News Politics Society: International Relations and NGOs 18.06.2025

The Politics Society was delighted to welcome Old Dolphin Clara McGrane (Class of 2020) who came to talk about her time studying International Relations at the University of St Andrews, and her experience working for the NGO Sight Savers over the last year. Clara talked the students through some of the fascinating modules she had studied, for example studying the role of emotions in international relations and the relationship between music and politics. Clara’s main interest is around human rights, and she spoke about how volunteering in this sector, for example for Amnesty International when she was at Godolphin, had been hugely valuable for her development both professionally and as an individual.

Students were interested to hear about the NGO Sight Savers, and Clara explained the skills she has been able to develop through her role on the team, considering the security threats to Sight Savers’ aid workers around the world. Students had a wide range of questions about studying IR, studying abroad (Clara completed a semester at the Sorbonne as part of her studies) and studying in the three-street town of St Andrews compared to London! Thank you very much to Clara for sharing her experiences with us so generously.