QMUL international job search guide russia

Finding work in Russia: a guide for Russian students

www.careers.qmul.ac.uk

Queen Mary is one of the UK’s leading research institutions with an equally enviable reputation for teaching excellence

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CONTENTS

Introduction

4

How can you market your Queen Mary degree in to employers?

5

Preparing for your job search

8

Your application: cover letter

10

Your application: CV guide

12

Your application: interview tips

14

Living and working in Russia

16

Finding vacancies: networking

17

Finding vacancies: online

19

Advice from a Queen Mary graduate

20

How can Careers & Enterprise help you?

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INTRODUCTION

Russia is the 8th largest economy in the world.

Owing to the recent geopolitical disputes, the country is now heavily investing in becoming self-sufficient and not having to rely on foreign imports. Russian employers, however, regularly note the lack of qualified labour available in the work force, especially outside of Moscow and St Petersburg. Employers recognise the importance of well-educated graduates for the economy and so you are in a good position returning home, as there is currently a large demand for overseas educated graduates. However, searching for a job back home whilst you’re studying in London can seem complicated and difficult. Careers & Enterprise has produced this guide in order to help you with your job search. Including everything from what Russian employers look for in a graduate, to advice from alumni, we hope that this guide will make the process of job hunting in Russia clearer and easier for you.

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HOW CAN YOU MARKET YOUR QUEEN MARY DEGREE TO EMPLOYERS?

In the last few years, Russia has extended its efforts to attract top talent back home, through initiatives such as the Global Education Program and by relaxing the regulations surrounding foreign degree recognition. However, nowadays it is not uncommon for young Russian people to study in the UK, so you can’t take it for granted that your UK degree will automatically put you ahead of other candidates. Additionally, not all employers will have heard of Queen Mary University of London. Given this, how can you make your degree from Queen Mary University of London stand out from that of other returning graduates?

QMUL has given you exposure to a variety of cultures

QMUL is a world-class university

This isn’t strictly exclusive to Queen Mary students, but since you have studied in the UK employers would expect you to have a good level of fluency in English. It’s only natural for you to find it easier to socialise with people from your own country when you are at Queen Mary but it is worth interacting with non-Russian students to improve your English. Try to speak and write in English as much as possible - the more you use English, the better you’ll be! The School of Languages, Linguistics and Film put on in-sessional language courses that are both credited and non-credited which you can sign up to whilst you’re studying. Have a look at what’s available at http://language-centre.sllf.qmul.ac.uk/

The prestige of your academic institution can be important to employers. Mentioning Queen Mary’s rankings and achievements can help attract an employer’s attention to your application. Here are some facts that you can add to your CV. • We’re part of the Russell Group.

In 2012, Queen Mary joined the internationally renowned Russell Group, which represents 24 leading UK universities.

• We’re in the top 100 universities in the world.

According to the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2015, Queen Mary is currently the 98th best university in the world.

There are approximately 17,800 students throughout Queen Mary and around 8,000 are EU and international students.

If you interact with people from lots of different cultures, you can state on your CV and at interview that you have gained intercultural awareness and the ability to communicate with a variety of international cultures. This is valuable to any international or globally expanding companies.

QMUL has enabled you to improve your language skills

You can also take full advantage of courses such as Business English, which will help you to prepare for your entrance into the corporate world. Find a list of English Language schools in London here: http://goo.gl/PY17Qn

Read more here: www.timeshighereducation.com/worlduniversity-rankings • Many of our subjects rank highly in the UK league tables.

According to The Guardian University League Tables 2016, Queen Mary ranks 3rd for Law, 4th for Medicine, 5th for Dentistry, 6th for Drama, 7th for History and 8th for Material Sciences. If your subject ranks highly, you may want to include this in your CV or job applications.

Read more here: www.theguardian.com/education/ universityguide

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HOW CAN YOU MARKET YOUR QUEEN MARY DEGREE TO EMPLOYERS?

