Former US Congress members visit UEA following landmark midterm elections
By: Communications
Students at the University of East Anglia (UEA) were given the opportunity to hear directly from two former leading figures from both sides of American politics this week.
Former Democratic Congresswoman Val Demings, who represented Florida, and former Republican Congressman Garret Graves, who represented Louisiana, visited UEA on Tuesday 10 November.
The event was part of a programme organised in partnership between UEA’s Arthur Miller Institute for American Studies and the Eccles Institute for the Americas and Oceania at the British Library.
It came in the aftermath of the recent US midterm elections, which saw Democrats win control of both the US Senate and the House of Representatives, reshaping the political landscape in Congress for the remainder of Donald Trump's presidency.
Now in its fourth year, this 'Congress to Campus' event provided attendees with a rare opportunity to engage directly with senior political figures from both major US parties – with UEA one of only three institutions selected to host this year's visiting speakers.
Mrs Demings and Mr Graves took part in a Q&A session with UEA students and staff, offering first-hand insights into policymaking, electoral politics and the realities of serving on Capitol Hill.
Dr Philip Abraham, lead curator for the Eccles Institute programmes, said: "We’re thrilled to return to UEA with Congress to Campus. The Former Members of Congress are always incredibly impressed with how informed and engaged the students are, and this year is no exception."
Though the session was open to the wider university community, this opportunity formed a key part of the learning experience for students taking the module ‘Politics in the USA’ as part of their degree.
Dr Emma Long, Director of the Arthur Miller Institute and Associate Professor of American History and Politics at UEA, said: "Congress to Campus provides our students with a rare opportunity to look behind the scenes of US politics and to understand what it looks like from the perspective of those who have worked within it.
"We get to look beyond media coverage and textbooks to see how things are seen and felt by those who have lived it on a daily basis.
"This is a wonderful opportunity for students to get a different perspective on the results of the recent midterm elections and to see them in a different light.
"It is also a chance to look beyond partisanship and to understand that even politicians from different ideological persuasions can find things in common.”
Providing young people with access to leading political voices
The visit continued on Wednesday 11 November with a dedicated session for GCSE and A-Level students from partner schools across the region.
Young people considering higher education were given the chance to engage with internationally significant political issues and hear directly from the former lawmakers.
Delivered in partnership with UEA's Outreach Team, the event supports both outreach and student recruitment activity, while showcasing opportunities across the Faculty of Arts and Humanities.
Dr Long said: "I want to thank the team in Admissions, Recruitment and Marketing who do such wonderful work in making our schools event possible every year.
"This programme helps to show that US politics is more dynamic and fascinating than the rhetoric sometimes suggests. Hopefully we might convince a few people to study it further!”
The event reflects UEA's commitment to providing students with access to leading voices from politics, policy and public life, aiming to enrich their academic experience through the discussion of real-world issues as they unfold.
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