » Graduate Study

Capacity Building

Graduate Certificate in Antarctic Studies (GCAS) Survey

Appendix G

Back to survey

Quotes

“ Interview panels asked directly about my Antarctic experience. …it has been beneficial for working in extreme remote environments, working with small isolated groups in the field, leadership and team building skills, conflict resolution, etc.
“ The course component of access to the Antarctic environment cannot be underestimated in its value for direct empathy, education and understanding of this environment. Antarctic professionals will always recognise and take someone more seriously if they have Antarctic experience”. Antarctic Artist

“ At any interview [GCAS] is always a discussion point with the interviewer... because the course itself is so diverse it caters to many work situations even if they are not Antarctic related. One example is the ability to conduct field work in trying conditions, which I now do in my current job”. Environmental Scientist

“ My Job includes the development of a visitor impact monitoring system for Stewart Island and for the Sub-Antarctic Islands and the monitoring of visitor assets there. This is my first full time job and I do not doubt the importance of the GCAS course in not only qualifying me for this job but also for providing me with a range of interdisciplinary skills relevant to this job.
“ The course gave me a broad range of skills relevant to my career, including team skills, critical and lateral thinking skills and an appreciation of the broad range of issues pertinent to unique environments”. DoC Employee

“ I currently work in an environmental management role in NZ. My experience in GCAS has given me the skills to approach my work in a much more holistic or 'big picture' way, incorporating the policy, legal, historical and community aspects of working with environmental matters, not just the scientific view. This has been noticed and appreciated by colleagues and clients”. Environmental Scientist

“ Thanks to GCAS I now think bigger, or think about things that I never really thought about before”. Biological Scientist

“ Potential employers always ask about [GCAS], and I can explain how it not only taught me a lot about a place that I am very interested in personally, but that it also taught me a lot about other disciplines, particularly international politics, international law, biology, geology, history, psychology, art. In this sense Antarctica was the case study to
learn about a lot of other disciplines in an interesting way.
“ I think it was a great course, I thoroughly enjoyed it, and I will take the things I learnt on that course and the memories with me throughout my life”. Environmental Scientist

“ The multi-disciplinary nature of the course provided a real background of information, and made me appreciate further the multi-facetted nature of any issue”. MoF Employee

“ Huge benefit in teaching geography…. Excellent links, contacts, resources”. Secondary School Teacher

“ My current employer definitely saw it as an advantage – he has often asked me about it, and mentioned after my interview that it was a fantastic thing to have on a CV. He saw the experience and the commitment of the course as being great for personal development in goal setting, determination, motivation and direction (not to mention just the experience).
“ The qualification has helped me in my profession. It has made me a lot more open minded about all sorts of issues related to professions, cultures, organisations and in particular the environmental. I find I am a lot more careful / sensitive when designing things to consider the impact from all sides – not just from the financial or business sense which I think is often overlooked in engineering companies”. Engineer