Growing up behind the Iron Curtain - St. Petersburg - deep within the Soviet Union, my father and I would hold our regular clandestine meetings, hovering over an AM radio, listening to our only link with the outside world and Voice of America. I was a boy, then, and yet, as I look back now, reading from the Economist, Foreign Affairs, or the Herald Tribune, I remark inwardly on how fortunate I was to be able to have a world view that includes the other side of the Curtain. In my first years at university, I thought of my American classmates, who were fully immersed in the ideals of the West: could they genuinely appreciate the depth of Rousseau's thoughts or the importance of Locke's ideas? Socialism was a word to them, a concept they were to be tested on. For me, for better or for worse, it had been my roots; my heritage.
As the Soviet Union and the Iron Curtain fell from its rusted hinges, my family and I emigrated to the United States. The experience was one of complete cultural reversal, an immersion in a renaissance of ideas I had only heard through the crackle and hiss of the AM radio. And here it was, it existed, individualism, democracy, and the full set of Western values. Later we returned briefly to a changed Russia, lived in Cyprus and later Israel, finding me fluent in three languages learning a fourth experiences that have only increased my world view through my work with an IBC. Indeed, my travels as an export manager have taken me throughout Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa.
While my years as an export manager have brought my family and me ample measures of financial security, I feel that I have exhausted the possibilities of my job and am eager to begin a course of study in International Political Economy. Particularly, I look forward to developing my understanding of international law and international politics, with a pronounced emphasis on human rights and development. The IPE program is dynamic and broad in scope, encompassing many subjects. My own bachelor's degree in government, diplomacy, and strategy with a specialization in International Affairs and Middle East Politics shares with IPE an equally composed of several branches of learning. Veritably, Government, Diplomacy and Strategy covered all aspects of international affairs, including an overview of the history of international relations, international political economy, conflict resolution, international law, micro and macroeconomics.
Participating in LSE's summer school for two months has proved a Tantalus for the promised quality educational experience to come. Whilst attending English Law and World Politics courses, I have been struck by the approach to learning the logos, if you will the LSE professors evince. More than this, the atmosphere is one of seriousness for the academic process, and this came through when I was meeting with professors, attended seminars, and participated in the extra-curricular activities. Furthermore, London is an incredible city. I am anxious to immerse myself once again in a new and stimulating culture, this time London. What better place to study IPE than in a city that embodies the spirit of the EU, and is the hub of Britain's political arena?
My academic objective is to complete my IPE MSc in one year, increasing my understanding of the history of the development of contemporary political economy, different approaches to international political economy and political economy of international trade.
For the future, I anticipate eventually becoming a political officer at the UN or a managerial position within an NGO, adding strength to the sinews of peace. Either road would take me to a position in which I can act as an agent of change in the field of human rights and international areas of conflict resolution. My living, working, traveling, and being educated across four continents combined with my multilingual abilities has enabled me to interact effectively with people from all manner of backgrounds, creeds, and levels of society. The ___'s IPE program is rooted in an academic foundation that is truly multidisciplinary, and I have life experiences that only enhance my educational grounding.
I look forward to the opportunity to develop myself as a creative leader for human rights and conflict resolution. Your time and consideration are appreciated, and I eagerly await a personal interview.
MA International Political Economy Personal Purpose Editor
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