Dr. Polly Cegielski (University of Massachusetts) sent us an essay about the 2016 SRC/HOPS Border Studies Summer School held on July 25-29, 2016. The following is her message:
The Border Studies Summer School at Hokkaido University was an excellent experience and I'm very grateful to the program for accepting my application to attend. I felt very welcome and taken care of during my time in Japan and was delighted by the hospitality the program showed to the attendees. The diversity of students and presenters from around the world offered different perspectives and opportunities for sharing across different disciplines and frameworks. I enjoyed the breadth of ideas that the presenters discussed and my knowledge of Border Studies as a body of work was expanded. I hope to continue my relationship with the school, perhaps coming back to present on my own research at some point. The Border Studies School at Hokkaido University is an excellent chance for students of varying academic levels to learn about the topic of Border Studies in a supportive environment where their boundaries on what borders signify, and how they are shaped, constructed and repurposed, can be developed.
Sincerely,
Polly Cegielski
PhD Candidate
McCormack School of Public Policy
Global Governance and Human Security Program
University of Massachusetts, Boston, MA, USA
Eurasia Unit for Border Research (Japan)
