Nathan Tauger: international student profile

Nathan Tauger came from the US to study at The University of Manchester as a Fulbright Scholar and has found his studies for an MSc in History of Science, Technology and Medicine to be broad and engaging. During his time at the University he has been able to explore science communication, and was successful in having articles published in major UK news publications.

Nathan Tauger

“In my undergraduate years I studied abroad in the UK at another university and visited cities throughout the country. One of those cities was Manchester. And even though I only stayed for one night, I thought the city was cool. Now that I have lived here for a year I can say definitively that Manchester is a cool city.

“I chose to study at Manchester for two main reasons. The first was the department at the Centre for the History of Science, Technology and Medicine. Before applying, I browsed online for history of science programmes in the UK. Manchester's department stood out. Everyone has an interesting area of research and is open to sharing what they’re up to and what they’re interested in. The second reason was due to Manchester itself – it’s a really cosmopolitan city.

“I’ve found that there is a lot of space to have interesting conversations and bounce ideas off other students and staff. The Medicine, Science and Modernity unit was particularly interesting. It covered everything from the history of medical ethics, animal research, medicine and colonialism, to the portrayal of medicine in films. There’s also a lot of engagement with the community here in Manchester – for example, earlier in the year my department sponsored a free film festival called Playing God, with really interesting discussion sessions after each screening.

“My favourite place on campus is Whitworth Park – I spend a lot of time there. But the best thing about being a student in Manchester is that there’s a lot going on in the city. It’s pretty easy to get to everything, both in terms of price and travel time. Things are made accessible for students, through concessions or day tickets.

“My plan after graduation is to work for a while, possibly in government service. However, this year, after spending some time with the science communication course, I’ve been able to learn more about science journalism. One of my tutors at the University had contacts at the Guardian and encouraged me to submit a blog post which was published online while I was still studying. Through the Fulbright Commission, I’ve been able to spend some time at the BBC headquarters in Salford Quays, an opportunity I’m really lucky to have, and which is partly due to being in Manchester.”