QMUL has given you the chance the develop an attractive skillset Increasingly Russian employers are looking for candidates that are both technically able for the job and also have soft skills that make them stand out from the competition. Soft skills are skills that are transferable from one situation to another – you may think of them as qualities or personal attributes. Through the group work, presentations, tutorials, coursework, extra-curricular activities and also living in a foreign country you will have gained soft skills such as: Communication Employers relate good communication skills to the ability to work effectively with both colleagues and clients. Good communicators can adapt their style of communication to suit the task in hand.

Interpersonal skills These skills enable you to build trust and rapport with other people and manage conflict if necessary. They are a valuable asset in the work place.

Ability to work independently Being able to work with minimum supervision is important as companies do not have the resources to continuously oversee you.

Ability to work as part of a team team player understands clearly the goals of the team A and works to achieve them. They are able to offer ideas, listen to other people and take feedback from other team members.

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Motivation and determination nthusiasm for the role, company and industry is E important. Employers look to hire people who have the motivation and determination to succeed.

Ability and desire to keep learning J obs constantly change due to technological, political and economic factors, so you need to be willing to keep learning in order to adapt to new contexts.

Problem solving Employers value the ability to apply both logic and creativity to solve problems.

Time management ood time management is about being able to prioritise G your tasks and being able to work on several different projects at once through planning the use of your time.

You may also have gained technical skills from your degree, if you use technology and equipment on your course that your peers at home don’t have. You can state these skills in the Education section of your CV. Read this article about how studying at QMUL helped a Russian graduate get a job on returning home to Russia.

(Link to http://britbridge.ru/naskolko-vliyaet-zarubezhnoeobrazovanie-v-queen-mary-university-pri-ustrojstve-na-rabotuv-rossii/)

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PREPARING FOR YOUR JOB SEARCH

What can you do whilst you are still in the UK to prepare for your job search?

1/ Ensure you develop your soft skills Russian employers consider those who have studied in the UK to be more likely to have soft skills. However, you need to be able to prove that you have them throughout the stages of the job application process. How can you make sure you develop and practice using them whilst you’re at Queen Mary?

Be active in your course Some of your modules will include a variety of learning and assessment methods such as presentations, blogging, report writing and group work. These are designed to help you improve your communication skills in a more professional setting. Try to immerse yourself in to these tasks so that you can make the most of this experience.

Get involved in the Students’ Union QMSU have a large variety of activities that you can be a part of, including Societies, Club Sport, RAG, Student Media or Volunteering. Participating in these will this help you improve your English and develop the communication, time management and other soft skills that employers are looking for. Use societies to try to interact as much as possible with non-Russian students as this will help to develop your language skills and also improve your understanding of the UK culture. If you’re concerned about straying too far away from your studies, most departments have a student-led academic society that you can be a part of.

Take a look at what QMSU has to offer: www.qmsu.org/getinvolved

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2/ Research which industry you would like to work in Take some time to research and look into the different industries that you find interesting and would consider working in. If you’re unsure, book a Careers appointment with Careers & Enterprise and they’ll help you to get a better understanding of what jobs may suit you. Make sure you attend any careers events for your School, as these provide insight into industries that people with your degree have entered.

Top 10 work sectors for QMUL Russian graduates Legal

18.18%

Finance

15.15%

Sales

7.58%

Marketing

7.58%

Consulting

6.06%

Business Development

6.06%

Program and Project Management

4.55%

Media and Communication

4.55%

Real Estate

3.03%

Operations

3.03%

(Data source: LinkedIn, Jan 2016)

3/ Consider what type of company would value a QMUL degree

4/ Think about the location in which you would like to live

Due to political tensions and a decline in the Russian economy, American owned businesses with a presence in Russia have begun to decline. However, overseas degrees are generally well respected by Russian employers. You could work for start-ups, expanding companies, multinational corporations and everything in between. There are different advantages to working for each of these types of companies.

It’s worth researching the different types of companies and thinking about what appeals most to you.

