Reece Hill

Reece was recently awarded the Alan Ferguson Memorial Prize for his dissertation: “Why has Clientelism Persisted in Bosnian Politics in the Post-Socialist Era?”

Why did you choose to study at UCL SSEES?

I chose to study at UCL SSEES as it is the perfect place to follow my passion for the study of East European politics and society in an interdisciplinary and critical way.

What are you studying and what attracted you to this particular course?

I studied Politics, Sociology and East European Studies for BA, and am now studying Political Sociology with East European Studies for my MA.

How is your course going? Any favourite modules so far?

My undergrad was great, I enjoyed most of the modules across the 3 years. I especially enjoyed the variety of modules on offer; from Making of Modern Ukraine, Cities in Eastern Europe, Governance and Corruption, to the language modules on offer. My MA has so far been similarly enjoyable and interesting. I was honoured to receive the Alan Ferguson Memorial Prize for 2024/2025 for my undergrad dissertation titled “Why has Clientelism Persisted in Bosnian Politics in the Post-Socialist Era?”

How would you describe the academic staff at SSEES? What is the support like?

They are all great, always passionate and ready to help you with any questions you may have.

What about the social life?

There are plenty of social opportunities for students at SSEES, from the wide range of talks, SSEES Society events, and of course the Cafes and Bars of Bloomsbury.

What are your future plans/aspirations?

I’m currently completing my MA at SSEES, beyond that I’m unsure – I would maybe like to do some journalism; I would eventually like to continue my studies with a PhD at some point.

Any advice for those thinking about taking this course?

If you are passionate about Eastern Europe, then go for it. There’s no better place to study the region.