Isolde Hegemann is currently a PhD candidate in political science. She is interested in the political behaviour of parties and voters in European democracies and is looking to pursue a career in academia or policy after graduating. She recently attended the fourth edition of CIVICA’s Summer School around the theme 'Challenges of Democracy in a Digital World' and shares her experience ↓
What attracted you to LSE and to this area of research?
When I did my BSc in International Social and Public Policy at LSE, I took the course GV264: ‘Politics and Institutions in Europe’. That course inspired me to better understand the threats to liberal democracy posed by radical-right parties and populist rhetoric.
I was therefore very excited to return to do my PhD, and the Department of Government proved to be a very supportive and positive research environment. LSE and the PhD Academy also offered me lots of personal and professional development opportunities!
What are you currently working on?
In my PhD, I am looking at the wider impact of radical-right parties and populism on how parties and voters position themselves on different issue dimensions, like liberal democracy and the environment. I am convinced that better understanding the threat from the radical right is key in formulating effective responses that can mobilise voters as well as preserve liberal-democratic institutions and values. I have also come full circle and am now teaching on GV264 myself which has been one of the highlights of my PhD experience so far!
How did you hear the summer school in SNSPA and CIVICA more generally?
I first heard about CIVICA when I took part in the CEU summer school on democratic backsliding after graduating from my BSc at LSE. The tuition was fully waived for some of the participants, which enabled me to spend a week in Budapest and discuss challenges to liberal democracy with PhD students and professors from around the world. Since then, I have been looking out for CIVICA events and activities.
What were the highlights of your time abroad at the summer school hosted by SNSPA?
The keynotes given by professors from different CIVICA universities offered different perspectives on the (digital) challenges we are facing in democracies in Europe and around the world. I also enjoyed meeting PhD students from other European universities who share the same interests and concerns for democracy. Lastly, exploring Bucharest and the tour of the Romanian parliament expanded my knowledge of Romania’s history and culture.
Why should future students take part in this opportunity? Would you recommend CIVICA to LSE students?
There are so many virtual and in-person events that CIVICA is offering. I would highly recommend CIVICA to other LSE students. As a European citizen, I really appreciate the opportunities and network it provides. This is a fantastic way to stay connected and embedded in the European community and build bridges between people and universities at a time when European cooperation is more pressing than ever.
What are you excited about going forward?
I am looking forward to running my first survey experiment later this summer. I will also continue teaching next year and am trying to organise a stay at another university as well as an internship in policy to broaden my perspective further!
Photo credits: SNSPA and Isolde Hegemann.
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