First Person Accounts (FPA’s) are meant to provide a first-hand account of Indian graduates who have pursued, or are pursuing, a post-graduate course (LL.M. or otherwise) from different universities across the world.

Krishan G. Insan is currently pursuing an LL.M. at Queen Mary University of London where he is also a Chevening scholar. In this interview, he talks about his reasons for opting for the LL.M., advice on the Chevening application, and a whole lot more.

Am curious to know what got you to take up law after your MBA? And how was the LLB experience at Delhi University?

Well, I completed my first masters in Finance with Distinction and started working at Leading National Oil Company. While working with OIL, I have also worked at Directorate General of Hydrocarbons (On deputation), which is a regulatory body for the upstream sector in India.

During my work at such a highly technical and regulatory body, I felt a need to gain academic skills in the legal domain and completed LL.B from faculty of law to serve the society and country in a better way.

Case study based study at the Faculty of Law was a blessing for me quickly learn and implement my knowledge in my work. I am still indebted to the scholarly faculties of my law school who helped me go an extra mile.

Coming to the LLM, what prompted you to enrol for the course? And how did you go about selecting where to apply?

As I have mentioned before, I have worked in an environment that needed a high level of competence and expertise. Moreover, I am always enthusiastic to add new skills so a combination of both was a sincere motivation to obtain a second master with specialization in Arbitration from a university of Global Repute.

Criteria for choosing the university was very focused, I applied only those universities that had a course of my choice with experienced faculties. So one must decide own area of interest i.e. what he wants to study before selecting the university.

On the Chevening scholarship in particular – what would you say are the 2-3 most important things that a prospective applicant ought to keep in mind? 

The Chevening Scholarship looks for future leaders, so candidates must have the potential to show that they are the future leaders. While mentoring many candidates for Chevening application I have noticed a very important thing – many applicants get confused between Leadership skills and Leadership position.

Chevening is looking for candidates who have leadership skills. Whereas candidates think that they have never held a leadership position in their organization so they are not an eligible candidate for this award.

  • Show your Leadership potential.
  • Prove your networking skills.
  • Have firm career plans 5-10 Years.
  • Most Importantly, be original to your ideas.

Apart from the obvious financial support, what are some of the other advantages of the Chevening scholarship?

The Chevening Scholarship provides you with a platform to connect with the global community of more than 50,000 scholars around the globe in diversified domains. Networking among these professionals plays a vital role while you come back and start working in a leadership position.

During your stay in the UK you are connected to more than 1,500 scholars. Apart from Chevening Orientation and Farewell, there are many other programs, which allows you to learn the global culture and acquire new skills.

You are also an active participant in the YICCA Mentoring program – could you tell me a bit about the program, and how you have personally benefitted from it?

Yes, I was one of the 64 successful candidates across the globe for YICCA Mentoring program in 2019-20 Calendar year cycle. It is an excellent opportunity to connect with successful professionals of arbitration in your age group.

YICCA Mentors provide you virtual mentoring to groom you with global competence and establish yourself on the global platform. I am working with a group of six people lead by Mr. Andrew Clark,General Counsel at Exxon Mobil, London and other members from Switzerland, Brazil, Mexico and Africa.

How has the LLM experience been at QMUL? What have been some of the highlights of the course?

The LL.M (Comparative and International Dispute Resolution) program at Queen Mary University of London has always been my first choice. Two weeks of Induction, Selection of Modules, Classes of Prof. Brekoulakis, Prof. Mistelis will keep you fully occupied with a load of reading.

But you have to balance and have fun too. So yeah, I am enjoying my stay at QMUL with the full workload.

Lastly, any advice for the Indian law graduate who is considering a master’s abroad?

If you choose to go for a master’s in law from a foreign university I would recommend you to have a thorough understanding of your area of choice. So that you can place your candidature backed by a strong SOP.

Do your research and choose your law school very carefully keeping your objective into mind. There are many scholarships (funded by different agencies) across the globe for the LLM program so prepare for them in advance.