Peace studies student to represent Bradford on University Challenge
Peace Studies student Oliver Denton, currently studying an MA in International Politics and Security Studies, is to represent Bradford as part of the University Challenge team.
The last time that Bradford won University Challenge was in 1979 when a team of students from the University of Bradford triumphed against Lancaster University in the final of University Challenge, 215 points to 160. The 1979 team boasted three postgraduate computer science students (John Watt, Mike Bradford, John Simkin). The other team members were Maxwell Cooter, an Interdisciplinary Human Studies student, and a reserve, Martin Lee, a postgraduate in Social Sciences.
University Challenge is a British quiz programme that premiered in 1962, hosted for 25 years by Bamber Gascoigne and currently hosted by Jeremy Paxman. The programme features two teams of four representing their university in a tournament style competition where students answer questions on a diverse range of subjects in a number of different categories.
Oliver, who is in the last semester of his course said: "By coming to the University and being a student in the Department I have achieved my greatest dream. But now I have been selected to be part of the University Challenge team. I am proud to represent a fine academic institution like Bradford and represent the Peace Studies Department, which is a great honour.
“All of the team are from a diverse and fantastic range of backgrounds, we have recently been through a meeting at ITV studios and we are now eagerly awaiting news. I understand I am the only Peace Studies student to ever go through the selection process and once it hopefully gets to the televised stages I will be the only Peace Studies Department student to ever appear on the show. Bradford last won University Challenge in 1979 and by winning in 2016 this will not only be fantastic for the University, wonderful for the Peace Studies Department but also a tremendous achievement for the city of Bradford."
The University of Bradford’s Division of Peace Studies is oldest and largest department of its kind, having celebrated its 40th anniversary last year and featuring alumni such as Saeb Erekat, Palestine’s chief negotiator.