Alejandra Vazquez Aquino

Alejandra Vasquez hails from Mexico and came to Edinburgh to study a masters in law after completing her undergraduate degree in the United States. Her career since then has seen her inject her passion for human rights in several roles, including her latest in Abu Dhabi.

At the moment

I recently moved to Abu Dhabi, UAE. I am very excited about living in a new country with a different culture from my own. I am eager to see what this year will bring.

Your time at the University

I attended university in the United States. I obtained a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations and Political Science from the University of Wisconsin Madison. When I graduated from university, I knew I wanted to study a master’s degree in law. However, since law programmes in the USA require you to already hold a law degree to be accepted onto a master’s program, I decided to search for a programme in Europe.

While doing some research I came across the LLM in International Law at the University of Edinburgh. I was highly impressed by their faculty along with the curriculum. I had the fortune to study under the guidance of Professor James Harrison and Professor Alan Boyle, two brilliant academics who can transmit their passion for law to others.

My time at the University of Edinburgh was one of the best times of my life. Academically, I was able to acquire skills which have been crucial in the professional arena and have opened many doors for me. Personally, I was able to meet wonderful people who I stay in contact with to this day. Our ten-year reunion is coming up soon and I still cannot believe that it has been almost ten years since graduation.

Your experiences since leaving the University

Since graduating in 2012 I have lived and worked in three different countries. I currently work as a Freelance Diversity and Inclusion Professional. I guide organisations who want to establish Diversity and Inclusion programmes by giving them professional training. I am very fortunate to be able to combine my passion of human rights and equality into my everyday job.

One of the upsides of the pandemic was the ability to work remotely, it no longer mattered that I was living in Bangkok and not in Madrid, my usual place of residence. The pandemic allowed me to take part in many projects that I would not have been able to do otherwise. 

Previously, I had the fortune of working for Fundacion Diversidad as their Project Manager in Madrid, Spain. Fundacion Diversidad is the sole representative of the European Commission's Diversity Charter in Spain. The European Diversity Charter is a one-of-a-kind initiative that seeks to support companies, public institutions and non-profit organisations in putting diversity, inclusion and solidarity at the core of their activities across the European Union.

Alumni wisdom

I wish someone would have told me to stop worrying so much about the future. After I graduated, I knew I wanted to stay and work in Europe, unfortunately finding a job in Europe at the time was quite difficult for me. I ended up having to go back to my home country of Mexico, but eventually found my way back to Europe, a little wiser and with a little more experience. Eventually you will find a job even if takes you a bit longer than you had anticipated. If I had to give one piece of advice it would be to enjoy every moment as a student, every class and every social gathering. You will cherish those moments for a lifetime.

Related links

International Law