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Global citizenship education in post-conflict Iraq
By IOE Blog Editor, on 25 October 2023
Michael in front of the spiral minaret of the Great Mosque of Samarra. Image permission: Michael Jones.
By Michael Jones, Development Education and Global Learning MA*
*This programme has been renamed the Global Learning MA.
As an MA student in development education and global learning, my research journey formed a crucial part of my dissertation, which focused on the role of global citizenship education in post-conflict societies. I was drawn to the Iraqi context due to its unique challenges and the potential for education to contribute to peacebuilding and social cohesion, and due to my current position working at the American University of Iraq, Sulaymaniyah.
During my research journey, I had the opportunity to work closely with the ‘Iraqi Travellers Café’ (ITC) initiative, an inspiring organisation that was actively promoting aspects of global citizenship education through its workshops and events in the capital, Baghdad. I was fortunate to witness first-hand the dedication and passion of the ITC team, who were committed to creating transformative educational experiences for participants. The workshops provided a safe and inclusive space for individuals from Iraq’s diverse backgrounds, including the limited foreigners that live in the country, to come together, exchange ideas and engage in critical dialogue about global citizenship.
Being part of the ITC workshops allowed me to observe the participants’ active engagement and genuine curiosity in learning about global citizenship education. It was inspiring to see individuals from various communities and age groups actively participating and sharing their perspectives. The workshops fostered a sense of community and belonging, as participants came together to explore common values and aspirations for a more inclusive and peaceful world.
Analysing the responses from the workshop participants provided valuable insights into their perceptions of global citizenship education in the Iraqi context. One significant theme that emerged was the participants’ heightened awareness of the concept through their engagement with the workshops. Many participants expressed that they had limited knowledge or had never heard of global citizenship education before attending the workshops. This highlighted the importance of initiatives like ITC in bridging the knowledge gap and introducing new ideas and perspectives to individuals who may have been previously unaware of the concept.
Moreover, the workshops played a pivotal role in expanding participants’ understanding of global citizenship education beyond theoretical concepts. By providing a space for open dialogue and interactive activities, participants were able to connect the principles of global citizenship with their own lived experiences. This experiential learning approach helped participants develop a deeper appreciation for the values of acceptance, empathy and respect, which are essential to being a global citizen.
Black student experiences in London, 1950s to 1970s – would you like to be interviewed?
By IOE Blog Editor, on 11 October 2023
By Uduma Ogenyi, PhD student at SOAS/IOE
When considering what it means to build solidarities, particularly in the context of discussions around ‘decolonising’ universities today, there is much to learn from lessons of the past. My research is funded by a Bloomsbury Studentship and explores the day-to-day experiences of Black students on university campuses from 1956-1981, with a focus on SOAS, UCL and IOE (then a separate college of the University of London). In this period students in London were active in a range of anti-imperialist and anti-racist struggles, including the Anti-Apartheid Movement and the fight against the National Front. At the same time, however, Black students faced isolation, loneliness, racism, and discrimination on campus. Why do Black students’ day-to-day experiences of discrimination so rarely inform our writing of student histories? And what can these experiences tell us about the struggles students face today, especially in the context of institutional co-option of radical demands?
A group protesting in a rally organised by the West Indian Student Centre, May 1970. Courtesy of Black Cultural Archives, ref no: PHOTOS/173, photographer unknown.
Perhaps one of the most well-known examples of student solidarity activities at University of London campuses relates to the British Anti-Apartheid Movement. UCL students attended the 1956 International Student Conference in Peradeniya, Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). This was the first world-student conference to be held in Asia and, for the first time in student politics, the bulk of the representation was from outside Europe and North America. Of the countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America (c. 59 in total at the time), 40 were represented. The Conference reiterated its firm support of students in ‘colonial and totalitarian areas’, asserting that ‘peoples should be free to develop their educational systems in keeping with their own culture and traditions’.
Eleven ‘gruelling’ days of debate followed, leading to an outcome which included strong condemnation of Apartheid policies in South African universities. The Union of South African Students was commended for its ‘courageous’ stand against these policies and national unions were called upon to help non-European students in South Africa by endeavouring to provide scholarships for them abroad, inspiring schemes such as UCL students’ union’s South African Scholarship Scheme. London students also demonstrated in support of South African political prisoners in November 1964, when four hundred students took part in a demonstration march and all-night vigil outside the South African Embassy. Read the rest of this entry »
Navigating London’s pricey terrain: Student edition
By IOE Blog Editor, on 10 August 2023
Réka Oláh. Image permission: Réka Oláh.
