Coby
Bunyan

NTU

What inspired you to study your subject and what was your experience of studying your course at NTU?

"During my time in secondary school, political events both foreign and domestic were dominating both the mainstream media and the conversation at my family dinner table.

Brexit followed by the US 2016 presidential election ignited my interest in politics and international relations.  As I became a curious teenager, I wanted to understand how politics affects my utility and how intentional states such as the US can play a major part on the decisions made in 10 downing street that would, will and dose affect my utility.

Therefore I decided to become informed. I choose to study a Bachelor of Arts in Politics and International Relations at Nottingham Trent University.

The overall course was very interactive and provided me with more than the foundations of the politics that governs Britain such as the philosophy through the major schools of thought like utilitarianism, rationalism and stoicism. The university arranged a trip to the House of Commons which include a tour and seminar with Lord Hayward OBE. The University also put on and hosted seminars with Nadia Whittome and Lord Norton who is widely regraded as an expert on parliament.

The International Relations (IR) side of the degree covered various elements. Form the work of NGOs to the functions of UN and the propose of NATO to the Arab Legue as well as many other international alliances and organisations. Furthermore, the course provided a critical understanding of just war theory of both Jus ad bellum and Jus in bello which I found to be one of the most interesting lectures of the IR modules as well as learning about the security dilemma. In addition to this the teaching of international rules based order and intentional law gave me a firm understanding of the framework international relations commonly follows.

The overall highlight from all the IR modules was the EU and UN simulation. Where all students on the negotiating in international contexts module were assigned a state or non-state actor and had to role play the position of each given actor to the given scenarios based on the position of their allocated actor."

Placement or other work-like experience 

Did you complete any work placements or other work-like experience on your course? If so, tell us about your experience – where did you go, what did you do, did the skills you gained support your current role?

"During my Bachelor’s degree the university assisted me with finding a work placement. A lecturer put me in contact with another lecturer who put me in contact with a conservative party office, where I began a placement as a Campaign Assistant at the Conservative and Unionist Party, learning how political campaigns are strategically ran and that they are data driven. I learnt about data analysis, the value of a team working together as collective towards one common objective.

I conducted a lot of canvasing and leafleting alongside a large amount of organisational skills.

This placement presented me with the skills to gain my first ‘adult job’ a few months before graduation following the conclusion of my dissertation which was working for a Member of Parliament as a Constituency and Communications Assistant."

Your graduate journey

What is your current job role? What was your journey to get to where you are now?

"Following my successful placement as a Campaign Assistant at the Conservative and Unionist Party, I was offered a role as Constituency and Communications Assistant working for a Member of Parliament (MP) a few months before my graduation.

In this role I accompanied the MP to events in the constituency as well as organising events such as a domestic violence safe spaces training session for local business within the constituency which was delivered in partnership with the MP and the charity who works tirelessly to raise awareness of domestic violence.

In conjunction to this I was responsible for all the social media accounts, website and communications of the MP, which include social media posts as well as large scale mailouts and keeping the website up to date. I was also in post during the 2024 general election which saw me gain and develop various valuable skills such as thinking on my feet, time management and prioritisation.

Following the conclusion of my role in national government I later became employed in local government., which I currently occupy the role as a Scrutiny Officer at a local government authority. In this role I act as a critical friend to the executive as well as administrating four scrutiny committees and acting as the main point of contact for councils enquires. This role also includes review work which I conduct in conjunction with the members of each committee creating in essence a dissertation for each committee on topics within their functions with objective of assisting the committee with coming to recommendations based on the review to improve services to the constituents of the authority."

Skills

How does the knowledge and skills you developed at NTU support you in your current role?

"My current role requires me to write multiple reviews a year, which are larger in terms of word count to a dissertation each. NTU taught me how to write and structure a dissertation sufficiently, explaining different types if primary and secondary research as well as quantitative and qualitative methods of research and analysis, skills that are fundamental to my current role.

The course has given me a complete understating of politics and international relations which has shaped the way I think and form decisions which shapes the work I do. As Sir Francis Bacon once said “Knowledge is Power”, the knowledge taught through my BA Hons Politics and International Relations degree at Nottingham Trent University is information that is liberating as it maximises my utility and formed the foundations of my higher education to go on and complete a MSc in International Law Enforcement the following academic year."