Zack Longboy
London, UK
Prospective Political Science Major
I have always had a particular interest in international and especially European politics. However, after taking International Relations and Western European Politics at Davidson this past year, I would say that my interest has piqued. I am particularly interested in immigrant integration, radicalization and combatting terror, issues currently at the forefront of contemporary European discourse. As part of the Western European course, I wrote a policy paper on de-radicalization in Belgium and this, while a brief dive into the field of research, spurred me to pursue the issue beyond the specificity of Muslim-Belgian immigrants.
As a British citizen raised in North West London, I have experienced first-hand the right-wing populist backlash with Brexit, UKIP and the BNP, and seen the effects of radicalization and disjointed cultural dynamics with frequent terror threats and poorly integrated immigrant communities. Personally, I believe that studying these issues is of the utmost importance today, in equal parts to understand the nuanced problems and to find solutions to these new political threats. Additionally, due in part to my upbringing in England, I have had the opportunity to visit 15 European countries, although never with the focus, intensity or intellect that this trip and these supporting professors provide. My many interests include travelling, writing and dark beer, pastimes that will hopefully be actively pursued on our trip to Vienna.