By Réka Oláh, Social Sciences BSc
When I envisioned my university years, I was well aware that they would not revolve around extravagant expenses, and that I would have to work to support myself. This made me a bit anxious, as university life often seems geared towards wealthier students who can afford things like lavish brunches, fancy bars or endless clubbing. But fear not! Even with limited funds, you can still have a fantastic experience in London, this truly wonderful and diverse city. Here’s how I made the most of my undergraduate years at IOE without breaking the bank:
Making money
While many (over)emphasise the importance of securing a summer internship for future career prospects, for some of us, a job is first and foremost a means to pay for our daily expenses. The good news is that there are numerous job opportunities available for students in London. Websites like Student Job UK are great for finding part-time work you can fit around your studies. What is, in my opinion, even smarter is regularly checking UCL Careers vacancies and subscribing to their newsletter for opportunities – trust me, it’s a total game-changer! Another invaluable resource is the UCL Job Shop website, where you can find several on-campus jobs with better pay compared to many external ones. Top tip: get involved with the Students’ Union or other university roles as soon as you can! Working in these roles can help you become part of an awesome community and unlock further job opportunities that often stay within these circles. Most of these jobs are on campus, making them super convenient to juggle alongside your studies. Plus, roles like Welcome Ambassador or Transition Mentor also allow you to immerse yourself more in UCL and/or your department.
When a girl makes a choice…
By IOE Blog Editor, on 27 July 2023
The title page of the gamebook. Image permission: Wendy Wen, Yifan Chen, Yiwei Lu and Yiping Tang.
By Wendy Wen, Yifan Chen, Yiwei Lu and Yiping Tang, Education Studies BA
*From the 2024/2025 academic year onwards, the Education Studies BA has been renamed the Education, Society and Culture BA.
As part of our assessment in one second-year Education Studies BA module (EDPS0253: Children in Society: Anthropological, Historical and Sociological Perspectives), we created a gamebook. We were given the opportunity to produce engaging materials to show children an underrepresented aspect of their lives.
In the module, we learnt to challenge assumptions about childhood based on our own historically-situated and culturally-constituted ideologies, and we truly got to see how childhoods are wrongly universalised – not from a bird’s eye view – but from a perspective that constructs childhood ‘from below’. Such spirit inspired us to make this gamebook, which explores underrepresented gendered aspects of children’s lives.
Have you ever noticed that girls are often restrictedly described as ‘quiet’ and ‘obedient’, or have you ever had a strange feeling when someone says, ‘girls are just like that’? Do you recall from childhood that your parents made decisions for you without consultation beforehand? Our gamebook about a girl’s experience may lead you to think about these questions and the essence of a girl’s decision.
Intercultural studies’ role in the quest for a place to belong
By IOE Blog Editor, on 6 July 2023
A photo of Aziz. Image permission: Aziz Bin Arsyad.
by Abdul Aziz Bin Arsyad (MPhil/PhD candidate)
When Professor Jeff Bezemer (Head of IOE’s Department of Culture, Communication and Media) delivered his welcome speech at an event marking the revival of the International Centre of Intercultural Studies (ICIS), he posed a straightforward yet significant question: “why do we still need a research centre that looks into intercultural studies?”
To respond to the question with a single answer would be reductive. But during the event on 8 March 2023, distinguished and experienced speakers from various fields of intercultural studies shared their insights. From a translation and dubbing project with Netflix to redefining intercultural competence for neurodiverse individuals, and poetry writing with refugees, a common thread ran through each presentation: a quest for a place to belong.
Intercultural studies and belonging
In his presentation, Professor Adam Komisarof asked the audience to think about the place of belonging in an intercultural world. For him, belonging is ‘personal involvement in a system or environment so that persons feel themselves to be an integral part of that system or environment’. Yet the question remains: how do intercultural studies help people find a place to belong?
One way to achieve it, as was evident in the inspiring work presented by intercultural studies scholars during the event, was the unyielding pursuit to redefine our places of belonging and the ongoing process of reimagining the role of culture in society, education and communication. This includes reconceptualising the notion of culture, language and learning, rethinking communication beyond human-human interaction and understanding the place of languages in fostering one’s sense of identity and belonging. Read the rest of this entry »
‘What are the Social Sciences?’: Exploring something new from an interdisciplinary perspective
By IOE Blog Editor, on 29 June 2023
Image credit: Mat Wright for UCL IOE.
By Ziqi Huang, Social Sciences BSc (class of 2023)
The Social Sciences BSc programme appeared as something similar to Sociology three years ago, when I was applying for my undergraduate study. It was a while after I began my study at IOE when it occurred to me that this title often seems strange to others. As I was discussing my future plans with a senior student one day, she commented in surprise, ‘You study Social Sciences? What programme is that?’
