Alumna Interview: Mathilde Adland-Dale
Mathilde graduated in 2025 with a BA in Politics and International Relations, and she now works for Norwegian Broadcaster TV2. She talks about highlights of studying at Queen Mary, and how students often have more work experience and skills than they think.
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Mathilde Adland-Dale completed a BA Politics and International Relations and graduated in 2025
What are you doing now, and how did you get there from Queen Mary?
After graduating last summer, journalism was one of the avenues I wanted to explore career-wise. Next to my masters I made an effort to gain more experience writing more journalistic style pieces, so that I would be able to show employers I was capable of writing more than academics. Eventually I took a chance and applied for a temp job as an International News Reporter at Norwegian Broadcaster TV2, which is what I do now!
How has your degree helped you in your professional life?
If anything studying Politics and IR have provided me with the fundamental tools and theories which help me analyse and understand world events quickly. Why they happen, why it matters and what might matter tomorrow. Especially now starting as an International News Reporter, having the background from QM that I do has helped me a lot. And now I get to play a role in conveying complex and nuanced events in an understandable and engaging way!
What skills, experiences or ways of thinking from your time at Queen Mary have stayed with you?
The diversity at QM is what makes it so great, both in terms of opinion, background, language and culture. Having open-minded discussions on complicated and nuanced topics in the seminar room where we might openly disagree and then hanging out after isn’t something you should take for granted! There is a fantastic culture for discussion and debate at QM and it has taught me to value disagreement and respectful debate highly.
What advice would you give current students thinking about their future careers?
You have more relevant experience than you think you do! I worried so much about this myself (still do). Experience from an SU society, a bookshop, working behind a bar or even a tourist information (yes those still exist) is relevant. What matters is how you present that experience, take a step back and really consider what you have learned in that job.
What is one favourite memory of your time at QMUL?
Strangely enough, the month before we handed in our dissertation. Spending long days in the library for weeks with my friends, helping each other to the finish line is something I look back at very fondly. It felt so great to submit something we had worked so hard on and then celebrate the end of our degree together.
What was your favourite module and why?
Hard pick! One of them was Parliamentary Studies taught by Professor Philip Cowley and Dr Daniel Gover. The world of British politics is complicated and confusing but they made it very fun.
What is one thing you wish you had known when you were a student?
Enthusiasm goes a long way!