As Moscow and St Petersburg are the economic centres of Russia, it is common for graduates to gravitate towards them, especially as there is a vast amount of investment in these two cities. There are, however, opportunities available in the regions of Russia. This is because there are severe talent shortages and a lack of skilled labour outside of the two main cities. For example, some QM alumni are currently working in the Krasnoyarsk Territory and the Kaliningrad Oblast.

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YOUR APPLICATION: COVER LETTER- WHAT TO INCLUDE

In Russia, a cover letter is the first thing that an employer will look at and so it is integral to your application. Here are some tips for how to write a successful cover letter:

• Specifically relate your skills to the available position, mentioning the most important skills and knowledge first

• Maximum 1 side of typed A4

• Write in a concise, formal and professional style. Try not to sound too persistent

• Make sure your cover letter is targeted to the potential employer and the vacancy

• Close your covering letter by expressing your willingness to discuss your application further in an interview

• Research who would be likely to read your application and address it to them

• Make sure you sign your name at the end of the letter.

• Include your complete contact details at the start of your letter, such as telephone number and email address • If you have a contact in the company, mention this at the beginning of the letter as it will increase your chances of your CV being reviewed carefully • Explain in positive terms why you applied for the vacancy and why you are right for the job, showing your interest and motivation for the role

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If you’re applying via email, your covering letter and CV should be sent as an attachment. Make sure that they are in a common format, such as Microsoft Word or a PDF document and title it with your name as the document title to avoid CV mix-ups!

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YOUR APPLICATION: CV GUIDE

Whilst you’re applying for jobs, it is worth researching whether any of the companies that you are applying to have a preferred application format. If not, here are some general tips on writing your CV:

Make sure your contact details are up to date!

• Keep your CV as succinct as possible, with a maximum length of 2 A4 pages

Include your degree level, degree title, the name of the university and the dates you attended

• Include an objective, outlining what kind of position, industry or company you are looking to work in • Tailor the information to the position you are applying for by including any modules you may have studied or provide examples of any specific skills you have gained that are required by the job • Ensure your wording is positive and active rather than negative and passive. Instead of stating your difficulties, use language such as ‘overcame’, ‘accomplished’ and ‘achieved’. Show outcomes of activities if possible • Unless specifically asked, you do not need to include references on your CV. Russian employers will request them when necessary

State any relevant modules to the vacancy. It may also help to include your grade.

Include your roles and responsibilities and any relevant skills you have developed.

Your Education and Employment history should be in reverse chronological order

• Proofread your CV to make sure there are no spelling mistakes or grammatical errors. It can be helpful to get someone else to look through it for you as well.

State your position, company and the dates you were employed.

Add any extra-curricular activities you have participated in.

Include any relevant transferable skills you have developed.

If you’re proficient in any languages, include them stating your level of fluency

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Anastasia Zabarsky 5B, Pooley House, London, E1 4NS I Contact number: +447717051562 I Email: a.zabarsky@ gmail.com Objective: To enter into and develop a career in Corporate Finance.

Education MSc Banking and Finance, Queen Mary, University of London [September 2015- September 2016] • Passed with 66% (Merit) • Modules included: Corporate Finance, International Finance and Risk Management for Banking.

BSc (Hons) Economics and Finance, Tomsk State University [September 2012- June 2015] • Passed with 60% • Modules included: Foreign Trade, International Finance and Marketing and Industry studies.

Employment History Graduate Intern, Commercial Banking Sector, HSBC [June 2015- September 2015] • Worked directly with customers to understand customer satisfaction • Provided support to my team and my managers by modelling, accounting, credit analysis, researching prospective clients, developing cash flow models, conducting market research, helping to create pitch books.

Financial Management Intern, Proctor & Gamble [June 2014- August 2014] • Managed financial databases • Gained experience in accounting and taxation, invoicing and payment tracking.

Other Experiences and Qualifications Fundraising Officer, Economics Society, Queen Mary University of London [October 2015- June 2016] • Increased grant funding and increased sponsorship funding through writing proposals and contacting local businesses.

