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Marquis Scholar Matthew Gyory ’07 (Holmdel, N.J.) is immersing himself in the European political scene this year through honors thesis research. He is examining how the European Union (EU) is integrating new members from Central and Eastern Europe into the established club of industrialized nations from the West.
Under the guidance of Katalin Fabian, assistant professor of government and law, Gyory is studying the EU’s implementation of one of its four basic freedoms – freedom of movement – in relation to new member nations in Central and Eastern Europe.
“I am exploring how closely the EU follows the values it aspires to and if it really is a change from the past,” says Gyory, who is pursuing a B.S. mathematics and A.B. with a major in government and law.
With 25 members, the EU is growing in both size and political significance. It has the third largest population in the world with over 457 million people. The size of its territory is ranked seventh worldwide, and at just over $12 trillion, its gross domestic product is ranked second.
“This actor cannot be ignored in contemporary politics,” says Fabian. “Matt’s thesis looks into how the EU has developed its four basic freedoms, which includes the free movement of people. Matt is analyzing how internal migration among the member countries has developed. The most recent members from Central and Eastern Europe face waiting periods and restrictions in this regard.”
Gyory’s interest in the subject grew out of Fabian’s Politics of the European Union course. The class gave him the opportunity to participate in the Mid-Atlantic European Union Simulation in Washington, D.C. last year, in which Lafayette represented Poland, the largest of recent member states. Twelve colleges and universities participated in the three-day event, where they addressed the issue of human rights. In his role as Minister of Justice Zbigniew Ziobro, Gyory encountered the obstacles and dilemmas these countries experience when trying to coordinate policies across 25 different political structures, cultures, and economies.
“I saw incongruities between what the EU’s values said it should do and what the member states actually did, and I wanted to explore this seeming contradiction,” he says.
After he graduates from Lafayette, Gyory plans on entering the field of international relations or politics. He also hopes to attend graduate school in a few years to continue his studies of European and international politics.
Gyory is a member of mathematics honor society Pi Mu Epsilon, political science honor society Pi Sigma Alpha, Newman Association, and Phi Kappa Psi fraternity. He is a graduate of Holmdel High School.
Chosen from among Lafayette’s most promising applicants, Marquis Scholars like Gyory receive a special academic scholarship and distinctive educational experiences and benefits. This includes a three-week, Lafayette-funded course abroad or in the United States during January’s interim session between semesters or the summer break. Marquis Scholars also participate in mentoring programs with Lafayette faculty and cultural activities in major cities and on campus.
Honors theses are among several major programs that have made Lafayette a national leader in undergraduate research. The College sends one of the largest contingents to the National Conference on Undergraduate Research each year; 40 students were accepted to present their research at this year’s conference.