Yukiko Ogawa
Student spotlight details
Yukiko had no academic experience of art history until taking a short online course with the Department. She then decided to further her skills and knowledge with the Certificate of Higher Education, specialising in Art History, and is currently completing the programme from Moscow.
'I have been an art lover since my childhood, and have some drawing and craft experience, but I had no academic experience of art history. I had always wished to learn how to discuss art deeply, beyond just saying "I like it", so I enrolled on my first online course with the Department, Learning to Look at the Visual Arts, while I was in my home country of Japan. The course was fascinating, with an enthusiastic tutor and fellow students from around the world, and I was surprised how much I could learn even though it was online.
'I then decided to continue my learning journey with the Certificate of Higher Education (CertHE), specialising in Art History, which I am currently studying. Just before enrolling I moved to Moscow due to a new work assignment, but I can continue my learning from there as the CertHE can be completed mostly online. A wide range of courses are available in the art history pathway of the programme and I especially enjoyed Art Nouveau across Europe, which includes Russian and Eastern European Art Nouveau.
'The most rewarding and enjoyable aspect of the CertHE programme is studying subjects other than your main subject specialism, as this cross-subject study helps to expands your knowledge and it allows me to explore various fields such as philosophy, archaeology and history. The discussion activities with students from various backgrounds is also really valuable as it encourages cross-cultural discussions and facilitates deeper understanding of the subjects. And as well as exploring art history and learning how to talk about art, I am also gaining and developing my critical and analytical thinking skills.
'One of the biggest challenges for me was finding the time to study, as I work full-time in business consulting. However, during the programme I learnt how to effectively manage my time, a crucial skill, and I now regularly set aside time in the early mornings to study as this is when I find I am the most productive.
'Studying with Oxford Continuing Education has changed my life. After I finish the CertHE I want to keep studying and I am eager to study modern and contemporary art further, as well as brush up on my practical craft and drawing skills. I also wish to pursue a career related to modern and contemporary art now that I have more confidence in this subject area thanks to the skills gained during the programme.'