• Organised fundraising events • Organised and helped execute other academic and social events Languages Russian: Native English: Fluent.

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YOUR APPLICATION: INTERVIEW TIPS

Job interviews can make you feel nervous, regardless of how many you may have done. Here is some advice about interviews in Russia, to help you through the process.

• Emphasise your language skills Studying in the UK can be a “conversation opener” at any interview for a job in Russia. If you feel confident with your English language, you can highlight that after 1-3 years studying in English-speaking environment you can comfortably conduct business in fluent English.

This is particularly relevant if you are applying for jobs at international firms whose operations mean that the deals are negotiated and signed in English.

• Talk about your skills Where your UK course has given you the opportunity for practical application of your degree and development of soft skills, this gives you a competitive edge on the heavily theoretical and classroom based Russian degree. Make sure you share how you have developed these skills and applied the theory from your degree – in work experience or practical projects.

• Research the company and the industry Employers are looking for people who have a good understanding of their company, the industry and how the Russian economy affects both of these. Stay up to date with current events concerning the industry and company, research their competitors and be prepared to talk around these topics.

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• Ask questions to demonstrate your interest in the role Prepare between 3 and 4 questions that you can ask your interviewer about the role, the company, the industry and even its future. This is a great way to gain respect and credibility.

• Be punctual Try to arrive approximately 20 minutes early. This way you will have time to compose yourself and fill in any extra paperwork that may need completing.

Make sure you are well presented Employers will see the way that you present yourself as a reflection of yourself. Your clothes should be business formal and conservative. Your phone must be switched off. Ensure your posture is good and that you maintain eye contact with your interviewer.

• Be professional at all times Regardless how well or badly you think your interview may have gone, you will be expected to remain professional until the end. If you are shown around the office or introduced to other members of the team, their feedback may count towards the company’s overall evaluation of you. It’s therefore important that you don’t say or do anything that you wouldn’t in a formal interview.

• Learn from the experience If you didn’t get the job offer, spend some time after your interview to reflect on the experience. Ask for feedback and take time to consider how you could improve before moving on to the next one.

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LIVING AND WORKING IN RUSSIA

Tax rates: There is a flat income tax rate of 13%.

Average working hours: Standard working week is 40 hours but sometimes in the private sector companies you would be expected to work longer hours. In theory, overtime may not exceed 4 hours in 2 days or 120 hours annually but this may not be the case in reality.

Average salary: Find more information on average salaries across different job sectors in Russia here http://goo.gl/3yc4rm

Living and Working in Russia Holidays: By law, Russian employees can get up to 28 days of paid, which can taken in portions throughout the year.

However, in reality the holiday quotes depend on your employer. For example, private sector companies set up their own holiday quotas which are less than 28 days.

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Living Costs: This differs depending on where you are in Russia. Moscow is extremely expensive: it is comparable to - and sometimes more expensive than London. Although the cost of living in Russia has increased over the last few years, everyday living costs remain comparatively low. Accommodation and transport is affordable, as are utilities. To read more about the cost of living, click here: www.numbeo.com/costof-living

FINDING VACANCIES: NETWORKING

Networking is considered as an essential business skill in Russia and should form a part of your job-hunting strategy.

Many people successfully find jobs through their personal and business contacts. In order to ensure that you develop your own network, there are a few things that you can do.

Maintain connections with your friends and family Make sure your social media platforms are up to date with your education and any work experience. Keep your friends and family updated with what you’re currently doing whilst you’re in the UK and what you may be looking for when you return home. Similarly, when you return to Russia, maintain your relationships with your Queen Mary friends, along with any academics or work experience colleagues. This is a great starting point for your own network - you never know when this might come in useful!

‘My current vacancy was not an open one, my CV was sent to the HR department by my friend who already worked there for a year’ Nikita Lebedev, Banking and Finance graduate, 2015

Join the Queen Mary Alumni Network By signing up to the Alumni Portal you can subscribe to the alumni mailing list, search for fellow alumni and buy tickets for upcoming events in the UK or Russia. Most importantly, you can join the overseas group for Russia, which organises regular events and projects for alumni in Russia. You can also join the Queen Mary Alumni Group on LinkedIn- just search ‘Queen Mary Alumni Network’.

