Fulbright UK Summer Institute 
July - August 2024

In April of 2024, I was awarded an opportunity to travel to Glasgow, Scotland in the summer to study Innovation, Creativity, and Technology at the University of Strathclyde and Glasgow School of Art as a Fulbright UK Summer Institute Participant. 

​

Fulbright UK Summer Institutes allow American 1st and 2nd-year students to travel to the UK for 3-4 weeks and participate in programs centered on certain disciplines or topics. 

​

The program offered a holistic look at how Scotland's culture and history have influenced its approach to innovation. Some days we would be in PhD labs learning about 5G and Photonics research at the University of Strathclyde, others would be spent at cultural sights like The Necropolis and The Burrell Collection. There were also incredible lectures on UK politics, law, and media by esteemed professors.  Our cohort also had lots of fun playing with the virtual reality labs at the Glasgow School of Art and visiting Glengoyne Distillery to learn about the Scottish Whiskey distilling process. 

​

Some of my personal highlights of the program included meeting with Foreign Affairs Officers at the US Consulate, traveling to the Scottish Highlands by train, exploring Kelvingrove Park, and visiting the BBC. 

​

The Glasgow School of Art has a campus in the Highlands and I had the opportunity to speak with the Director of the Product Design program there. She shared that when she was advocating for a campus in the Highlands, her argument was, "If we want to be at the edge, we must go to the edge." This statement referred not only to the campus's literal geographic location but also to the goal of fostering cutting-edge innovation. I found that inspiring and still think about it to this day.

Glasgow is by far one of the friendliest and kindest cities I've ever stepped foot into. The city motto of "People Make Glasgow" holds true. ​

​

It's difficult for me to express and articulate what this program has done for me in a concise manner. Here are three of many) takeaways: The diverse programming on creativity broadened my horizon on what's possible. Learning about Glasgow's history taught me to look backward to look forward when working in the innovation field. Connecting with my fellow participants and locals showed me just how small the world is and how much we all have in common. 

​​

Receiving this opportunity to represent the US, Cincinnati, and UC on a global scale is truly humbling and has been one of the greatest honors of my life. I hope to encourage more UC students to apply for UKSI's. I know I will continue to cherish, reflect, and learn from my time in Glasgow. 

​