I was fortunate enough to conduct academic research under the supervision of Stephen Gethins (former MP; 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. Through my work with Stephen, 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 rich international influence and a unique connection to Europe and the rest of the world. In addition to my interest in UK foreign affairs and domestic politics - not least my interest surrounding the Scottish constitutional debate - I intend to explore this area of interest throughout my academic career.

Through my time studying International Relations the University of St Andrews, I have developed a keen interest in: Terrorism Studies, so-called 'Sub-Saharan' African Politics and IR, Postcolonial Theory (among other critical theories), and the role of identity in international relations and conflict. It must be noted however, that my interests are ever-changing, and I am still exploring the vast and rich discipline, discovering new interests every year of my degree.

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 foster more discussion. 

As far as my academic interests are concerned, I am quite frankly a sucker for all things politics, history, and philosophy. Although an International Relations student first and foremost, I had the joy of studying Ancient History and Classics alongside my degree. 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, Egyptology, Theology, Theoretical Physics and Maths, or whatever subject I develop an interest in down the line.

I am always down for a discussion and chat about my areas of interest - so never shy away from reaching out if we have any interests in common.

I am a student at Columbia University studying Political Science and Statistics. I am interested in the intersections between data, people, and the environment. 

Midori was born in Tokyo, Japan and spent her elementary school years in New York and Boston before returning to Tokyo for middle and high school. She graduated from Columbia College, where she double majored in Medical Humanities (Institute of Comparative Literature and Society) and Biology. Midori was a member of the Veenstra-VanderWeele Lab at the Columbia University Medical Center, researching autism spectrum disorder risk factors and their implications on brain and behavior using a mice model. On campus, Midori was president of CU STRIVE, supporting youth living with sickle cell disease through mentorship and advocacy. Midori spent the summer of 2019 in Bhutan, researching the perceptions and usage of biomedical, traditional (Sowa Rigpa), and local healing practices and their implications on healthcare. She spent the remainder of the summer as a research fellow in a predictive oncology lab at the Marseilles Cancer Research Center in France. Her passion lies in addressing social determinants of health to achieve global health equity. Midori plans to use such experiences to inform her future practice as a physician who will work for international humanitarian organizations.

I am a first year student at the University of Leeds studying Civil and Environmental Engineering MEng.

Hi, everyone! My name is Sarina Zhou, a Class of 2024 student at Cornell University! I am major in Economics and minor in Law and Society. The aim of my research is to implement the UN Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities in Barbados, bridge the gap in understanding between legislators and their constituents, and improve the lives of those in disadvantaged and marginalized communities. I always seek opportunities to develop my skills and knowledge in various subject areas, particularly in the fields of law and business. I hope to pursue a career in immigration or corporate law in the future.

Also, fun fact: I am an artist specializing in acrylic landscape painting and graphite portrait drawing!

Please don't hesitate to connect with me! :)

I am a final-year undergraduate scholar pursuing a BA (Hons) in English Literature and Linguistics at the University of York. Besides being a scholar, I am the Arts and Humanities Subject Lead on the Scholar's Network and the 2020-22 Arts and Humanities faculty rep at the University of York! My first summer of research was based in phonetics, entitled 'The untapped potential of human language: Investigating the perception of typologically unattested and rare sounds'. In it, I get to look at phonemes that are not commonly found in speech, if at all!

My Leadership in Action project was based around the experiences of students with disabilities and long-term health conditions when accessing Higher Education in the UK. I'm currently creating teacher training based on the paper I wrote for this project, and working with UCAS to help inform UK university admissions policy. 

I'm a second year student at Columbia majoring in African-American and African Diaspora Studies (and possibly public health or psychology). I'm really into politics surrounding identity and the ways societal values affect young Black women.

I am a third-year English and Modern History student at the University of St Andrews. My research looked at the intersection of gender history and transnational history by examining women's involvement in the Esperanto movement in Scotland and the Midlands. I'm interested in all things art, history, literature, and social change! 

Hi! I am Eirini Vryza (I often go by Irene). I am a student at the University of St Andrews, and I study English and Philosophy! I am particularly interested in ecocriticism as a critical approach to literature, and I love logic and philosophy of language in philosophy. I have also been quite impressed with object-oriented ontology, and I'd say that although my focus is primarily logic and philosophy of language, one of my favorite philosophers is Peter Singer! In my research project I will be looking at local narratives about nature and how anthropocentrism can be excluded from our collective narratives towards nature by exploring modern Greek literature (prose) and using object-oriented ontology, material ecocriticism and blue humanities as theoretical frameworks. 

I am very engaged in effective altruism, particularly in the areas of animal welfare and climate change, and I am also part of the amazing organization that is in St Andrews and many other university called One For The World, which promotes effective giving for global health and extreme poverty. 

Hi, my name is Pearls (She/Her); I am a second-year Law LLB student at Leeds.

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My first-year research measured the impact of gamifying learning on improving the attainment score and content retention levels of ethnic minority and socio-economically disadvantaged students at Multi-Academy Trusts. 

I co-founded the Leeds University branch of the 93% Club and acted as its Schools Outreach Officer for nearly two years. In recent years I have volunteered at my local Citizens Advice. I will be tutoring primary level English as part of the Laidlaw Foundation’s tutoring initiative with The Tutor Association.

This June, I will be embarking on a year-long placement as a Contract Management Intern at The Walt Disney Company.

Pronouns: she/her, they/them

I am an undergraduate scholar and an International Relations and Social Anthropology student at St Andrews. Growing up in various countries across Asia and Europe, I have become particularly interested in global politics, postcolonialism, and social justice. I am also passionate about languages, and speak Chinese, Persian, Urdu, French, and Spanish to varying degrees, in addition to my native Hindi and English.

Hi! I’m Nicole and I’m a first-year undergraduate at Columbia University planning to study astrophysics. This summer, I’m living in New York City and conducting remote astronomy research. My project is searching for gravitational wave counterparts, particularly binary-black hole mergers, by looking for signature halos of scattered X-ray light. Aside from research, I love rock climbing, playing tennis and piano, and exploring the city! 

I am a rising sophomore at Columbia University where I study Human Rights and Latin American studies, with a focus on migration. My research focuses on the Venezuelan Migration crisis, the second-largest mass exodus in the world behind the Syrian refugee crisis. I will be looking at the evolution of Venezuela, as a country of immigrants to a country to emigrants, caused by the humanitarian crisis facing the nation today. My focus is on the effects of the crisis and the experiences of women, children, and families who face some of the greatest difficulties. Exploring data and accounts from surrounding Latin American nations like Colombia, Brazil, Ecuador, and Peru as well as high-income European nations like Spain and Italy, I will be investigating the evolution of the family structure in Venezuelan migrant and refugee communities as well as the impact of the recent COVID-19 pandemic on resources, experiences, and for many, the forced return journey to Venezuela.

Hello everyone, my name is Cesar Urzua and I am a current sophomore at Tufts University studying Biology and Child Study and Human Development. I am very excited to be a part of the Laidlaw Scholars Program and hope to be able to talk with so many other scholars soon. For my research, I will be focusing on brain response when presented to adverse childhood experiences, and how to possibly develop optimal strategies to combat chronic neural perturbations following these adverse childhood experiences. 

Hi! My name is Ava (aw-va). I am a student at Columbia University studying Chemistry, originally from Miami, Florida.