Visit the Queen Mary Alumni pages at www.qmul.ac.uk/alumni

Sign up to professional associations and online forums Research the professional associations that you are interested in and see if you can sign up to their online newsletters.

These will offer information on networking and other professional events. You can also participate in online forums for international students in UK universities. For instance, you can ‘like’ the British Council UK Alumni Relations Network Facebook page. www.facebook.com/BritishCouncil.

UK.AlumniRelationsNetwork Keep up to date with any events that may be good networking opportunities with the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation. http://tpprf.ru/ru/ Other networking organisations for you to consider are: • Professionali.ru http://professionali.ru/ This is a Russian social network that united specialists and businessmen by industry, professional or geographic groups.

Over 6 million users and 500,000 companies are registered.

This website also advertises job vacancies.

• Association Women and Business in Russia (AWBR) http://www.awbr.ru/ AWBR is a member of the World Association of WomenEntrepreneurs and focusses on uniting businesswomen in Russia.

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FINDING VACANCIES: NETWORKING

•W ine Club Marketing & Consulting http://www. wineconsulting.ru/ Founded in 2000, Wine Club Marketing and Consulting organises monthly wine tastings in Moscow. If you’re a wine lover, this gives you an opportunity to network with those that have a similar interest to you.

‘Networks that I would recommend for finance are the Centre of Mathematical Finance and the Moscow State University Investment Banking Club.’

Nikita Lebedev, Banking and Finance graduate, 2015 LinkedIn is one of the most common ways people expand their professional network. Here, you can join the Queen Mary Alumni Network group and even some School specific groups. Furthermore, you can search and follow Queen Mary University of London and explore the careers of over 54,000 alumni. Keep your profile information up to date, as recruiters use LinkedIn to locate potential candidates. If possible, contact your former employers, professors and lecturers and peers you worked on group projects with, and ask if they can give you a recommendations on LinkedIn.

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LinkedIn is a great way of searching for jobs as many recruiters advertise their vacancies on it. ‘Follow’ companies that you are interested in and search in the ‘Jobs’ section of LinkedIn. Make your search country specific by changing your location preferences. Read about how to apply for jobs using LinkedIn here: https://goo.gl/aexKR0 For videos on how to build your profile and use LinkedIn functions go to https://students.linkedin.com/uk You can also read our guide to using LinkedIn here: http://goo.gl/YH3RQY

FINDING VACANCIES: ONLINE

The internet in Russia is playing an increasingly significant role for both employers and employees. This means that it is becoming easier for you to apply for jobs whilst you’re still in the UK. Here are some of the ways you can look for job vacancies.

Online resources available through Careers & Enterprise Going Global advertises jobs and internships across the world, including in Russia: www.careers.qmul.ac.uk/ students/jobhunting Careers Tagged is an online library of websites about everything concerning job searches. Enter ‘international students’ or ‘Russia’ into the search box for relevant resources. www.careerstagged.co.uk/ JobOnline is Queen Mary’s job board. You can search vacancies by country and industry. www.careers.qmul.ac.uk/ jobs

Vacancies advertised on company’s website Most companies’ websites will have a ‘jobs’ or ‘careers’ section. Multinational corporations will advertise jobs throughout the countries that they operate in. Normally if a vacancy is advertised online, it will be alongside a job specification and details on how to apply for the position.

