UCC Arts student Julia Maria Celej wins European Studies Dissertation Award

28 Feb 2025

• Julia Maria Celej was recognised by UCC School of History for her dissertation on the 2023 Polish Parliamentary Elections.
• Julia shares her insights on her journey so far and advice for students who want to explore big research ideas.

Julia Maria Celej, UCC Bachelor of Arts – European Studies and French student, has been awarded the European Studies Fourth Year Dissertation Award by UCC School of History for her research on the 2023 Polish Parliamentary Elections.

What began as a "eureka" moment quickly evolved into a deep analysis of the Polish Law and Justice Party’s strategies, blending historical context with contemporary political dynamics. Julia’s journey - from choosing European Studies on a whim to excelling in her field - highlights the power of curiosity, dedication, and seizing unexpected opportunities throughout university.

As part of UCC's student spotlight series, we caught up with Julia to discuss her academic journey, her award-winning research, and her advice for students looking to take on ambitious projects at UCC.

Julia, congratulations on receiving the European Studies Fourth Year Dissertation Award. What inspired you to focus your dissertation on the 2023 Parliamentary Elections in Poland and the strategies of the Polish Law and Justice Party?

“Honestly – I was not particularly invested in a particular topic which I could research and present as part of my dissertation. I was told that it has to be something “new” that was never previously discussed before, and shortly after I got an “eureka” moment. The elections were a hot topic in political discourse and due to the event being relatively fresh and occurring during my final-year, it was pretty obvious that it is not a topic researched by anyone else yet.”

“The topic had a perfect balance between historical background and current events which allowed me to sufficiently explain the context of the elections without going down a “rabbit hole” and losing my focus in the process, as well as a lot of more current information which permitted me to assess the short-term factors contributing to the event."

What inspired you to choose the BA in European Studies and French at UCC? 

“I have been studying French since I was 13 years old, so for about six years when I entered UCC. I absolutely loved, still do, my French teacher Isabelle Ruane from my secondary school St Brogan's College Bandon and the way she delivered French to me, so I thought it would be great to continue my studies. As for European Studies, I chose it randomly when registering at UCC because I thought it might compliment my Politics subject which I wanted to keep on from first year. Well, jokes on me because I ended up loving the narrower yet much more multi-disciplinary approach which European Studies offered and ended up proceeding forwards with it.”

Looking back on your undergraduate experience, what were the most memorable moments or standout experiences that shaped your time at UCC?

“Despite finding it extremely challenging, I have very fond memories: the messy online teaching system during my first year due to COVID-19, my second year spending time with my friends on campus all five days a week, my third year where I completed my Erasmus year in Aix-En-Provence (which was my BEST year in my life, I think!), and the ConSIMium event in my fourth year which was such an honour and a fun and learning experience. The year abroad and my participation in ConSIMium were definitely the highlights of my BA and if I could, I would re-live them over and over again.”

What advice would you give to UCC students who want to dive into big research projects like you?  

“If we are talking political affairs and matters relating the subject of my dissertation, I would definitely opt for selecting one specific event which was a product of several events, and one which is perhaps more current. Doing something that was in the past probably has quite a lot of background information, history, and research done on it so it is easy to get lost in all the information.”

“Doing an event that happened quite recently will allow, I think, for students to demonstrate some “new” approach in their research project, and will only have do date back to a couple of years back and identify past events which led up to their topic.”

How does being involved in college societies like Kaizoku Con and Sci Fi Society enhance your university experience? 

“It definitely does prepare you for the unexpected. You will randomly receive messages asking you to help and so something, and depending on what you do, it might involve you staying up until 4am preparing something for an event that was cancelled last-minute. Time management and adaptation to new and unexpected duties is probably it. My engagement with the Sci-Fi Society wasn’t particularly new since I was experienced in graphic design already.”

“Being a Vice-Events Co-Ordinator was really challenging and rewarding. Managing an event really provided me with experience which my studies couldn’t do – allocating time slots to accommodate all guests, taking into consideration different time zones, compiling contact information, names and just being up to date with everything until the last second of the event was challenging but super productive and I would love to be involved in a similar project."

"I highly recommend joining societies to gain on some “hands-on” experience which your course and studies can’t provide you with. Just make sure to choose two to three societies as being in multiple can be overwhelming – but make sure to join at least one during your time at UCC!”

Discover the diverse opportunities the Bachelor of Arts degree programme (CK101) at UCC offers. Learn more: UCC Bachelor of Arts