Scottish Parliamentary Internship: Scott Smith!

Imagine the thrill of studying abroad in Edinburgh, Scotland with IFSA-Butler! Then imagine interning with the Scottish Parliament! I don't mean just getting someone coffee, I mean really participating in parliamentary processes and being paired with a Member of Scottish Parliament (MSP) for incredible access to Scotland's political world. As a participant of the IFSA-Butler University of Edinburgh Parliamentary Internship program, students take three courses taught intensively during the first five weeks. As part of their pairing with a MSP, students have study space in the MSP’s office and maintain an academic base in the university’s Unit for the Study of Government in Scotland. Students also receive assistance with their research project. At the end of the program, students receive project reports.

During his semester in Edinburgh, Scott Smith, from the College of Wooster, was paired with Jackie Baille MSP. Jackie Baille had a private member's bill on disabled persons' parking places, for which Scott undertook a systematic analysis and critique of the process of Public Member's Bills at Westminster and Private Member's Bills at Holyrood since Devolution. The full title of his project is: An Explanatory Comparison of the Member's Bills Process Post-Devolution: Scotland and Westminster. In addition to his research for the bill, Scott constructed a database for Jackie Baille's constituent support. His MSP valued all of his work!

Scott shares, "I fully enjoyed my experience as an intern in the Scottish Parliament. This included daily interactions with important figures in Scottish politics, sitting in on Parliamentary sessions and building a strong connection with my co-workers. Overall, my decision to spend a semester abroad as a Parliamentary intern opened my eyes to the workings of Scottish Government, while also affording me the leisure time to see the U.K. and Europe."

And here you have a picture of Scott and some of his fellow interns, posing in front of a statue of Robert the Bruce, during their 2-day family visit in Stirling.

Well done Scott, and we are wishing you much success in the future!

To all you readers, keep me posted on the wonderful things you're doing abroad as an IFSA-Butler student!

Take care,
Lisa

lburg@ifsa-butler.org