Caleb Warren-Smith

This was the beginning of my specialisation in Islamic Studies, a department that was growing under Professor Mona Siddiqui and Dr Joshua Ralston, and so my focus turned to the Middle East and Islam.

Upon graduating, I realised I was still intellectually engaged with what I had been studying at undergrad, and I wanted to dive deeper. So, I decided to study a Masters by Research under Dr. Shadaab Rahemtulla. New College had such an amazing Islamic studies department, I had a great relationship with the lecturers and knew that a research masters would give me the flexibility to dip into their teaching but also the freedom to explore things on my own. I don’t think I would have got this elsewhere.

And why Edinburgh? It’s a beautiful city. I’d visited multiple times and every time fallen in love with it. It’s easy to romanticise Edinburgh, even when you live there – yet I always found myself incredibly appreciative of my life there. I love being outdoors so going on morning runs up Arthurs Seat, and having access to hikes, and natural swimming on my doorstep was incredible. Beyond Edinburgh, Scotland is amazing too, from gigs in Glasgow to weekends away in the Highlands.

What makes New College special?

New College as a location is amazing. It was nice to be within the four walls, and have access to the library, to Rainy Hall and the garden.

New College has a collegiate feel – it’s small and I loved the intimacy of it when studying. The closeness between students and academics was quite special and that sense of community was something that I wasn't getting in other parts of my university life. 

I felt like I had a home in New College within the Islamic Studies Department. It was a close-knit group. On dissertation hand in day, we all went for lunch and then had drinks at New College with our Professors. It’s such a lovely memory.

Caleb took the opportunity to join societies during his masters year and he wishes he’d done it earlier

Join societies – there are so many opportunities available to you. I didn’t take this up in my undergraduate, so I made sure to make the most of this during my masters. It’s up to you what you choose – these can complement your degree, or they can expose you to something completely new. I was interested in politics and policy work, so I joined the Buchanan Institute, the University of Edinburgh’s think tank. I lead on education policy and ended up consulting the Scottish Government. This was a great opportunity that gave me professional experience to take forward in interviews.

You have your academic life and then your life outside of university, and then there is this bridge between and the University offers so much it’s easy to overlook these opportunities. These can give you a sense of community or expose you to something that you normally wouldn’t have access to. Societies also help develop the skills you may not get the chance to develop in your studies. Joining the Buchanan Institute meant I gained experience writing long form policy reports, as well as consulting experience. This was different to my Theology masters where I was focused on research – so it was special to have both experiences in one year.]

The importance of viewing the world through a different lens

Studying Islamic Studies forced me to see the world from perspectives that were not my own and apply a critical lens to how I had normatively viewed the world and how it operates, understanding how others experience politics, history and culture. Now, working in government, I regularly interface with different people from different places. University prepared me to apply this critical lens and consider how people globally might experience something differently. I think this is one of the most important things to take through life. The academics in the Islamic Studies department, particularly Professor Mona Siddiqui, really helped you to think in this way and challenge your own biases to form balanced opinions. I enjoyed being challenged and forced to think about things in a different way, which is something I really value now when I look back.

From revolutions to negotiations… 

I moved to Lebanon after my undergraduate degree. It was an amazing experience – if not a little interesting owing to a revolution about a month into me being there! Given its sectarian foundations, it was fascinating to see the conflict and cohabitation of ideas I had studied during my undergraduate actualised. I left due to the pandemic, and this is when I decided to return to Edinburgh for my masters. After University, I got a job in communications and public relations before moving into the Civil Service as a strategy advisor for the Department for Business and Trade, later becoming Head of Cross-Government Strategy. I started in my role advising government ministers on policy and strategic decision-making, by bringing together experts and translating what they say into actionable advice. Currently I am focused on international trade, working in internal negotiations to unblock things within government. For example, if there is a concern over consistency of approach within government, how do we negotiate with other government departments to resolve this? My degree really helps me here – I spend a lot of my time trying to understand the different perspectives people are coming from.

I was part of the team that was responsible for leading my department through the election. We were potentially facing a change of government, and so we had to prepare absolutely everything for politicians who potentially had no prior experience of running a government. Preparing the way and supporting them from day one was a big career highlight for me. Those transitional moments are rare in our political system, so it was great to be a part of this.

An appreciation of ideas

Engaging people internationally is where my passion lies and perhaps where I’d like to go in my career. It's always the work I've done with other people from around the world that I have enjoyed and found the most fascinating. Islamic Studies and Theology has driven and supported this passion. The biggest thing I got from my degree was an appreciation of different ideas - of history, politics, society and culture - and the different ways of viewing this. It’s important to understand this if you are going to work with people from around the world. So many people think differently to you, and you need to be willing to be vulnerable and open-minded, to be able to influence others and build harmony between people.

What about outside of work?

I love being outdoors, walking and trail running. I also like fermenting things! And I love travelling.

‘Past Present Future’ - Caleb’s podcast recommendation

David Runciman, former history professor at the University of Cambridge, does a podcast series called ‘Past, Present, Future’ where he distils the issues of our time and the ideas that shaped our journey to the present. I find him a patient and considered thinker, and it’s equal parts academic and also widely accessible.