Study Abroad Pre-Trip Interview: Governing After Brexit in London

Study Abroad Post-Trip Interview: 

    Governing After Brexit in London with Dr. Darrin Wilson

Click here for the Pre-Trip Interview.

Outside of the UK Supreme Court

What was your most memorable experience from the trip?
Answer: Personally, the most memorable experience was our private tour of Parliament. Our guide took us into some of the areas where only Members of Parliament are able to go to, where the Queen gets ready before she addresses Parliament, and we went to the benches where members sit in both chambers. When you go, you get a sense of awe because of the generations of people who served there and the fact that the UK Parliament is the "mother of all parliaments."

From your experience & research, what has been the biggest change as a result of Brexit?

Answer: I encouraged students to speak to locals where ever they went, and the number one thing that people said was how uncertain they felt about the future. We had many guests from various policy areas such as agriculture, international trade, human rights, etc., and they reiterated a similar narrative. Since no one knows what's going to happen, it is hard for businesses, governments, and even individuals to plan for the future.

With guest speak Sonya Rahaman, PhD Researcher, University of London

How did students respond to the trip?
Answer: From the feedback I've had so far, the students enjoyed the trip. The opportunity to travel beyond their local communities, and to learn from people who don't look or sound like them is always positive. Hopefully this has inspired the students to be a part of the positive change in their own communities.

Sitting where the UK Supreme Court Judges sit

What do you think was their favorite part?
Answer: Towards the end of the trip, we spent the day with Essex County Council. This is a county with approximately 1.5 million residents and has a budget of over $1.2 billion. Many people within the organization met with us to discuss various aspects of their government operations. We were joined by the elected leader of the council, Chief Science Officer, Economic Development Director, Director of Strategic Change for the Essex Police Department, and Director of Partnerships for Adult Social Care. I think this was the students' favorite part of the trip because they learned that local governments around the world face similar challenges, but how they go about finding solutions may be different. This gave students a different perspective and some new ideas they can take back to their own organization and communities.

With the Leader of the Essex Coutyn Council,
Councilor David Malcolm Finch

Is this a study abroad course you want to keep teaching, or do you plan on changing the course based on current events?
Answer: I do want to teach study abroad again, and next time I would like to do it during a period of time where I can have more MPA students join. I'm fortunate enough to have friends and connections around the world that work or teach in the field of public administration. I want to continue to share those connections with our MPA students and help our folks grow professionally and personally.