Old Members’ Trust Graduate Conference and Academic Travel Fund Report – Nathaniel Hodson (2022, MPhil Theology)

As a result of the generous funding provided by the Old Members’ Trust Graduate Conference and Academic Travel Fund, I was able to undertake a trip to Aberdeen in order to attend a postgraduate conference convened by the Society for the Study of Christian Ethics at the University of Aberdeen. The conference was entitled ‘Affected Bodies: Ethics, Physicality, and Emotion,’ and was very helpful in exploring the relationship between our embodied and affective nature and Christian moral theology. With respect to content discussed, I found especially helpful the papers which explored a Christian theological understanding of disability and autism, as this filled a lacuna in my own education thus far. I also appreciated many other discussions which pertained more directly to my own research, as well as the opportunity to meet other postgraduate students in Christian Ethics from across the UK. The conference conveners also organized a writing workshop for the day after the conference itself, which I also found very helpful for my own professional and academic development.

Dunnottar Castle – during a conference break.

I furthermore benefited greatly from the social and recreational opportunities which were available on this short trip, also made possible by the travel fund. As an international student, it was a delight to see Scotland for the first time, as well as one of Scotland’s ancient universities (the University of Aberdeen). I was fortunate to make some friends at the conference who were postgraduate students at the university, and they were kind enough to show me around the city for a couple of days after the conference was completed. I also made a point to take an afternoon trip to see the ruins of Dunnottar Castle on the coast a bit south of the city. This excursion proved to be a magnificent and beautiful way to finish a fruitful and productive conference weekend.

Find out more about the range of travel grants and scholarships available to assist Univ students on our Travel Grants page or read further travel reports.

Published: 16 August 2023

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