School of Social and Political Science

SPS students awarded Our Mind Scholarships from Edinburgh Neuroscience



Cartoon image of woman with plants and leaves growing from her head, being watered by others

Four students at the School of Social and Political Science (SPS) have received scholarships to complete short projects exploring the theme of ‘our minds’.

The Our Mind Scholarship programme allows undergraduate and postgraduate students in any discipline and year of study to undertake two-month projects to reflect, explore and engage with others, in particular the public, on questions concerning our minds.

Eight students from throughout the University of Edinburgh received awards, and four of them study within SPS:

  • Robyn Thomas is a PhD student in Social Anthropology. Robyn’s project, ‘Bridging Alternate Realities’, is a short ethnographic film about different ways people perceive and experience reality.
  • Nicole Anderson is a second-year doctoral candidate in Social Anthropology. Her project is titled ‘Assembling Provenance of Ancestors in the University of Edinburgh's Anatomical Museum’. It aims to assemble biographies of First Nations, Inuit and Native American ancestors whose skulls were stolen from what is now called North America and are now in the Skull Room in the Anatomical Museum.
  • Mouna Chatt is a second-year Sociology and Politics student. Mouna’s project, ‘(RE)WAYAT: Renarrating Muslim Edinburgh’, investigates what realistic and real narratives about Muslims in Edinburgh go missing in the public space.
  • Leo Hajducki, a student of Philosophy and Politics, studies between the School of Philosophy, Psychology & Language Sciences and SPS. Their project is ‘Synaesthesia: an external manifestation of internal neurodivergence’, a multidisciplinary exhibition approaching painting, sculpture, food, music, poetry, politics, psychology, and philosophy, among others.

Head of School Professor John Devaney said:

“On behalf of the School I’d like to congratulate Leo, Nicole, Mouna and Robyn on being selected to take forward these important and interesting projects. The School is involved in teaching and researching the social implications of how our minds work, including neurodiversity and mental health, and our contribution to understanding and addressing this has a benefit for wider society. We all look forward to hearing more about the four projects in the months ahead."

Find out more on the Our Mind Scholarship here.