Your Friendly Neighbourhood Laidlaw Scholars Advisory Board Member
Having received a hefty number of new followers on the Laidlaw Scholars Network in the past 24 hours, I suspect that the new 2024 cohort must have joined us. I therefore would like to (re)introduce myself in my capacity as a member of the Laidlaw Scholars Advisory Board, and let you know how you can help shape the future of the Laidlaw programme.
What is the Advisory Board?
The Laidlaw Scholars Advisory Board is a recent initiative by the Laidlaw Foundation and is dedicated to enriching and shaping the future of the programme by amplifying the voices and perspectives of Laidlaw Scholars. There are nine Scholars (past and present) from a mixture of universities who currently sit on the board and we are each committed to shape and evolve the programme in line with the Foundation's and Scholars' values. Of foremost importance, we work to get you - Laidlaw Scholars - listened to, as you are crucial to the success and fruitfulness of the programme. Our first meeting was held in London a few of months ago and we discussed a wide range of issues including accessibility, stipends, sustainability, ethicality of the LiA, and much, much more. Further and more focused discussions will take place in due course.
Who am I?
I currently sit on the board and was part of the Laidlaw 2022 cohort. I studied International Relations here in St Andrews and will be graduating this summer. My Laidlaw experience was a highlight of my time at university, taking me to Boston, Dublin, Uganda, and London, and allowing me to discover and research the thing I am most passionate about - the Scottish diaspora. I have written a fair few blogs and essays on the Network about my Laidlaw experiences if you would like to know more about me and my Laidlaw journey. I have also written an essay entitled Volunteerism to Change Making: What's the Route to Great Impact? in which I make the case for more ethical and effective LiA projects and volunteering projects more broadly. I am always happy to connect with scholars, so never hesitate to reach out to me if you are interested in my research or LiA.
How can you help shape the Laidlaw programme?
I would like to invite all scholars to share their feedback, comments, and suggestions to me about anything related to the Laidlaw Scholarship Programme over the coming years. No matter how ambitious the idea, how scathing the critique, or seminally minutiae the suggestion may appear, every piece of scholar feedback is invaluable and will be taken up with the Board in our discussions for enhancing the Scholarship Programme. I have already relayed some crucial feedback from members of the 2023 and 2022 cohorts, and continue to advocate for their causes and concerns.
How can I get in touch?
Over the next year or two I will be sitting on the Board and can be contacted at any time. I will be only contactable via my personal email as I will soon loose access to my @st-andrews email after I graduate. Feel free to reach out to me at campbellmacp@outlook.com or find me on my social media pages which are attached to my Laidlaw profile.
I look forward to hearing from you all, working with you to shape the future of the programme, and I wish you all the best of luck for your upcoming LiA or research projects this summer!
I was fortunate enough to conduct academic research under the supervision of Stephen Gethins, former MP and Professor of Practice in International Relations at the University of St Andrews. Stephen introduced me to a truly fascinating yet often overlooked area of International Relations: sub-state and regional actors and their place in global politics, with a focus on Scotland in particular. Through this, I have developed an interest in Scotland's place in the world as a nation without an independent foreign office, but as a nation with extensive international influence and a powerful global diaspora. This topic formed the basis of my Laidlaw project, my undergraduate dissertation, a forthcoming article, and my future research.
In my second year of university, I founded The Drew, an online student publication based in St Andrews which publishes articles on Scottish politics and culture. There was an unfortunate lack of Scottish issues being discussed in St Andrews (despite bearing the name of Scotland's patron saint and being home to Scotland's most ancient university), and so The Drew was set up to help foster more discussion.
I take a keen interested in other academic fields such as politics, history, and philosophy. Although an International Relations student first and foremost, I had the opportunity of studying Ancient History and Classics alongside my degree for two years. If I were to ever win the lottery, you would find me endlessly cycling University, spending my remaining days studying Ancient History and Philosophy, Politics, Anthropology, Theology, Theoretical Physics and Maths, or whatever subject I develop an interest in down the line.
I am always keen to discuss my own research area and learn about others'.
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Hey Campbell, thanks for posting! We also have an intro thread for the 2024 cohort in case you'd like to contribute :) https://laidlawscholars.network/rooms/leadership-research-laidlaw-scholars/conversations/77171
Thank you Nikol, I'm more than happy to contribute.
Delighted to be working with you on the Board! Looking forward to everything ahead and another great year :)
Cool introduction, Campbell! Thanks for doing this and for remaining a committed alum of the Program!