Hi! I am an undergraduate sociology and social anthropology student at the University of Cambridge, with a passion for the study of social movements and research into how activists and organisers can meaningfully effect change. 

Hello! I am an incoming third year Mathematics student at the University of St Andrews, and my Laidlaw research project is geared at investigating the intersection between coloniality and mathematics and its impacts on students from the Global South. It is the product of my (rather polar) interests in English Literature and Mathematics!

With my current interests in media studies and being impacted by the ongoing war in Ukraine, I became interested to explore the communicative methods used within the environments of far-right, authoritarian regimes. My project 'The Dominance of Collective Mystical Thinking Within the Rise of Far-Right Politics' will delve into the performance of authoritarian governance based on magical practices, involving interaction based on set of rituals and symbolic elements that aims to distance individuals from objective reality and involve them into specific collective imaginary.  The research will focus on communicative applications, particularly looking into speech structure and non-verbal elements (context, gestures, media tools). It will analyse the online materials to understand the communicative patterns used between participants, contributing to the greater understanding of the authoritarian structure and its potentials for social control, and finding pathways for its resistance.  --- I'm incoming third year Film and Anthropology student, being interested in documentary and video-essay form. I have extensive background in cinematography and commercial videography, with passion of story making and telling.  I am interested to communicate and expand my knowledge, share my experience, especially if you are working with similar topics of Magic, Political Power, War, Displacement, Media and Communication

Hia! I'm Bethan, but most people know me as Bea. I am going into my third year at the University of St Andrews studying Social Anthropology. My Laidlaw research project explores the power of the Pacific research methodology and cultural storytelling tool of talanoa within the sphere of Pacific climate change discourse. In order to make meaningful change happen on the terms of those most affected by climate change and with some of the greatest history of connections with the ocean, the use of talanoa can be expanded to facilitate culturally appropriate collaboration and effective, meaningful climate change action.  This summer, I am taking my learning to the Pacific for my Leadership in Action project working at Tiapapata Art Centre, Samoa. My work here lends my passion for visual storytelling towards capturing and promoting the phenomenal, ever-developing projects that the art centre runs. As an educational and creative hub dedicated to fostering the continued transmission of both tangible and intangible cultural heritage, I hope to co-produce visual media and share real-world stories of the hard but joyous work the art centre puts into preserving traditional Samoan arts and culture.   __ More broadly, my interests lie in environmental and visual anthropology, overall aiming to understand and put into practice how visual storytelling can empower people in the face of our changing climate, and inspire audiences beyond academia to see how interconnected our world is - and the people within it. In bridging the intersection of human experiences and our physical environments, I hope to portray a future that highlights localised solutions to environmental challenges and to make this future empowering and accessible to a wider audience through film. 

Hi! I’m Kamtoya Okeke (she/her). I’m a rising junior at Columbia University studying Cognitive Science, focusing on Economics and Human Behaviour. My research is focused on destruction myths, stories which depict the end of the world, and I explore how these myths reflect societal values and fears, as well as how they showcase the power of storytelling. Feel free to reach out if you're interested in literature research and/or narrative forms, or just want to chat!

I am a third-year student of English at the University of St Andrews from New Delhi, India, and I'm interested in languanges and literature. My research project explores literature in radical bookshops.

Hello! I'm an incoming third-year History student at the University of St Andrews. I'm from Madrid, Spain, but I moved to Scotland for university.  My research project focuses on the impact of the Cold War on sexuality and sexual expression among LGBTQ+ youth in Brazil and the relationship between sexuality and the state in a military dictatorship. 

Hey hey! :) I'm Tamar, a Financial Economics student at the University of St Andrews, based in historic and picturesque Scotland. I am originally from Georgia (the country!), heading into my 3rd year of undergraduate study. This summer marks my first as a Laidlaw Scholar, and I am incredibly excited to be undertaking my research project: “Beyond Words: Women, Equality and the Early Esperanto Language Community.” Through historical artefacts, I will be exploring how the early Esperanto movement (1900s–1920s) created inclusive spaces for women, challenging the gender norms of its era. Given that gender inequality remains a pressing issue today, it is fascinating to explore how earlier generations managed to confront these challenges, despite arguably more rigid societal constraints. You might be surprised by my choice of a socio-historic topic — after all, I study finance and economics. But I have always been fascinated by interdisciplinary thinking. My curiosity often leads me to explore humanities subjects at length, and I take every chance I get to expand my horizons beyond my degree. What's more, this project gives me the perfect excuse to pick up another language! Language learning is one of my greatest passions (although I must confess I dabble more than I master), and I am always on the lookout for compelling study materials. Outside of academics, I adore capturing the beauty of my surroundings, travelling and planning future trips, reading, watching great cinema, and unwinding with music — I even brought my national instrument, the Panduri, to St Andrews all the way from Georgia and strum it as much as I can to keep a little piece of home with me.  If any of this sparks your interest —  whether you got curious about my research, want to exchange language-learning tips, or just chat about shared interests, I'd love to hear from you! Feel free to reach out here or connect with me on LinkedIn. Look forward to connecting with you! :)

