Abbey College Cambridge Hosts Student-Led Conference on Diplomacy
22nd November 24
Abbey College Cambridge welcomed students from local schools and its own community for a student-led conference on Monday, 18th November. The theme, “Diplomacy,” aimed to delve into pressing issues within global politics and society.
The event brought together 70 students from various schools including King’s Ely, The Perse, St. Bede’s, Landmark International, and Cambridge Academy of Science and Technology (CAST), alongside Abbey Cambridge students from years 10 to 13.
The conference opened with two thought-provoking speakers who challenged participants to grapple with the complexities of diplomacy. Dr David Shah from Abbey College Cambridge delivered an insightful discussion on the conflict in the former Yugoslavia and his first-hand experience of peace efforts during the conflict. Dr Robin Bunce from Homerton College Cambridge focused on exploring how to manage relations between states without conflict. Both speakers offered valuable perspectives that set the tone for the day and offered valuable guidance and encouragement during group discussions.
The conference was entirely organised by Abbey College Cambridge student leaders, who rose to the challenge of staging the event for a huge number of students from schools across Cambridgeshire. On the day, they demonstrated inspiring leadership, facilitating integration within their mixed groups, mentoring team members, engaging meaningfully with speakers, and guiding their teams during break-out sessions to achieve successful outcomes.
“My role in the Diplomacy Conference was to welcome the schools, get them seated, and explain the brainstorming activity on applying diplomacy to different areas of life. I guided one group to a classroom and focused on how diplomacy is used in economies during their session. I learned that diplomacy goes beyond politics and applies to friendship, social issues, and economics. It really opened my mind to how diplomacy shapes so many areas of life and has expanded my leadership skills.” (Jasra, Year 13 student at Abbey College Cambridge)
Following the speakers, students worked in mixed groups to address issues within Diplomacy and prepared their own presentations which were then shared with the conference. The level of teamwork and quality of work produced was extremely impressive from all participants. Abbey College Cambridge encourages every one of their students to see themselves as a potential leader ready to engage with global issues meaningfully and to take on the challenges ahead of them with wisdom and resilience, and this student-led conference was a key opportunity to practise skills such as public speaking, working within a group, creative and analytical reflection and independent work.
The event showcased the dedication of Abbey College Cambridge to promoting diversity, equality, and inclusivity within education. By empowering students to take the lead in addressing these crucial issues, the college aims to create a more equitable and supportive learning environment for all.
“I learned a lot from this experience because it’s rare that I go deep into a topic that I’ve not been familiar with. I felt a sense of achievement as I’ve learned something that I wasn’t good at and without this conference I probably wouldn’t know that diplomacy can be used in sports, economics, and geography etc. Finally, I loved the ideas that people from different schools came up with during the activity and their unique points of view. I absolutely enjoyed the conference.” (Tian Jiao, Year 12 student at Abbey College Cambridge)
Diplomacy is an integral part of the world around us, as it facilitates the prevention of conflict, promotes discussion and dialogue, and finds agreement through negotiation and common ground. This is essential not only in international relations, but also in the classroom. The goal of Abbey College Cambridge is to foster an atmosphere of mutual respect between staff and students, leading to a love of learning and increased employability in today’s global world.
