Peter Rodgers, CREES Master’s student, 1998-1999, ESRC PhD Student, 2001-2005. Current position: Lecturer in Strategy and International Business, Management School, University of Sheffield.
Whilst in my final year of my undergraduate studies at the University of Cambridge, Dr. John Barber, a former CREESnik himself, recommended that I move to CREES in order to continue my academic interests. I decided to take his advice and look back now with extremely fond memories of my time as a Master’s and PhD student at CREES.
Of the many memories I hold dear, perhaps the following come quickest to mind. I remember fondly the shock and positive disbelief of Kasia Wolczuk, on learning that not only was she going to have one student enlisting onto her ‘Graduate Ukrainian Politics and Society’ Master’s module, but actually three of us – namely, Lars and Tim, both Germans and myself! Secondly, I remember fondly the precision and astuteness of how Phil Hanson would cut a piece of cheese with his penknife during Wednesday lunchtime seminars before asking a suitably engaging question to the speaker.
More generally, I remember feeling part of a lively, active and diverse student and wider scholarly community with excellent support networks. I congratulate all CREESniki on the fiftieth anniversary of the Centre’s existence and look forward to meeting friendly faces, old and new, in Windsor in June 2013.