Maggie Toombs (BA/MAIA ’23) Shares Story of Her Graduate Research in Serbia
The Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies’ Gilman Travel Grant is the school’s flagship opportunity for institutionally supported graduate student research. One Pardee School graduate student, Maggie Toombs (BA/MAIA ’23), recently took advantage of the travel grant in order to go travel to Belgrade, Serbia over the Winter break, speak with the relevant stakeholders, and flush out the research for her master’s paper. We spoke with Maggie to ask about her experience abroad, the opportunities made available to her through the Gilman Grant, and what made her travels so enriching.
Maggie traveled to Belgrade in December 2022 to conduct additional research and interviews that would bolster her final master’s policy paper. Written from the perspective of the Serbian Ministry of European Integration to the Office of the President of Serbia, her paper will advise on the best course of policy action concerning European Union integration given the current political climate of Europe, especially considering the war in Ukraine. While only in the country for one week, she conducted several interviews with experts, including a diplomat with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, several professors from the University of Belgrade, and the Assistant Minister for the Department for Political and Economic Criteria in the Process of Accession to the European Union at the Ministry for European Integration.
As someone who hopes to work for the U.S. State Department, Maggie reveled in the opportunity to travel and gain a new perspective on a country she had limited knowledge of. “My career goal is to eventually work for the State Department, and part of that work is writing policy papers, trying to understand the perspectives of different countries to predict their next actions,” she said in discussing her travels. “Since this type of research coincides with these goals, it provided an excellent opportunity to practice such skills and learn how to engage with people from different cultures and backgrounds.”
Maggie’s travels not only afforded her access to a plethora of diplomatic and global affairs practitioners but also allowed her to break free of the constraints of on-campus life. As she said:
Being on-campus is like being in a bubble. I can try my best to understand the world through reading, watching documentaries, interviews, but that is all through a computer screen. The only way to learn about the real world is to experience it. There is nothing quite like full immersion in another country, culture, and political environment; it’s exciting, fascinating, fast-paced, and to keeps you open and flexible to every opportunity that presents itself in the moment.
To her fellow Pardee School students, Maggie has one message: “Take this opportunity. You won’t regret it.” The Gilman Grant is an invaluable asset for Pardee School students who do not have the resources to conduct research abroad on their own. As Maggie puts it, it was essential to making the trip possible and providing her with memories that will last a lifetime.
“This was my first time traveling for research and only my second time traveling overseas,” she said. “The fact I was able to do so safely, while supported by an excellent academic institution, gave me a wonderful introduction to what I hope to be a lifetime of learning abroad. The way this has enhanced my research and helped me develop skills in interviewing, interpersonal relations, as well as networking has provided an invaluable educational experience and inspired me to begin planning my next trip as soon as possible!”
Supporting student research like Maggie’s is a point of pride for the Pardee School, and we encourage our students to pursue every opportunity afforded to them in their time at BU. If you are interested in undertaking your own global research, visit the Pardee School’s Travel Grants page for detailed information on grant opportunities and resources.