Global Studies December 2021
The sixth event of its kind hosted online, the December 2021 Global Studies programme offered a chance for young people aged 14 to 17 to work together - students from Slovakia collaborated with students in Brazil and India, while students in Argentina teamed up with students in the UK and Pakistan.
Violence and politics, regional identity, feminism and the global job markets of the future were among the topics discussed by 250 students from 15 countries around the world.
“The importance of creating opportunities for young people from very different backgrounds and cultures around the world to share and understand each other’s views cannot be underestimated,” said Felsted’s Director of Global Education, Daniel Emmerson, who founded and ran the event, along with Felsted’s Summer School Academic Manager, Kirsty Fraser, with support from members of Felsted’s Department of Global Education.
“Not only do the students involved learn about lives that are so different to their own, but they also come to realise that they have a huge amount in common and that by working together they are more likely to be successful in achieving their shared aims in the future.”
It was a very rich experience
- Student from Argentina
A flexible timetable meant students could choose to attend the sessions that most interested them, including talks by five keynote speakers, including Hong Kong-based entrepreneur Jessica Ye, who spoke about prioritising development of useful skills while at school and university, and clothing company founder Daniel Cohen Stuart who led a session on the topic of sustainable fashion. Several students also gave workshops on subjects - including how to manage a debate, sustainability, the Arab Spring and the impact of social media - that they had researched and collaborated on themselves, and the programme also included a performing arts academy and a virtual excursion to London.
I appreciated having the opportunity to discuss such important topics in a serious and respectful way, having the chance to educate myself, but most importantly to meet so many new people from different parts of the world and learn about their experiences.
- Student from India
This online programme proved that it is still possible to engage, create, collaborate and learn, regardless of where participants might be dialling in from.
