We were pleased to support Eliot with a bursary for four years. Eliot first approached us in 2014 when he applied to Hadlow College to study a BSc in International Agriculture. Eliot has provided us with the below report:
Agriculture has been a life changing vocation. As a younger man leaving education, without goals or vision, farming became a career that truly produced a drive which I had not experienced before. It has led me to see the world in a different light; to appreciate and utilise my academia in a way that actually made sense to me. I have explored and accomplished things I would not have dreamed of in my previous life.
I studied math, English and history at A-level. I was relatively successful but left secondary school feeling disillusioned from the world of academia. I decided to do something totally different, so I spent the next two years milking cows for my uncle in New Zealand. When I returned, I had changed my ideas somewhat and decided to go University as had previously been planned but now to study agriculture. Here I excelled, graduating in August of 2016 with a first-class degree in International Agriculture from the University of Greenwich.
Encouraged by my success, I applied to Wageningen University in the Netherlands. This institution had been certified the previous year as the number one place to study agriculture. To my glee, I was given the option to study my first choice; Development and Rural Innovation MSc. Being an overseas placement, I was not eligible for UK government funding, so the prospect enrolling without support was daunting. Now, thanks to the Melplash Agricultural Society bursary, I am due to graduate in September 2019.
The experience at Wageningen has been invaluable. The city ranks among the most culturally diverse in the world, with over 150 nationalities represented. University education aside, I have learnt to interact with people very different to myself, to cook, to understand basic French, Spanish, Dutch and German, to help and teach others in English and, most importantly, made new friends from 6 different continents. The rural setting has allowed me to continue practical work and not struggle to find employment when necessary. The renowned reputation of the university attracts various extra-curricular events, maintaining a consistently exciting student life.
The course, while at first a large step up from the level I had been used to, has become extremely enlightening. The design of Dutch education is very liberal. Students are able to largely define what courses they take; therefore, a vast array of pathways was available to me. I pursued modules regarding food production, social theory, politics and governance, of which I received top grades. This prepared me to complete a thesis on the political motivations for Brexit among British agriculturalists. I was able to employ advanced methods of ethnographic research, with strong support and criticism from professors to produce a piece of work I am extremely proud of.
I am currently undertaking a development internship in Munster, Germany. A work experience period before graduation. I am working to complete an article I collaborated on which is due to be published in the journal Water. I believe this is quite an achievement for an MSc student and am honoured to be involved.
I believe that I have gained the necessary qualifications and industry experience, passion, motivation and the travelled, worldly knowledge to contribute greatly toward the future of food production. I am now considering moving onto to a PhD building upon my current studies of Brexit and Agriculture. In future, I aim to pursue a career in agricultural policy and research.
