Graduate case studies

JAMES WATSON

When I was medically discharged from the British Army in 2015, I was recovering from a spinal injury sustained in Afghanistan some years earlier. This injury limited my options for physical re-training until I was presented with an academic alternative.

Fortunately, my life experience from 20 years in the infantry enabled me to enrol onto the Contemporary Military and International History course. This course seemed tailored to my passion for both the military and history, yet it was the political aspect of the course that would later supersede these, and my dissertation analysing the Anglo-American Special Relationship is testament to this.

I graduated with First Class Honours, and this was due to the help and support from my lecturers and fellow students. Throughout my time at the University of Salford a consistent highlight was the eagerness and passion of the lecturers. These traits became infectious and rubbed off on all of us, to the extent that we would frequently participate in debates that lasted beyond our seminar and class time.

When I was picking my course I went with my passion! I have always loved history and it’s always been a big part of my life, I figured if I did something I loved I’d never ‘work’ again and it was the best decision I could have made!

The highlight of the course for me was the creative freedom that came with studying at Salford. The choice of modules was wide and catered to lots of different interests which allowed me to pick topics I was genuinely interested in which is why I believe I did so well.

The tutors were all so supportive and are willing to go the extra milethey will be right behind you! I had a few personal health issues during my time at Salford and the tutors were always there to support and

Primary source analysis skills have been really valuable in my role as we are putting information out to the public so it has to be right!

Andrew Gwynne

Member of Parliament for Denton and Reddish and Labour’s Shadow Public Health Minister, Class of 1998

Contemporary History is all about what events in the 19th and 20th centuries contributed to the society that we live in today.

Contemporary History is as rich as it is broad – it covers the First and Second World Wars, the creation of the BBC, universal suffrage, the birth of the National Health Service and much more. But to fully appreciate how these events shaped modern Britain, you need to understand the political impetus that contributed to their creation.

This was where the University of Salford excelled. I benefitted from fantastic lecturers who taught me to look at historical events in the round and trace political theory to political action. I was encouraged to be inquisitive, to challenge established arguments and to form my own.

In 1996, I became Britain’s youngest Councillor, and at 30 became the youngest Labour MP in the 2005 Parliament. This was a daunting and somewhat overwhelming experience, but I had several skills – instilled in me during my time at Salford – that I could draw upon and which would prove invaluable.

Salford taught me that policy decisions don’t happen in a vacuum. As a legislator, it’s vital that you have a full understanding of how political decisions will impact the communities you represent. If contemporary history teaches us anything, it’s that actions have knock-on consequences. While you can never prepare for every conceivable outcome, history encourages you to study the past and to learn from what has come before. In that way, you stand a chance of avoiding the mistakes of the past, and hopefully build a brighter future in the process.

I am both proud and grateful to have spent three fun, engaging and enlightening years at Salford.