When I started the Laidlaw programme I hadn’t touched research, had never thought about living or working abroad, and would never have thought about myself as a leader. Now as I come to the end of my experience on the Laidlaw Scholarship, I can confidently say I’ve done research which is going towards a published paper, spent 2 months living and teaching in China, and can talk about myself through the lens of leadership.
I’ve learned how to cultivate a global mindset through both focused sessions delivered by the St Andrews Laidlaw team and my summer projects. In my initial summer of research, I saw how global connections nurture innovation and are instrumental in building deep subject knowledge. When working with my supervisor I saw how papers written across the world built on one another to create a knowledge base that could not exist without global connections and co-operation. I also saw how collecting global talent together, with PHD, post doctorates, and professors from across the world in my research group, allowed for cutting edge research. In science the pool of with expertise in the very specific niche of a given research group is too small for any one nation to go it alone. For research you must look globally for talent and cultivate a truly global knowledge base.
I saw similar advantages to global talent in my second summer teaching English in China. I was working with an education charity, Stepping Stones, that aims to provide quality teaching for underserved children in China. Stepping Stones has a deep local knowledge of its beneficiaries and their unique context. Whether that’s connection to local non-profits across China, or expertise on the education of migrant children in Shanghai and rural children across Eastern China. They combine strong local roots and expertise with global connections, reaching across the world for funding and recruitment. This is what I believe an effective Global Mindset looks like; not transitory, not lacking a sense of place, but using the unique talents and resources available through global connections to make an impact.
Throughout my time on the Laidlaw programme, I have seen through experience what character means and how it can drive change. Through the Oxford Character Project an intellectualised view of character was shown to us. In my summer projects I saw first-hand what good character looks like. The hard work, dedication, pride in place, I saw during my Leadership in Action summer was as good a lesson on character as one can wish for. I saw volunteers with a strong sense of purpose taking on responsibility for the education of local children working hard and delivering fast but well, driven by a sense of purpose. I saw global civic society work on sustainable long-term efforts to improve education through Stepping Stones, its local partner organisations, and throughout the communities I was working in. I saw the changemaker values in local university student volunteers, volunteer teachers, a handyman volunteering to give me a lift to a teaching site in between his jobs. I hope to carry these values with me as I continue to practice ethical leadership.
The Laidlaw Scholarship has also helped developed my capacities and skills. Throughout the programme I have had to manage additional deadlines around my usual university calendar. This experience and the time spent during the programme days on goal setting has improved my time management and given me a good set of project management skills. One of the most challenging parts of the programme is just getting started. Whether that be applying for the programme while finding a research supervisor and defining a project, or planning a self-defined leadership in action project. These are much easier said than done! The programme forces every scholar to get out their comfort zone, push themselves, and develop a strong independent work ethic. My programming and research skills improved over the research summer. My public speaking has improved through the leadership days, weekends, the scholar’s conference, and my Leadership in Action summer. The opportunity to go abroad during Leadership in Action was fantastic for immersion language learning, and my mandarin level is noticeably higher now. The Laidlaw scholarship has given me a fantastic set of skills and character that I will take forward into my future career and other leadership opportunities.
The programme has also given me time to think deeply about what leadership means and how I can drive change through ethical leadership in the future. Through my research summer I learnt how important an open accessible knowledge base is for innovation and I will use my leadership skills to champion this going forward. Through Leadership in Action, I got the chance to spend around 2 months working with a non-profit. This has given me a much keener appreciation of the importance of civil society and the work charities can do. This experience has inspired me to take a more active role in volunteering at home and contribute to civil society going forward.
The Laidlaw Scholarship, through events with my cohort, leadership sessions, the scholars conference, a summer of research, and my Leadership in Action summer has equipped me with skills I will use to continue practicing ethical leadership. I have strengthened my character through the people I have met and frameworks I have studied. Seen the advantages and importance of thinking globally in research and within the charity sector. I have put my values and character into practice throughout the programme. It has been a valuable experience and key part of my time at university. The skills I have developed will continue to serve me in the years to come and I am grateful to have had the opportunity to be a Laidlaw Scholar for the past 2 years.