What it’s like to be the first EU Visiting Fellow in St Andrews
by Michal Czerniawski
The University of St Andrews joined the EU Fellowship Programme in 2024, which provides selected EU officials with professional and personal development opportunities at leading universities and research institutions around the world. As St Andrews’ first EU Fellow, stepping into this role feels like being part of something new, not just for me personally but also in terms of building stronger links between Scotland and the European Union, especially the European Parliament, where I work as a lawyer.
I have long regarded the University of St Andrews as an outstanding academic institution – one that also represents, for someone coming from the EU institutional environment, a meaningful step beyond the familiar “EU bubble” and into a broader international context. It is also important to underline that, if it was challenging for St Andrews to be selected by the European Union among participating universities, it is, in fact, even more demanding for an EU official to be chosen for the programme. The selection process is highly competitive, with a large pool of outstanding applicants, making selection contingent on a rigorous assessment of experience, achievements, and future potential. For these reasons, being part of this opportunity is not only an honour, but also a significant commitment.
I came to St Andrews with a clear goal in mind: to further develop my research on digital sovereignty. This is a topic that sits at the intersection of law, policy, and technology, and it raises important questions about how states and institutions can maintain control, autonomy, and democratic oversight in an increasingly digital world. The academic environment here – also due its strong focus on both international relations and computer science – has provided the perfect setting to deepen this work, test ideas, and engage in meaningful discussions with experts from different disciplines.
Coming from a policy and legal background, I’ve found that my day-to-day work naturally feeds into my academic engagement here. It’s been a great opportunity to bring a practical perspective into conversations about law, governance, and emerging technologies – topics that are evolving fast and benefit from both academic and real-world insights.
At St Andrews, I’ve mostly been working with colleagues from the School of International Relations and the School of Computer Science. I’m also affiliated with the Centre for Global Law and Governance (CGLG), where I had the chance to give a lecture on EU digital sovereignty.
Among the highlights of my time at St Andrews has been joining Dr Tristan Henderson’s Data Ethics class as a guest lecturer. It was a particularly rewarding experience, and a strong reminder of how crucial it is to connect legal thinking with technical expertise. I was genuinely impressed by the students’ preparation and engagement – they didn’t just focus on the technical aspects, but were eager to explore broader questions about law and ethics (students even asked about legislation currently being discussed in the Justice Committee I work for – something I found truly impressive). Their curiosity made the discussion far richer than I had anticipated, and it reinforced for me the value of interdisciplinary dialogue in tackling complex issues like digital governance.
There are more examples of genuine interest in the European Union among the St Andrews students. For example, during my lectures, I received numerous questions about traineeships and career opportunities in Brussels, reflecting a real curiosity about how the EU works in practice. It was great to see students eager to connect theoretical discussions with real-world experiences. I was also interviewed by students from different fields on several occasions (it’s remarkable to see how much has changed since I was a student – back then, there was nothing like these kinds of interview), which I found really interesting. It’s encouraging to see how keen they are to hear about the EU perspective, and these conversations provided a great opportunity to share insights from my professional experience while engaging with fresh (and sometimes needing a bit of polishing) ideas. I also really enjoyed seeing what topics students are currently interested in – it was fascinating to get a sense of what excites them today.
Beyond teaching and research, I’ve had the chance to meet people across different disciplines, including colleagues working on surveillance issues at Centre for Research into Information, Surveillance and Privacy (CRISP). These kinds of exchanges have been one of the most rewarding parts of my time here. Another great aspect of the Fellowship is the possibility to engage beyond the university. In April, I’ll be presenting my research at the BILETA conference, which is the UK’s main conference on the legal aspects of new technologies.
Overall, my time in St Andrews has been a mix of academic exchange, interdisciplinary collaboration, and a lot of new perspectives. It’s an experience that’s not only enriching but also shaping how I think about my Parliamentary work in the future.
Finally, I will be in St Andrews until the end of May 2026, and whether you are a staff member or a student, if you think my background could be relevant to your work or research, or if you have any questions about the European Union – particularly the European Parliament – I would welcome the opportunity to connect. You can reach out to me by email at [email protected] .