Recently, the University of St Andrews hosted a Celebration Event for Laidlaw Scholars, featuring a showcase of the research and leadership projects developed by the current cohort of Laidlaw Scholars. The event marked a significant milestone, celebrating a decade of the Laidlaw Foundation’s impactful presence at St Andrews through the Scholarship!
At this event, CMR social media intern Sophie Cooper received the award for Best Research Poster for Arts and Divinity in the 2024 Cohort of Scholars. With a project entitled ‘Ostalgie and Ostpolitik: Exploring Germany’s Complicated ‘Special Relationship’ to Russia’ Sophie explored the legacy of the Cold War on Germany’s foreign policy towards Russia.
Through ethnographic fieldwork and analysis of government documents the study shed light on wider socio-cultural and political dimensions as well as contributing to the literature on the German-Russian relationship, and the global anthropological literature on nostalgia.
Well done Sophie!!!