Rob Dusel
Rob Dusel is a senior at the ILR School. He graduated from Auburn High School in Auburn, New York.
“It is a great feeling to read a transcript of a Parliamentary debate and see your research cited by a Member of Parliament. It wasn’t just looking at a textbook, it was being there, in the moment, and experiencing it for yourself.
“I spent the Spring Semester, 2005 in London with the Hansard Society Scholars Program. The Hansard Society is an organization that works with all parts of the British political spectrum to promote effective use of the Parliamentary system through educational and research programs.
“The Scholars Program accepts about 30 undergraduate and 10 graduate students three times a year for the spring, summer and fall semesters. Scholars take classes at the London School of Economics and perform a government related internship.
“While I was a sophomore, I knew I wanted to go abroad in my junior year, but I wasn’t sure where. I looked at programs in countries around Europe, but since I was looking for a strong academic as well as cultural experience, I decided to pursue a program that was taught in English. Because I wanted to go somewhere where my classes would be meaningful, the Hansard Program was a natural choice.
“The London School of Economics is a world-class institution, and London is an incredible city for cultural pursuits. The possibility of an internship in the UK Parliament also drew me to the program.
“In the Hansard Program we took two classes at the London School of Economics (LSE) every Monday during the spring term. Monday class days also included a Scholars-only guest lecture with a prestigious British politician or member of the British media. On Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, we worked at our internships. There were a lot of different placements, but most of us worked for Members of Parliament (MPs) in the House of Commons. Some other students worked for media outlets or PR firms. The program also included a three-credit dissertation on a UK government or policy topic of your choice.
“With the Parliamentary internships we got to work very closely with the MPs. They don’t have big staffs like elected officials in the US. With only one other person on staff, I was able to do research and brief legislation in addition to some other office duties. My particular member of parliament, Tony Lloyd, represented the Manchester Central constituency, and he was a Foreign Minister under the first Blair government. He was also the Vice President of the Council of Europe, and the President of the British delegations to the Western European Union and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. Tony was incredibly intelligent, and spoke five languages fluently because of his international positions. Yet he and the other MPs were very down to earth and interesting to talk to. It was not uncommon for the MPs, mine included, to take their students out to dinner or to pubs with their friends.
“Another major perk of the Parliamentary internship was that I was able to go to Prime Minister’s Question Time with Tony Blair on a regular basis. This was especially interesting because it was also an election year. The Prime Minister calls elections when he wishes, so there was a lot of excitement and anticipation about when the election was going to be called. As part of my internship I read BBC news every day, and by the time I left, I knew more about the UK government than I know about our own.
“From the academic side, the London School of Economics was very different from Cornell. We were in classes that were separate from the general student population, but we used LSE facilities and were taught by LSE professors. The classes followed the British tradition of being very structured in terms of what was taught and discussed. There wasn’t as much debate and creative license as in a Cornell class, but I gained a deep understanding of the British government. The LSE is very challenging, and the class work was definitely on a par with Cornell.
“The personal growth was the biggest highlight of going abroad. On first glance, the cultural differences between the US and the UK are not that pronounced, but the subtleties are just amazing. The respect for tradition and civility with which people treat each other are hallmarks of British culture.
“I was also fortunate enough to have time to travel with the friends I made in my program. It became almost natural to leave London for other countries in Europe during the weekends. It is a great lifestyle, and I would love to be able to go back to the United Kingdom for work or graduate study.
“Applications to the Hansard Program are due almost a year in advance, but the Office of Student Services makes the process very easy. Even though the Program is selective, I would highly recommend applying. When you have your housing and classes set up for you, it takes a lot of the worry out of going abroad. Also, being able to live and work with the same group of students all semester is an unbeatable bonding experience, and I made some incredible new friends. Yet most of my fellow Scholars would agree that the internship was far and away the highlight of the Program.
“Being able to study in the Parliament Library at night for your test, or eat lunch in the House of Commons Dining Room, is something that most people don’t ever have the opportunity to do. Working in Parliament allows you unparalleled access to being part of history in the making. You get to work with parts of the government that most UK citizens aren’t even familiar with.
“The research that you do has a real influence on decisions and legislation. It is a great feeling to read a transcript of a Parliamentary debate and see your research cited by a Member of Parliament. It wasn’t just looking at a textbook, it was being there, in the moment, and experiencing it for yourself.”