School of Classics President | Laidlaw Scholar | Foreign Affairs Review Analyst | 4x State Department Intern

Hello hello! I am an incoming fourth-year student at the University of St Andrews pursuing a degree in biology. Originally from Kyiv, Ukraine, I moved to Italy in 2013 and have been living there ever since.  Over the course of my academic journey I have had the chance to explore numerous areas in biology, ranging from evolution to bacteriophage discovery to cell systems, out of which epigenetics and gene regulation during development have piqued my interest.  My primary research interest is developmental biology, which arose from my fascination with how multicellular organisms originate from a single cell. Therefore, my research focus for the first summer of the Laidlaw Scholars programme was the investigation of abdominal metamorphosis in Dipteran insects. To do so, I used fixation and Hoechst staining in addition to microscopy to study cell movement during several developmental stages in 2 species of flies. As for my leadership in action (LiA) project, I decided to assist biodiversity monitoring and conservation efforts in the heart of the Amazon rainforest jungle in Peru.  If I am not in lectures or studying in the library, I can be found working on a short story, watching films (and logging them on Letterboxd), reading old science fiction, or on a hike capturing the nature around me through photography. Having grown up in a multicultural setting, I enjoy learning more about the different cultures that exist on our planet, whether it is through cuisine, music, travelling, or linguistics. The latter partially explains my grasp of nearly five languages, though I have to warn you that my fluency differs dramatically. Otherwise, I also love spending time with animals, playing board games, or just talking. More than anything, I am always happy to meet like-minded individuals who are curious about the world. Thus, please feel free to reach out or connect with me on LinkedIn! 

Hello! I’m Henry, a second-year student at the University of St Andrews. Originally from Lancashire, I moved to Scotland in 2023 to pursue an undergraduate degree in modern history. Now entering my third year, my interests primarily revolve around late modernity, covering themes of empire, oppression, and propaganda.                   For my Laidlaw research, I am focusing on youth targeted propaganda in Nazi Germany. Specifically, I am analysing the techniques used in the children’s literature of the Third Reich to skew the youth’s morality, comparing this to themes found in the contemporary U.S.. With the recent resurgence of far-right politics, I feel it is crucial to analyse the means and manner of indoctrination, particularly those centred on the youth.                    I look forward to connecting with you all and reading about your projects!

Hi there! I'm currently entering my senior sophister year at TCD studying single-pathway environmental science and engineering. My deepest passion is ecology; the intricate and ever-present webs of interaction between everything biotic and abiotic overwhelm me with awe and reverence every day. Communicating how deeply intertwined everything in the natural world is, and how we as humans can responsibly interact with it, is a major interest of mine. Through my Laidlaw research project, I was able to share the importance of urban soil health with both the general public and with academic and political stakeholders. This summer, I aim to further my environmental communication skills alongside the team at SharkLab Malta, auditing and revamping elasmobranch education materials for children and adults.

Researching climate finance in Scotland - How to Fix the Hurdles that Prevent Funds from Reaching Net-Zero Housing Projects?  Studying economics with a concentration in finance. 

My research is about the relationships between Indigenous Christians, the British Government, the Massachusetts Bay Colony, and non-Christian indigenous peoples and how these relationships, desire for land, and Christian beliefs led to the expulsion, murder, and resettlement of Indigenous Christians in 1675-6.

I am a Fourth year Geology student at the University of St Andrews. Acquired knowledge of independent practical mapping, theoretical geophysical methods and petrological lab work. I am highly motivated to succeed, and my communication, leadership, and organisational skills have led me to become a trusted team member and be elected for multiple high-responsibility roles.  I am deeply passionate about environmental conservation and aspire to pursue a career in critical metals, contributing to the transition towards a sustainable green economy. Outside of my studies, I enjoy hiking, wildlife observation, and cycling.

Hi I'm a Student at St Andrews, investigating the role of Russian Emigres in opinion making within the UK, both in the victorian era and today