Hello! I am a first year undergraduate student at Durham University studying Modern European Languages and Cultures, including advanced Spanish and ab initio Italian.
I believe that the intersection between languages and culture, politics and peacebuilding is hugely important in a multicultural but increasingly divided world. I am therefore passionate about using my skills for good, especially through my research project into ethical and compassionate immigration policy.
I'm really excited to work alongside the 2026 scholars!
Hi I'm Freddie, a student in PPE at Durham University with particular interests in British Political history and the development of its constitution.
I am excited to express this in my research project, focusing on the impact of formalised political parties on voter partisanship and the incumbency effect. Whilst contributing to the development of an existing dataset containing parliamentary election data from 1832 onwards, I am aiming to perform data-driven alaysis to evaluate Britain's shift from a candidate-based political tradition towards the dominance of party labels.
Outside of my studies, I am a keen church bellringer, an avid reader, and enjoy exploring new places.
Hi, my name is Karen and I am a first-year Philosophy, Politics and Economics student at Durham University. My research project aims to examine the American and Japanese bilateral relationship through analysing the impacts of US military bases in Okinawa. I am excited to be part of the 2026 Laidlaw cohort!
Hello! I’m Vardan Umbreyan, a Politics and International Relations student at Durham University and a Laidlaw Scholar. My academic interests lie at the intersection of peace and conflict studies, diplomacy, European governance, humanitarian action and international institutions. Through my Laidlaw research, I examine how ripeness theory and a Lederach-inspired cultivation approach can help explain the emergence and prospective transformative significance of TRIPP within the Armenia–Azerbaijan peace process.
Alongside my academic work, my involvement with the Armenian and British Red Cross has strengthened my commitment to humanitarian values, ethical leadership and service to others. I am particularly interested in how rigorous research can move beyond the university environment and contribute to meaningful policy conversations and social impact. I am always delighted to connect with other scholars, exchange ideas and learn from people working across different disciplines, countries and communities.