Meet Elisa

Elisa majored in Culture & History and graduated in the 8th cohort in 2024. During her LAS studies and active involvement in EPICUR, she concentrated on EU history and politics while gaining journalism experience through internships at the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung and ARTE, where she recognized the practical value of interdisciplinary training. She later completed an MA in Modern European Studies at UCL, where her LAS background proved excellent preparation. Her key insight is to explore widely across disciplines while staying anchored to your own genuine core interest — in her case, the European Union.

“I majored in Culture & History because I have always been passionate about the past and the role the past and culture play in society. At the same time, growing up in Germany with a Greek mother and a Dutch father, I have always been enthusiastic about European-focused projects. During my studies, I was very active in EPICUR and took several EPICUR courses – I recommend this to since you meet many people from all over Europe. Furthermore, I worked as a student assistant for the team, and later as a student representative to the EPICUR student board. Additionally, I took as many courses as possible in the Electives that focused on the history or politics of the EU (mostly EPICUR courses or UCF-Governance courses).

I became interested in journalism so before doing a master’s, I did internships at the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (Frankfurt, Germany), and the TV channel ARTE (Strasbourg, France). During these work experiences, I realised how important an interdisciplinary background can be. When covering different topics for articles that had to be researched and published very quickly, I had little time to understand new topics and prepare interview questions. I did not realise during my studies how important this interdisciplinary education would be – not only on a theoretical, but also on a very practical level.

I have just completed my MA in Modern European Studies at University College London. During my MA, I realised that the LAS programme at UCF had prepared me extremely well for the master’s programme. I was already very much used to vivid discussions in class, I had learned how to interpret readings and ask the questions that go beyond the text, and UCF had taught me excellent writing skills – all of this proved to be crucial for my studies at the master’s level. I have now graduated from University College London and I am figuring out the next steps.

LAS students are curious and eager to explore a wide range of disciplines – continue to do so, as interdisciplinarity will be increasingly important in the future. That said, one insight I gained during my studies is the importance of remaining anchored to one aspect that genuinely interests you the most. This focus may take the form of an entire field of study or a more specific area within it.

For instance, during my time at UCF, I explored a wide range of fields, from film studies to Roman history to ethnography and Freudian psychoanalysis. Nevertheless, I consistently maintained a clear focus on my primary interest – the European Union – which ultimately led me to pursue European Studies at UCL. My advice, therefore, is to explore widely, but not at the expense of losing sight of what truly matters to you.“

published January 29, 2026