Robert Halfon: Democracy Week Student & Alumni Stories

Rt Hon Robert Halfon MP
Member of Parliament for Harlow Chair of the Commons Education Select Committee
University of Exeter alumnus – Politics
 
Being at Exeter was the greatest time of my life. I was able to both study and practice politics. I studied Politics as my undergraduate degree and I completed a masters in Post-Soviet and Eastern European Politics. All within the walls of the Amory building. My first year involved studying law. In my second year, I studied Nigerian politics, Italian politics and American politics. In my third year, I looked at Japanese politics and comparative Russian and Chinese politics. I also studied political theory - I found this the hardest part of my degree.

Intellectually, I felt really fulfilled. The knowledge I gained at Exeter enabled me to understand the workings of Politics and Government, not just in Britain, but around the world. My studies helped me massively in my career, being a parliamentary staffer for MPs, working in public affairs and then subsequently becoming an MP myself in 2010.

I was very involved in political societies at Exeter. In particular, the Exeter University Conservative Association, of which I became Chair. We regularly attended the Lemongrove every Thursday lunchtime and the Student Union would raise the topics of the day. I would often speak at those meetings.