Student Experiences

Michael Allen

(Former student on the MA in European Union Governance programme)

Having been born and raised in Hull I can only count my good fortune to have had such a first-rate university on my doorstep. I rejoined the university four years after completing my BA in Politics and International Relations in order to move towards my goal of pursuing a PhD. I had initially wanted to begin work on a PhD without taking an MA, but having spoken with Dr Rudi Wurzel I decided to begin with the MA. This was a momentous decision and I am grateful to him for his advice. I took a tremendous amount from my MA, both personally, in terms of confidence, and academically, in terms of my writing style, working habits and methods, organisation, concentration and gaining a thorough grounding in my chosen subject; something that is essential for anyone wishing to continue their studies.

The course itself was extremely well organised with a good choice of modules, especially for those with supplementary interests in International Relations, Globalisation and International Political Economy. The modules I took allowed for the expression of one's own opinions, encouraged participation and have provided a firm foundation for my recently begun PhD. Upon meeting my PhD supervisors for the first time they commented that they were impressed with the level of knowledge I already had of my subject area and this I attribute to the standard of teaching and the high quality modules on offer throughout the department.

In addition to the taught element of the course, the Centre for European Union Studies offers a great lecture series and Annual Lecture, which I would heartily recommend to anyone who chooses to study in the department. The topics are diverse and interesting and often of direct relevance to the tutorials in which you will be involved. I can still remember much of the annual Jean Monnet lecture given by the former Liberal Democrat leader, Charles Kennedy, in 2009, and often find myself recalling to people information and ideas gained from the CEUS lecture series.

On a more personal note, I thoroughly enjoyed my time at the University of Hull; a time made all the more pleasant by the staff and students I was fortunate enough to study with. I can readily recommend the MA in European Union Governance to anyone wishing to pursue a career relating to, or simply further his or her knowledge of, the European Union. Such is the way of masters’ degree level study, the greater the effort and enthusiasm with which you approach your subject, the greater the final reward will be. At the University of Hull I am certain your enthusiasm will be encouraged and your efforts supported and rewarded.

Alessandro Modanesi

(Former student on the MA in European Union Governance programme)

I arrived at the University of Hull for the first time as an Erasmus student for one semester only.  During that semester I had the opportunity to talk with Dr Rüdiger Wurzel (the course coordinator of the MA in European Union Governance). I have to thank him for my decided to return to Hull the following year to register for a Masters in EU Governance in the Department of Politics. During the year spent doing this Masters, I had the opportunity to deepen my knowledge and understanding of the European Union, its institutions and how the policy-making process works.  I am very satisfied with how much I learnt during that year. Apart from two core modules I also had the opportunity to study modules which were outside my specialization. In particular I took a module on Global political economy with Dr Simon Lee and China in the New World Order with Dr Xiudian Dai and Dr Thomas Kane. I would like to say that I found my module coordinators well prepared. They ensured that all the seminars were well organized, very interesting and relevant. My year at the University of Hull has been a great experience. I have met people from different countries  and different cultures. The University of Hull is a very good place to study. I found Hull a city which gives you the opportunity to enjoy the real English life, with nice pubs friendly people. 

I sincerely recommend  the MA in EU Governance at the University of Hull to anyone who wants to deepen his/her knowledge of the European Union.

Karolína Bartošáková

(Former student on the MA in European Union Governance programme)

Having studied in Hull for my BA, staying on for an MA seemed like the logical choice. I knew the department and enjoyed studying under the supervision of the lecturers here. Most importantly, having been involved in some of the modules about the EU during my Undergraduate degree, I knew a Masters degree in European Union Governance was just right for me. On the top of that, I chose to take modules about the environment, as well as communication and international politics, which allowed me to broaden my knowledge in many ways. I decided to study the course over two years, for many reasons. I successfully applied for some monetary help from the department, the options seem to vary every year, and this obviously helped me a lot. In addition, I already had a job so would not struggle with money and by studying part-time I also had enough time to fulfil my duties as the elected Vice-President of the International Students Association as well as the option of staying involved in the volleyball club. By having time for activities other than my studies, I had a chance to make my CV more attractive for when I started looking for a job later on.

The only thing I found myself struggling with during my Masters Degree was choosing the topic of my dissertation. However, as ever before, I had a lot of support from my supervisor, who was also the degree coordinator, and other lecturers from the Politics Department. With their help I found a topic I really enjoyed working on and so successfully completed the Degree.

Tom Harlow

(Former student on the MA in European Union Governance programme)

I must admit Hull was not on my initial list on universities to attend, to be honest I wasn’t even sure where Hull was, however, studying here has been one of the most enjoyable experiences of my life.

After completing my undergrad degree, I decided I wanted to study for a Masters degree and having an interest in the European Union I chose European Union Governance as my Masters. Rudi Wurzel, the course co-coordinator, always ensured the seminars were interesting and relevant and I would encourage anyone considering a Masters degree related to Europe to discuss this degree with him. You are also given the opportunity to study modules outside of your specialisation should you wish to. During my Masters, I studied economic and environment related modules and while not my specific field of interest I found these modules to be just as interesting as my European ones. The lecturers I have come across at Hull University are always keen for you to apply and discuss theory in terms of real and practical situations which helped me enormously when trying to understand complex topics.

