When I first found out about the Laidlaw Scholarship in first year Michaelmas, I was struggling with the intensity of my degree and the pressure to find and apply to summer internships. This was especially daunting as I had quickly learnt by coming to university that I didn’t enjoy my biology labs, which was incredibly disheartening and led to me questioning the path which I had chosen, as I had dreamed of becoming an academic researcher. During my search, I came across the Laidlaw Scholarship via info circulated by my department. Looking over the pre-defined projects, I realised this was a unique opportunity to explore interdisciplinary research that fitted my circumstances perfectly.
During my first-year summer, I conducted research on the prevalence and impact of ‘Hustle Culture’ on student athletes in UK universities. Completing sociological research was a gamble and completely different to any essay that I had written in my degree. I still can’t believe my supervisor Stephen and the Durham Laidlaw programme were so supportive in giving this opportunity to an inexperienced biology student when the competition for this project was so high. This sociological research experience enabled me to develop qualitative research skills that I would have never acquired in my degree and pushed me out of my STEM comfort zone. We are now continuing to research this topic in collaboration with Team Durham with the aim of getting published, which is a statement that I would have never believed if I could go back and tell myself as a fresher.
During my second-year summer, I spent my LiA interning at Cambridge Global Health Partnership where I developed an impact report to showcase their incredible work. This experience allowed me to implement the skills which I had learnt from my summer research project, such as qualitative analysis, independently completing interviews, and graphic design. But the biggest takeaway from my LiA was learning about the interconnectedness of global health and the importance of long-term ethical partnerships for the sustainable development of global health security.
Although I lacked first-hand cultural immersion in a different country, since I completed my in the UK instead of abroad, working with CGHP allowed me to learn about a range of healthcare systems globally and the social and political barriers in providing healthcare. For example, I learnt how telecommunications can provide vital healthcare services in Myanmar during the current civil unrest, and how a hearing project in rural Malawi, where children and their guardians travelled hours by bike to visit the clinic, adapted to the challenges of being in a remote area to provide life changing paediatric ENT care.
The increase in my awareness of global health and of the impact of reciprocal learning across healthcare cultures that I have developed during my LiA contributed to my understanding of the importance of being a global citizen. I have learnt that developing a global perspective is a great asset, especially when it comes to healthcare and well-being; both being globally interconnected disciplines.
During the rest of the scholarship, I have developed ethical leadership skills; during the Oxford Character Project where I learnt the importance of continuous self-reflection and how to lead with humility, and during the Durham Leadership development sessions where I developed global cultural awareness. These skills are particularly important for working in health and well-being as voluntourism is rife in healthcare volunteering. This is especially prevalent when experiences are marketed for sixth form, gap year, and university students, and inevitably does harm to the local communities. I have been able to implement this learning as a student advisory board member where I am actively involved in promoting sustainable and ethical LiAs by increasing scholars' awareness of voluntourism and will continue to do this during the remainder of my 2-year seat.
My Laidlaw scholarship experience strengthened my global cultural awareness and ethical leadership skills but also has made me a stronger researcher and better university student. I now have a much clearer understanding of the direction of my future studies, and the scholarship has shaped the career path which I am now choosing. I will continue to implement the global citizenship and ethical leadership skills which I have developed during my time as a Laidlaw scholar into my future studies and career. In the meantime, I will be sharing my experience as a scholar during the Advisory Board Panel Q&A at the upcoming Annual Laidlaw Conference in Durham, so make sure to come along if you want to hear more about mine and the other advisory board members’ Laidlaw experiences!