Wales to the World – Florida law students meet Cardiff alumni

On 15 June we hosted a networking event for 20 visiting law students from the University of Florida and local Cardiff University alumni working in law and politics.

The event included a panel discussion featuring Welsh policy thought leaders, Professor Richard Wyn Jones (Director, Wales Governance and Dean of Public Affairs) and special guest Auriol Miller (Director, Institute of Welsh Affairs). The panel was chaired by the Head of Policy & Public Affairs at the Academy of Social Sciences, alumni volunteer, Dr Ed Bridges (BScEcon 2004, MSc 2005, PhD 2011).

Leading the group of students visiting Wales from the USA was Cardiff graduate, Dr Matthew Jones (MA 2017) who said: “All of the goals of the summer 2023 University of Florida in Wales summer programme coalesce in the ‘Challenges & Opportunities for Wales in a Post-Brexit Britain’ panel. Our students came to Cardiff to learn more about Welsh and British domestic and international law, and to better appreciate the impacts of Brexit on Welsh legal and social life. What an incredible experience then to witness leading Welsh authorities debate Brexit’s impacts and Wales’ ways forward, and to meet other prominent figures in Welsh legal fields.

“It makes me so happy to say that just as Cardiff University connected me with the living world of my profession when I was a student here in 2015/16, it is also connecting my students with the worlds toward which they aspire.”

Barry Sullivan, Deputy Director, Head of Alumni Relations, added: “For me, this was a wonderful ‘full-circle’ moment. I had the pleasure of learning about Matt’s inspirational work to improve transatlantic relations as part of our 30(ish) Awards – where we celebrate the change-makers, innovators, and rule-breakers in the Cardiff University alumni community. Matt received special recognition in the category of ‘Wales to the World’. To see him here now, leading a group of students from the University of Florida, was a proud moment for me. We are incredibly grateful to our panellists, supporters, and alumni volunteers, who themselves are leaders making a positive impact in law, politics, policy and advocacy, for joining the discussion and hopefully inspiring some future Cardiff University postgraduates.”

Diolch to all of our alumni who participated, including:
Dr Ed Bridges (BScEcon 2004, MSc 2005, PhD 2011), Dr Simon Tew (PhD 2014), Natalie Zhivkova (BScEcon 2018), Joe Rossiter (MA 2018), Marine Furet (PhD 2022), Karen Davies (LLB 2014, PgDip 2016), Angharad Price (PgDip 2004, LLM 2014), Nye Davies (BScEcon 2015, PhD 2020), Dr Matthew Jones (MA 2017), Laura Ikin (LLB 2006, PgDip 2007), Miguela Gonzalez (MBA 2002, Business Studies PhD 2022- ), Matthew Rees (MScEcon 2013), Brett John (BScEcon 2020), Sanjiv Vedi OBE (BSc 1984), Eleanor Mulligan (BScEcon 2004) and Glyn Lloyd (LLB 2002, MSc 2003, PgDip 2007, PhD 2008).

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