Leaving a political legacy

This has certainly been the case for the prestigious Michael Cowan Scholarship which, over the past 10 years, has helped dozens of postgraduates in the School of Politics and International Relations pursue their PhDs in a range of diverse topics. The award was given to individuals based on their performance and achievements in a range of areas of studies.

Michael Cowan was a well-known Nottingham councillor for almost for 40 years. It was this passion for local government that led to a portion of his estate being left to Nottingham to help students who shared this interest. The School of Politics and International Relations was chosen by the executor of his estate, Judge Richard Benson, an alumnus of Nottingham who graduated in 1965 with a degree in Politics.

We met the final recipients of the scholarship (Artur Nadiiev, Amelia Watkins-Smith, Oliver Dodd and Oliver Mihell-Hale) to find out how the award had helped them with their PhD.

For Artur Nadiiev, not only has the scholarship helped with his post-doctorate, but he was also able to move from Ukraine to escape the conflict with Russia. After hearing about Nottingham’s PhD programs while studying in China, Artur originally intended to study at University of Nottingham Ningbo China (UNNC).

“Unfortunately, Covid-19 prevented me from continuing my PhD in China, and I had to return to Ukraine,” Artur told us. “After the full-scale invasion in 2022, the School of Politics and International Relations helped me transfer my registration from UNNC to Nottingham and assisted me in getting over to the UK.”

His upbringing and recent events in Ukraine also influenced the focus of Artur’s post-doctorate. “I have always been interested in interpersonal, cross-cultural, and international relations. When I had to write my doctoral proposal, I decided to research Ukraine’s national identity and how it affects foreign policy.

“I am originally from Donbas, and after the events of 2014, I felt like Ukraine was still misunderstood by the West and misrepresented in Western media and academia. I wanted to contribute to the research on Ukraine and help show Ukraine’s agency in global politics.”

As well as the scholarship assisting Artur with the financial stresses of studying his PhD, it has also helped to build his confidence. “It was an honour to receive the Cowan scholarship. It felt nice to be acknowledged, recognised, and validated. Many young researchers struggle with imposter syndrome, and receiving such awards helps our self-esteem and builds confidence to carry on.”

Amelia came to Nottingham in 2016 to study Sociology and Social Policy but quickly fell in love with the campus, city and community. As a result, Amelia stayed on to complete her Masters and PhD after discovering an interest in social research and she is hoping her work will have a lasting social impact.

“Before coming to university, I lived in Myanmar where I worked for an anti-sex trafficking charity,” explained Amelia. “During this time, I met a lot of women and girls who had been trafficked to China for the purposes of forced marriage and forced childbearing. When I then came to writing my undergraduate dissertation, I was surprised to find that there is very little research on this topic.

“Around the same time, I was fortunate enough to meet brilliant academics from the Rights Lab who encouraged me that this topic would make an interesting and meaningful PhD. So, I’m now researching this social problem in partnership with the charity I had previously worked for in Myanmar, and another I met through my studies in the School of Politics and International Relations. I hope that my research will have a meaningful impact in tackling Chinese bride-trafficking from Myanmar.”

Amelia said she was proud to be a recipient of the Michael Cowan Award. “This scholarship has had a hugely positive impact on my research, and on my personal development as an academic. It’s a beautiful gift to give, and I am very grateful,” added Amelia.