Our Story
The Political Institute of Action Research was founded in 2022 by Svenja Schulz and Hayden Siratt.
It has evolved from Svenja and Hayden’s Global Challenge Project that they completed in their first year at the University of St Andrews. They noticed the gap in policy-making and developed the initial blueprints for The Political Institute to address this gap.
Schulz and Siratt spent their second year working with Stephen Gethins, Professor of Practice in the School of International Relations and Strategic Advisor for the University of St Andrews, on finalising the details of how to make The Political Institute a reality.
In the autumn of 2022, The Political Institute became officially affiliated with the University of St Andrews Students’ Association. Since then, fostering engagment with the students of St Andrews has been the primary aim of the society.
Now firmly established within the academic culture of St Andrews, The Political Institute is proud to provide an outlet for students who have a desire to research specific issues and recommend policy.