At Queen Mary, we trust in the innovative ideas of our students, our greatest force for change. We believe that we can learn from them as much as they can learn from us during their time at university. To leverage our students’ original ideas and add value to their studying experience, the Queen Mary Global Policy Institute (QMGPI) has been proudly running the Policy Associate scheme since 2021.
This year’s scheme has been delivered in partnership with the Mile End Institute (MEI) – enabling us to grow our offer, improve student experience and provide a platform for our Associates to broaden their policy horizons at the local, national and international level.
The Associates worked with supervisors across both institutes, working on real life projects that delivered impact and supported strategic objectives – there was a CPD component built in with sessions designed to enhance their learning experience including policy writing and engagement workshops and first-hand insights from policy professionals from OECD, FCDO and Tower Hamlets council.
What our Policy Associates got up to
Our Associates have made a remarkable impact enhancing our work and reputation through their personal energy, initiative and commitment. From preparing competitor analyses and contributing opinion pieces on topics such as ‘Health of Excluded Refugees in Lebanon’ to creating case studies, our seven Policy Associates made lasting contributions to QMGPI and MEI.
History and Politics student Aime Rose Davies joined the events division at MEI. The focus of her internship was to plan, advertise and run a variety of different events. “A highlight of the programme for me was helping to run the MEI’s event with English historian and television presenter Sir Simon Schama. Not only did I gain the valuable experience of running a high-profile event, but I also had the rare opportunity of listening to a leading historian talk about their work. Something which, as a history student, I really enjoyed.” You can learn more about Amie's time at MEI in this video.
Maja Wawrzynowicz, who is studying towards a BA in International Relations and Business Management, supported with mapping and creating case studies of policy-engaged academics for the new Policy Hub website and developing the programme for a university-wide Impact Forum event. She shares a more detailed account of her experience here.
This year, QMGPI’s policy work was also supported by Katarzyna Makowska, who is enrolled in Queen Mary’s BA Politics and International Relations programme. During her time at the Institute, Kat has worked on her first opinion piece, ‘The Rule of Law in Poland’. Learn more about her experience as part of the Rights, Inclusion and Diversity Strategic Pathway at the Global Policy Institute in this video.
Fourth year medical student Margaret Siu managed to fit the scheme around her busy medical training and interviewed Professor Dato’ Dr Visweswaran Navaratnam to understand more about his career and get his tips for working in the policy arena. Read the article A Journey through Health Policy
Shania Essah Aurelio has been working closely with Prof Stella Ladi and Dr Maria Berta on their international research project exploring the use of expertise in public policy in Brazil: "Working on the GPI's Brazil Accelerator Fund project gave me firsthand insight into the lifecycle of cross-border multidisciplinary research projects, through which I learned about various action research methods that are being used by UK-based and Brazil-based academics. I learned more about not only the public policy landscapes in the UK and in Brazil, but also the research cultures in both countries; the support and mentorship I received from my supervisors certainly facilitated this learning process."
Zakariye Huti played a key role as the writing officer for the MEI. Zak edited and formatted Prof Eric Heinz’s (School of Law) response to the National Security Strategy Select Committee’s inquiry on Defending Democracy, which is now published on the Parliamentary website. He mapped policy engagement functions across London universities; this list is now being used as the basis for launching a networking event and helped to publish a guide on ‘Managing Ethical Issues in Group Settings.’
Yazan Farhat supported the development and delivery of a curated workshop led by Prof Dina Balabanova from the London School of Tropical Hygiene & Medicine, ‘Engaging with corruption in health systems – what is novel and why now?’. The presentation and group discussion were designed to encourage both Queen Mary students and academics to share ideas and practice around policy research, implementation and impact. He also contributed an opinion piece on ‘Health of Excluded Refugees in Lebanon’.
Policy Associate Scheme is open to all students
At Queen Mary, we live and love diversity, which is why our Policy Associate scheme is not limited to domestic students. In 2025, we are looking to increase our Policy Associates intake and invite even more Queen Mary students to support the work of both the QMGPI and the MEI. Would you like to gain experience in policy, research, events and many more areas? Then watch out for the next application window, which opens later this year!
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