During the pandemic the PSA, Undergraduate Network, and ECN, showed how vital these networks are for future scholars. The newest PSA Trustee, Dr Liam McLoughlin, talks about his experiences, and what he hopes to bring to the PSA in his new role in expanding Undergraduate (UG) membership.

Community – I do not think there is a better word to explain the key benefit I have had as a PSA member. From the small groups you find on Twitter around PSA events, to conferences, and specialist groups. In the large, desolate, and often isolating voyage that is being an early career scholar, I have found the PSA, especially the Early Career Network, to be the safe port on rough seas. Communities are a vital part of what the PSA offers, especially to PhD students, just starting out in a smaller department. They go beyond being a place to network with peers, to being a place where you can share common experiences and work through problems together. To experiment with your work, deepen your thinking and provide much-needed tricks and tips for navigating the academic world. To sum up, communities provide a sense of kinship that reaches across departments and supports us wherever we are and whoever we are.

Through our networks, we can build a research community that fosters the new generation of politics researchers – particularly through a welcoming and inclusive approach; by providing accessible information; and reaching out to underrepresented and underserved demographics.

My own background can attest to this approach: as a working-class, first-generation scholar in a small department, it was only through the open arms and hearts of various PSA communities that I learnt I was not alone, in this big scary world which seemed impenetrable, there were others, like me. And importantly, that there are doors which can be opened, that there is a future in academia.

But this amazing work does not just happen. Communities need facilitating and shaping, and this is something the PSA has done excellently – by both the dedicated PSA staff team, and academics who make up the membership. So, it is this area which I have benefited from, but also one I want to give back to.

During my time on the committee of the ECN (2019-2021), I found that even small things such as sharing silly GIFs and congratulating significant milestones on Twitter helped bring people together. While the last two ECN virtual conferences not only hugely increased membership and attendance, they also opened up the community to international students, especially those from the global south, through our approach to creating radical levels of accessibility. Likewise, with the new Technology, Internet, and Policy (TIP) group, our committee has focused on making sure our language is inclusive and speaking not just to academics, but to policy makers, and technology practitioners, who, just like us at TIP, want to find the solutions to the biggest societal issues stemming from the ever-increasing digitisation of our daily lives. An approach which has led to a membership of not just academics, but journalists, policy makers, and third-sector researchers.

Using all the above lessons, I hope to expand the PSA’s (UG) offer in my new role. I’ll be seeking ways to open up the PSA to (UG) students to show how research is done (rather than just reading about it), how to have a future in academic scholarship, and facilitating undergraduates to connect with one another. I’m starting this work by shaping the plans for the PSA’s next (UG) conference, with a focus on deliberate outreach and accessibility – as I see it as a focal point for strengthening our PSA (UG) community.

This is of course, an important reminder that communities are fostered by all of us, so make sure to let your students know about the PSA’s 2022 (UG) conference, and if you have any ideas for the future, please get in contact!

Dr Liam McLoughlin is a Trustee of the PSA and the Digital Operations Officer of our Technology, Internet, and Policy (TIP) Specialist Group. Liams twitter can be found here, @Leelum.

This blog is from our December 2021 Issue of PSA News. Catch up on the latest news from the association and more, here. 

Want to be in the next issue? Our next issue of PSA News will be published in May 2022. Were keen to include news of our wonderful community in each issue of PSA News. Celebrating our members success can look like:

• Departmental news
• Specialist Group news
• News within the profession

Submissions should be sent to [email protected]