Sam Bennett - Dean’s Prize for Excellence in Politics and International Relations winner for overall performance class of 2022. 

What have been the highlights of your degree? 

The highlight for me during my time at Leeds Beckett was the Understanding Security module. The weekly submissions for me meant that I was always busy working, and it certainly developed my essay writing skills. This meant that in my final year, writing the dissertation was made easier because I had refined my writing technique.

Equally, the format of the module kept me very engaged. Writing about a different security issue each week for a different country gave me a wide range of knowledge which was beneficial in my overall understanding of international relations. I enjoyed this module so much that I ended up writing my dissertation on Water Security threats in Kashmir which I really enjoyed writing. 

What’s next for you? 

I am now an accounts assistant at NorDan UK Ltd where I will undergo my Chartered Management Accountant Qualification. However, in my 5-year plan, I hope to return to university to do a Master’s in International Security Threats, following on from my dissertation research. 

What has been the most rewarding aspect of your degree? 

The most rewarding aspect of my degree must be the dissertation. I worked day in day out all year and could recite my dissertation to someone by the end. This was the biggest piece of work that I had undertaken, and I was writing about a subject from a perspective that no scholar had discussed. This meant that I could bring something to the debate which was nuanced and provided scholars with a greater empirical outlook on the securitization of water in Kashmir.

For me, this was the most rewarding as for three years I had been reading about other people’s perspective, whereas I was now able to confidently deliver my own argument knowing that it could develop and transform the ingrained neo-realist rhetoric that water is a cause of conflict.