On a personal level Hull is ideal for students, cheap, friendly and despite the reputation a good place to live, yes it has its bad no go areas but so does every big city and they are no bigger or worse than those in other cities. Hull also boasts 2 Super League rugby league teams, a premiership football team (correct as of 19/2/10 J) as well as several amateur cricket, football and rugby teams. The nightlife in Hull is varied with city centre night clubs to underground music scenes as well as a variety of cafes and bars (personal recommendation Sleepers on Newland Ave for food).

Overall, Hull and the European Union Governance Masters degree should be given serious consideration by everyone looking to extend their studies in this area.

Gayle Kinkead
(Former student on the MA in European Union Governance programme)

I completed my undergraduate degree in European Studies within the Modern Languages Department at the University of Hull.  During my time as an undergraduate I took some European politics modules from the Politics Department.  I really enjoyed these modules and I developed an interest for European politics.  Towards the end of my Bachelor's degree I decided that I wanted to continue studying, and learn more about European politics.  The MA European Union Governance course offered interesting core modules, and a wide variety of modules within the department from which you could choose.  I took two modules based on global governance which enabled me to see the European Union from a different perspective.  

Seminar groups were small and a lot of help was given to students to ensure they properly understood the topics discussed in class.  I was also given a lot of support during the writing of my dissertation, which help me to produce a good piece or work.

I am now a stagiaire in Brussels, where a high level of knowledge of the EU is necessary for working within the EU environment.  My MA helped to gain the knowledge I needed in order to achieve this.

The University of Hull is a great place to study.  I chose not only to do my undergraduate degree there but also my master.  The University offers its students many different opportunities both academic and social.

Participation in the Euro Conference in Salzburg  on 24-27 October 2004

Sandra Pacheco Osório

Being offered the opportunity to learn from scholars from different disciplinary backgrounds about the broad range of topics concerning environmental regulation, and in addition enjoying a trip to Salzburg where good accommodation and excellent food were provided for (thanks to funding from the European Commission), who could possibly say no to such a chance? Well, I didn't. Even though, I must confess, the title of the third and last high level Euro Conference "Environmental regulation of production processes and products" had me hesitating a little bit, because I feared too much technicality. However, I didn't regret my decision at any time.

Some of the topics discussed were, for instance, the existing legal basis in the EU, some contested instruments such as the "precautionary principle" and "the polluter pays principle", and new ideas of environmental regulation such as a proposal for a "revolution" of the existing tax systems. Moreover, 3 parallel workshops on days 2 and 3 provided the opportunity to pick our favourite topic and to discuss it in a smaller group. ‘What would you answer if you were sitting in a pub and someone asks you "what do you think about the precautionary principle?"' This was, for example, one of the questions asked by Liz Fisher from Oxford University in her workshop. In the workshop led by Grace Skogstad (University of Toronto, Canada) and Petra Grabner (University of Salzburg) I participated in the discussions on genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and their regulation, particularly concerning agricultural products. Although I cannot say that all presentations were of equal interest to me, the multidisciplinary approach of the conference was definitely an advantage and allowed everybody an insight into different perspectives.

The internationality of the conference added even more diversity to the conference and was also good for some laughter. One participant from Estonia, for example, wanted some more dessert at our final dinner and expressed this in his way, by knocking on his glass with a spoon. But what a surprise when everybody turned to him waiting for his speech! He really managed to hold one and was finally rewarded with the well earned second dessert.

It was an unforgettable week of sharing knowledge, making new friends and enjoying a beautiful city. I thank Rudi Wurzel very much for informing me about the conference and for motivating me to apply for it. It was 100% worth it and I would recommend everybody who wants to broaden his or her horizons, to participate at such events, where you can meet a lot of people who share your interests and with whom you can discuss your views. For those who are still not really convinced I took some photos:

Katarina Molin

After taking my Bachelor Degree in International Politics I wanted to deepen my knowledge and understanding of EU politics and decided to go to Hull University for a Masters in European Integration and Co-operation (which later became renamed MA in European Union Governance). From the very beginning I was impressed with the organisation of the MA programme, the interesting courses provided, and the good student support provided by the teachers in the department.

Classes and tutorials were often small and allowed good interactions between students and teachers and gave plenty of opportunities for students to develop critical thinking and argumentation skills. Hull University also provided enough interesting courses to allow students to specialise in different EU areas. I chose to focus on EU environmental politics and wrote my final MA thesis on this topic.

Going to Hull University for my Masters was the right choice for me since it provided me with knowledge and skills, which have proved very useful in my professional life. After graduating I went to Brussels where I have been working both as environmental adviser for a political group in the European Parliament, as sustainable development adviser for an environmental NGO and as senior EU resource and waste management adviser for a business association. Without my degree from Hull I would never even have thought about this type of career and I am convinced that without it I would never have been given these job opportunities. On a social level, studying in Hull is great fun. The campus feeling is well developed, the student bars are always packed and the beer is cheap! I also feel privileged to have met so many interesting people from different backgrounds and cultures during my studies, many of whom I am still in close contact with. Another good thing with Hull is the closeness to many beautiful and interesting places such as Whitby, York, Scarborough etc, and the fantastic nature of the Yorkshire Moors. Many weekends were spent hill walking and enjoying the somewhat rough, but very beautiful landscape in this part of the country.

A Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence Co-Funded by the European Commission