Online recruitment websites Recruitment websites tend to come in two forms: generalised and industry specific. Employers can use these platforms to advertise their vacancies and candidates can apply online. It is becoming increasingly common for candidates to be able to upload their CV onto a recruitment websites, highlighting their areas of interest, and companies can then search through relevant CVs. Generalised recruitment websites for all industries include: • The Moscow Times www.themoscowtimes.com/careercenter/ • Head Hunter http://hh.ru/ • SuperJob www.superjob.ru/ • Job www.job.ru/ • Rabota www.rabota.ru/ • Rabota 66 www.rabota66.ru/ • Jobmax www.careerist.ru/ • Hays www.hays.ru • The Accountancy Job http://ru.theaccountancyjob.com/ • Efinancial Careers www.efinancialcareers.co.uk/ • The IT Job http://ru.theitjob.com/ • Totally Legal www.totallylegal.com/jobs/russia/

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FINDING VACANCIES: ONLINE

Nikita Lebedev, Investment Banking Analyst at Aspiring Capital in Moscow MSc Banking and Finance graduate, 2015 Why did you choose to return home after you graduated?

‘Well, to be honest, I really wanted to work for a few years in the UK but I didn’t manage to get a proper job. I was rejected all big companies (investment banks) and only landed a parttime job at Entura, which is an anti-piracy IT start-up. That was fun but not even close to what I wanted to do with my career.’

What skills do you feel you acquired from studying in the UK? ‘Apparently I have gained a lot of technical knowledge of finance, especially Valuation, M&A and Portfolio Management. It helps me to provide my senior colleagues with better materials.’

How did you go about searching for a job?

What was the most challenging aspect of you job search and how did you overcome it?

‘To be honest, after getting a UK MSc Degree, passing CFA Level One and a previous investment banking internship experience there were not any challenges for me. I got every interview and offer in Russia I wanted.’

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How do you think current Russian students can try and stand out in the job market when they return home?

‘Taking maximum out of the MSc degree- studying hard, CFA and networking’ How important do you think it is to maintain you home networks when you are studying overseas and why?

‘I got my current job due to a contact that I knew before coming to the UK, so it is extremely important!’

If you did you job search after graduating from QM again, what would you do differently?

‘I would do more research on the available jobs and would prepare even more for the interviews.’

What advice would you give current Russian students about conducting a successful job search when returning home after graduation?

‘Study hard, do more than asked, network and don’t miss good parties- you never know who is going to be there!’

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HOW CAN CAREERS & ENTERPRISE HELP YOU?

Careers & Enterprise supports Queen Mary University of London students across all aspects of their career development.

Careers Consultants Every School has their own dedicated Careers Consultant.

Your Careers Consultant will run a programme of career workshops and events for your School that can you attend, featuring employers and alumni. Find these here: www.careers.qmul.ac.uk/events

Book an appointment We offer daily 20 minute appointments, where you can discuss any of the following: • CV and job application feedback • Finding and applying for work experience, part-time work or graduate jobs in the UK and overseas • Deciding what to do after graduation • Starting your own business We also run practice interviews before a Skype/phone or face to face interview.

To book an appointment or practice interview call 020 7882 8533 or book in person in WG3, Queens Building, Mile End campus. We are open Monday-Friday 9.30am-5pm. All appointments are held on the Mile End campus apart from postgraduate law appointments, which are held in CCLS at Lincoln’s Inn Fields.

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Find us online…

Website: www.careers.qmul.ac.uk QMPlus International Students Careers Webpage: http://goo.gl/S9tXgQ Facebook: www.facebook.com/qmcareers Twitter: https://twitter.com/qmcareers Blog: https://qmjobsblog.wordpress.com/

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For further information contact: Careers & Enterprise Queen Mary University of London Mile End Road London E1 4NS Telephone: 020 7882 8533 email: careers@qmul.ac.uk www.careers.qmul.ac.uk

Any section of this publication is available in large print upon request.

If you require this publication in a different accessible format we will endeavour to provide this where possible. For further information and assistance, please contact: hr-equality@qmul.ac.uk; Tel: +44 (0)20 7882 5585.

The information given in this publication is correct at the time of going to press. We reserve the right to modify or cancel any statement in it and accept no responsibility for the consequences of any such changes. For the most up-to-date information, please refer to the website qmul.ac.uk This publication has been printed on environmentally friendly material from well-managed sources.

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