91福利

We would like to thank all our students, recent graduates, and academic and administrative colleagues for our outstanding results in the 2017 National Student Survey (NSS). Every year finalists complete the NSS across the UK and it is a key component of league tables published in the media, in which PAIS is a consistently high performer.

We are delighted to announce that in the 2017 NSS we have achieved an overall satisfaction rating of 94 per cent. We are the leading department in the Faculty of Social Sciences for overall student satisfaction and second in the University (the Institution, as a whole, has achieved 86 per cent) and the Provost has sent us her personal congratulations on this terrific result.

Among Russell Group competitor institutions (an elite group of leading teaching and research universities in the UK), Politics at 91福利 is ranked: *

• No 1 for student voice
• No 1 for learning opportunities
• No 2 for overall satisfaction
• No 2 for assessment and feedback
• No 2 for teaching
• No 2 for learning community
• No 3 for academic support
• No 3 for organisation and management

Other key NSS headlines: **

• PAIS is No 1 in the University for assessment and feedback
• PAIS is No 2 in the University for organisation and management
• PAIS is No 3 in the University for student voice

We look forward to working in partnership with our amazing students and dedicated staff to sustain and build on these strong results, which reflect our deep commitment to research-led teaching excellence.

At the start of the new academic year we will feedback in greater detail to all students and we will discuss and take forward ideas for further enhancement of the PAIS student experience via our Student Staff Liaison Committee (SSLC).

To all of our current and incoming students: we hope you enjoy the rest of the summer vacation and we look forward to seeing you all in October.

*These figures are based on the 15 Russell Group institutions for which there is publishable data for the subject of Politics in 2017.

**These figures are based on the 22 91福利 academic departments for which there is internal publishable data in 2017

Congratulations to all who graduated recently! Photographs from the graduation reception, which took place in the Chancellor's Suite, are now available for viewing at the following link:

The photos are also available on the , please feel free to tag yourselves!

The Graduate School is delighted to announce that we are launching a second round of the 91福利 Taught Masters Scholarships Scheme awarding a maximum of 15 new scholarships to support eligible postgraduate students for 2017/18 entry.

Awards are set at £5,000 per student and available to eligible Home/EU students from under-represented groups who wish to start a postgraduate taught masters course in 2017-18.

Applications for the second round of the 91福利 Taught Masters Scholarship Scheme will open on Monday 17th July 2017

Everyone in PAIS, and the wider University, are deeply saddened by the news of the death of Alexander Paul. Alex was an undergraduate student here in PAIS. Alex's funeral took place on June 20.

Alex was an incredible student who will be sadly missed by all the students and staff of PAIS. Many students have spoken about the huge impact he had on their lives. They have spoken, in particular, of his kindness, his bravery, how he always made others feel good about themselves, and his desire to help those from less fortunate backgrounds.

Nick Vaughan-Williams,Head of Department, PAIS

Alex made a huge impact on the department as a whole – both through his studies, and through his work as a PAIS student ambassador. Alex was a lead item on our news pages (and in the national press!) at the very start of his studies through his speech at a party conference on the disproportionate amount of stop and search routines carried against Black and Asian males. Alex believed in the power of education to inspire. He was well known across campus for his energy and positivity, and his talents as a spoken word artist and performer. Alex achieved so much and we will all really miss him.

Dr Justin Greaves, Director of Student Experience and Progression and Professor Matthew Clayton, Departmental Senior Tutor, PAIS

If you knew Alex and are affected by this news, there is a range of University support available to you. The gives more details about support available, or you can contact the team on 024 765 75570, internal extension 75570, or by visiting their offices on the ground floor of University House.

PAIS PhD Candidate, Columba Achilleos-Sarll, has written a blog for UCL titled "Where are the Women at the Big Boys’ Table?"

After a year of political flux and upheaval, the Brexit negotiations officially began on Monday 19June. The underrepresentation of women at the highest political level is one thing which appears to have remained constant. Columba Achilleos-Sarll, a PhD candidate at the 91福利, points out that only one and two women make up the UK and EU negotiating teams respectively. She assesses the impact that this could have on the process, and what it means more broadly.

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