History and philosophy graduate receives scholarship for master’s program at University of Cambridge

Recent College of Wooster graduate in history and philosophy, Aaron Huq ’24 received the Quantedge-Cambridge Refugee Masters Scholarship to pursue a Master of Philosophy degree at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom. Huq enrolled in the Cambridge South Asian Studies program, with a career goal to become a historian in academia. “Pursuing this degree will greatly strengthen the interdisciplinary training I’ve already received at Wooster and prepare me better for history Ph.D. programs later on,” Huq said.

Originally from Bangladesh in South Asia, their research interests are working with indigenous groups in South Asia and understanding identity politics. Cambridge does not have an indigenous historian, but the university will provide comprehensive training about the South Asian region and provide the foundational blocks to build their doctoral dissertation. They hope to engage in community history, possibly collaborating with a non-governmental organization in South Asia “to advocate for their voices and stories that majority groups in South Asia have been continuing to try to erase,” Huq said. An interest in indigenous communities also prompted their Independent Study research at Wooster on “Garos: A Displaced Community’s Fight for Epistemic Justice.”

The Quantedge-Cambridge Refugee Master’s Scholarship is awarded through a partnership of the Singapore nonprofit organization Quantedge-Foundation and King’s College in London. Huq qualified for the scholarship for students who have current or former held-refugee status in the U.K., and who come from regions of political instability.

“The historical training I received at Wooster has translated very well into preparing me for the program in Cambridge,” Huq said. They were especially grateful to Christina Welsch, Robert Critchfield Chair of English History, who reviewed drafts and provided feedback of their statement of purpose, research proposal, and other necessary documentation. Welsch, along with Elizabeth Schiltz, Purna, Rao, Raju Chair of Philosophy, and Margaret Ng Wee-Siang, associate professor and chair of history, wrote letters of recommendation on Huq’s behalf. “I received helpful advice from all three regarding graduate schools and academia as a career, as well as moral support,” they said.

Posted in Alumni on October 18, 2024.