PhD student Alex Prior accepted for PSA/House of Commons Committee Office Placement

“I’m looking forward to getting first-hand experience of the select committee system, which will benefit my academic research and my working knowledge of Parliament." said Alex.

POLIS PhD student Alex Prior has recently been accepted for a PSA/House of Commons Committee Office Placement. Alex is due to start the four month placement on 9 January 2017. 

Through working closely with select committees and the Scrutiny Unit, these placements provide valuable first-hand experience of the parliamentary process. They involve a wide variety of responsibilities including policy analysis, first-hand research and briefing committee members. Parliamentary placements are highly sought after and involve a competitive application process.

Alex gave the following response to the good news: “I’m looking forward to getting first-hand experience of the select committee system, which will benefit my academic research and my working knowledge of Parliament. My research is focused on political engagement, which is more relevant than ever to the work of these committees. I’m grateful for the opportunity, and keen to begin!”

Alex is in the second year of his PhD, supervised by Cristina Leston-Bandeira and Richard Hayton. Professor Leston-Bandeira commented that “securing a PSA/House of Commons placement is a massive achievement and a tribute to Alex’s hard work and dedication to his doctoral research.”