I tried to explain that it was close to Sociology. ‘But it is not Sociology, right? It sounds like your modules include a lot more than Sociology, and it’s a bit… confusing.’
She was not wrong. As Social Sciences BSc students, we had the opportunity to choose from a variety of modules that wouldn’t appear in a Sociology programme. I learned Psychology, Social Psychology, Anthropology, game theories, and even a bit of Criminology. It would be difficult for a Social Sciences student to summarise what they have learned over the years in one word. Surely, some see it as a disadvantage, as it feels like the programme has no clear focus and is therefore, ‘confusing’.
At the time, I felt more or less disturbed by this idea – that my programme was too broad and not focused enough. The turning point emerged this year, as I started to work on my undergraduate dissertation. Read the rest of this entry »
Fear and amazement: Writing a queer history dissertation
By IOE Blog Editor, on 23 June 2023
Molly giving a tour. Image permission: Molly Edwards.
By Molly Edwards, Education Studies BA
*From the 2024/2025 academic year onwards, the Education Studies BA has been renamed the Education, Society and Culture BA.
I realised over the past year that a lot of my academic outputs have involved me holding my breath, either out of amazement or fear. In the two blog posts I wrote for the UCL Student’s Union last September, I reflected on my Education, Practice and Society Research Fellowship, which involved researching the queer history of UCL under the supervision of Professor Georgina Brewis as a small part of her Generation UCL project. In my first post, I discussed my amazement of the UCL Special Collections archive. In my second post, I noted my fears of sharing my queer history tour of UCL with historians.
After my experience with the archives and my plea to others to research them further to create a more comprehensive queer history, I was drawn to write my dissertation on UCL’s queer history. This is not because I was fully confident in my abilities (hence my prior plea), but because I know the importance of this history from my personal experience. While writing the rationale for this, I realised that others felt the importance of this history in creating community and belonging. However, I was still worried that I would not be able to accurately represent the history, even after I had narrowed the time frame down to the 1970s. An added pressure was that I also decided to include the history of LSE, so my topic became, ‘Queer student political and social organization at University College London and London School of Economics from 1970 to 1979.’ I found the only way to resolve my worries about representation was to draw on the lessons of established queer scholars and continually question my motives for writing this history. I had to do this before I could begin to accept that I could be the right person to approach my topic. Read the rest of this entry »
Make the most out of UCL: My EPSURF fellowship experience
By IOE Blog Editor, on 15 May 2023
By Jianuo Vivian Yang and Yuvin Lawela Kim, Education Studies BA*
*From the 2024/2025 academic year onwards, the Education Studies BA has been renamed the Education, Society and Culture BA.
The Education, Practice and Society Undergraduate Research Fellowship (EPSURF) is a research opportunity for undergraduate students in the Department of Education, Practice and Society at IOE, UCL’s Faculty of Education and Society. It gives students the chance to collaborate with a member of academic staff on an ongoing research project that interests them. Read the rest of this entry »
Why go into teaching?
By IOE Blog Editor, on 5 May 2023
Image credit: Angelov via Adobe Stock.
By Johnny Farrar-Bell, History PGCE, class of 2023.
There was an article in a well-known magazine last September that, just for a moment, made me panic. ‘Why I’ve quit teaching’ was the headline. Not great timing. I’d just resigned from my secure civil service job in the Department of Transport to start a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) in secondary level History at IOE, UCL’s Faculty of Education and Society. My thoughts raced. Have I made a serious blunder? What if I’m not cut out for this teaching gig after all? Will I end up an emotional wreck and go crawling back to Whitehall? Read the rest of this entry »
My visit to William Tyndale Primary School: A dyslexia-friendly school
By IOE Blog Editor, on 28 April 2023
(Image source: Elisabeth Herbert).
By Eleni Kanta, Special and Inclusive Education (Specific Learning Difficulties) MA
The Special and Inclusive Education (Specific Learning Difficulties) MA at UCL is a must for all teachers who are keen to have a more in-depth knowledge of specific learning difficulties with a focus on Dyslexia. Dyslexia is a phenomenon teachers around the world come across often.
The sessions are delivered by specialists in the field of literacy difficulties, which makes the course rich in knowledge and gives an extra point-of-view. In addition to lectures, students attending this programme have the opportunity to attend a school visit at William Tyndale Primary School in Islington.
This was organised by UCL and our programme leader, Associate Professor Elisabeth Herbert. As this MA course encourages both international and home students to apply, the school visit was something particularly beneficial for international students, who had the chance to see how a “dyslexia-friendly school” works in the national context. Read the rest of this entry »
