The Robert & Soulla Kyprianou Scholarship

I am an MSt student in modern European history under the supervision of Dr Zbigniew Wojnowski. I chose to study at Oxford as an undergraduate after experiencing a glimpse of the tutorial system during a summer course in 2019. I was also impressed by the History Faculty’s academics and research interests, which largely intersected with my research interests, including the Soviet Union and the Eastern bloc.

During my undergraduate studies, I particularly enjoyed independent research, which encouraged me to pursue two dissertation projects. One of my dissertations examined the strategy of the Greek Communist Party in the period between the end of Nazi occupation and 1945. I felt particularly privileged to use my Greek language skills and to visit archives in Athens, enabling me to produce original historical work on a topic that I believe is significantly understudied. I also completed an additional dissertation on youth experience in the Soviet Union during the 1930s, for which I took a Russian fast-track course at beginner level. This allowed me to translate and analyse young people’s diaries, which enriched the research process immeasurably.

My research interest was one of the main reasons why I decided to apply for a postgraduate course. My dissertation examines youth subcultures in Soviet cities during Gorbachev’s glasnost and perestroika, a decade which is largely understudied in historical scholarship.

I heard about the Robert & Soulla Kyprianou Scholarship as a fresher from a Cypriot DPhil student and I was always keen to be considered. Thanks to the Kyprianou Scholarship, I am now pursuing a Master’s degree in Modern European History and exploring a new decade compared to my undergraduate research, which would not have been possible without the scholarship.

My time at Brasenose has been rewarding and I particularly enjoy working in the Brasenose Library, which I believe to be the prettiest college library in Oxford. My course has proven challenging because of the difficulties associated with reviewing material from the Bodleian Offsite Storage. Nevertheless, with consistency and hard work, I trust that the end product will be all the more rewarding.

After completing my studies, I aspire to become a commercial lawyer, by undertaking a law conversion course, and qualify as a solicitor in England.

The Oxford-Robert and Soulla Kyprianou Graduate Scholarship is available for applicants who are ordinarily resident in the Republic of Cyprus who are applying for a Master’s course in a subject accepted by Brasenose. It is jointly funded by the University and Robert and Soulla Kyprianou; Robert Kyprianou (PPE, 1973) was one of the first students of Cypriot origin to study at Oxford.