St Andrews: My Forever Home
When Daphne Biliouri-Grant (MLitt 2001) arrived at the University to do a Masters degree she fell in love with St Andrews. Following a successful international career she has returned to make it her ‘forever home’ to pursue her twin passions of environmental issues and social inequality.
Why St Andrews
I joined the University of St Andrews as a postgraduate student in the Department of International Relations in 1993 to do a Masters in International Security Studies. I chose St Andrews because at the time it was one of only a couple of universities in the UK that offered a module within the Masters programme on Environmental Politics. Although I knew nothing about the town, I decided that this was the place I wanted to be after watching a documentary showcasing St Andrews as the home of golf. I instantly fell in love with the scenery and the sight of West Sands.
From the very first moment that I arrived in St Andrews as a postgraduate student almost 30 years ago, I felt that I was truly at home.
Fondest memories
The four years I spent in St Andrews were some of the happiest of my life. It was an exciting period and because of the cosmopolitan nature of the University I made many long-lasting friendships with people from all over the world.
My fondest memories were of my time in University Hall. In my first year I was a resident and a member of the small postgraduate community that lived there. The rest of the time I was appointed a sub-warden and was part of an amazing team that supported all the undergraduates in the hall. As a close-knit group we had some wonderful times – from the Saturday night ceilidhs to High Table dinners and Sunday lunches – and my most memorable moments are of the fun we had preparing our annual panto to entertain the undergraduates and our annual Ball.
Career path after St Andrews
My time in St Andrews played a massive role in my future career path. Perhaps most importantly it was the place where I met the fellow postgraduate student who was to become not only a close friend but also my business partner in our own risk management consultancy. Over the years, we worked together on numerous international projects and always tried to have a positive impact through our work.
Another way that studying in St Andrews benefited my career was the fact that it increased my level of cultural awareness: being submerged in such a cosmopolitan environment allowed me to gain a better understanding of the cultural nuances and differences that define all of us because of our different backgrounds. This insight enabled me to work more effectively on an international basis.
Plans for the future
I feel privileged to have had a successful career, and I am now in the fortunate position of being able to do all the things I enjoy without the pressure of working full-time.
Although I left St Andrews after my studies to pursue my career, I returned the moment that I could to make it my forever home. I am now a trustee of several local charities involving my twin passions of environmental issues and social inequality, because I strongly believe that how we treat our planet should reflect how we treat the people on it. I also believe that education is key to achieving creative solutions for these issues and will continue to work towards this.
My aim in life has always been to make the world a better place for everyone. I am thrilled that I am able to share my experiences and insights to benefit other people and organisations, and hope that over the years I will continue to identify ways that I can help to address these issues – whether on a local or an international level.