I grew up in Israel and studied English and Russian at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. When I wished to apply for a PhD in a British university, planning to study Russian literature in a comparative literature department, I made ample use of the resources of the British Council library in Jerusalem.
In those days, before personal computers and universal Internet access, this was the only way for me to access information about British universities. My research in the library led me to apply and successfully obtain a funded PhD place at the Department of Literature, University of Essex.
My studies enabled me later to teach in a variety of settings, and I have been an adult education tutor for many years, teaching Russian language, literature and culture to people from a variety of backgrounds. Now, during lockdown, I teach a busy programme of remote learning courses to vulnerable, isolated learners.
Anat Vernitski, WEA Tutor in Russian