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Armeen Haque

The Stuart Hall Scholarship enabled Armeen Haque (Digital Media, 2021) to leave her native India and study for a Masters at Sussex. This is her story.

“I was born into a middle-class Muslim family in India. Although my parents are pretty conservative, they do believe that education is a fundamental human right. In their opinion, in an environment where discrimination due to superstition and misinformation is commonplace, education provides a beacon of hope for those striving for social mobility. My parents always nurtured my academic curiosity and encouraged me to pursue further study, something that is seen by my family as a rite of passage. I am the first of us to leave India to study for a Masters degree.

“I chose to study Digital Media at Sussex as I wanted to understand it on a deeper level. We are surrounded by technology and, in my opinion, we don’t always have enough awareness of it – yet we are so dependent on it. It’s something that fascinates me. I honestly didn’t expect to be awarded the Stuart Hall Scholarship. I feel privileged to be in receipt of an award eponymous with an academic who has influenced me so profoundly.”

Stuart Hall was a Jamaican-British academic, writer and cultural studies pioneer, who was born in Kingston, Jamaica in 1932. He was the President of the British Sociological Association and a member of the Runnymede Commission on the Future of Multi-Ethnic Britain. He authored many articles and books on politics and culture including Policing the Crisis and ‘The Great Moving Right Show’ (for Marxism Today), in which he famously coined the term ‘Thatcherism’.

Acknowledging the impact that Stuart Hall had on her, Armeen continues:

“Growing up, I really related to Stuart’s philosophies. I have always been passionate about media, knowledge production and the interplay of race and class, and the gender dynamics around it. The Scholarship did not just help me financially, it opened up an array of opportunities that I wouldn’t have experienced otherwise.

“As for where I want to go now, that’s difficult to answer. I am 23-years-old and I feel my journey has only just begun. Before coming to Sussex, I was very sure of what I wanted to do and how I would do it, but being at the University has broadened my horizons and made me realise that there are a lot of other options out there.

“Since graduating, I’ve been working for a conference production company whose focus is sustainability and climate technology. I can’t absolutely pinpoint what my goals for the future are – they keep changing! – although, I can say that I’d like to work somewhere where I can keep on learning and where I can help the local community. I wouldn’t say I am there yet, but my Masters and the Stuart Hall Scholarship have propelled me much closer to being able to achieve my aspirations.

“To anybody thinking of supporting a scholarship at Sussex, I’d say go for it. I applied for mine not knowing if I’d even be considered for it, but I’m really glad I took the plunge as it has opened up a world of opportunities for me. In fact, you could say it’s been life-changing!”