UGlobe student council organizes Global Challenges Week
The Global Challenges Week was initiated and organised by the UGlobe student council (involving the student organisations ACHN, SIB Utrecht, CS Ubuntu, and 贰颁鲍鈥92) in collaboration with various researchers and faculty departments of Utrecht 木瓜福利影视. Furthermore, it involved the UGlobe flagship projects Contesting Governance and Open Cities as well as political actors and NGOs.
The Global Challenges week began with an event of the study organization raising awareness regarding human trafficking. It formed part of a broader global campaign called 鈥淵oga Stops Traffick鈥.
The next day, an online seminar was organized by the Contesting Governance group with the topic 鈥淩eceiving Ukrainian refugees: Political Discourse in Central Europe鈥. It involved a discussion with regional experts, critically reflectingon the political narrative surrounding the reception of migrants from Ukraine in Central Europe. Furthermore, an online panel discussion by UU鈥檚 Public International Law and Human Rights Legal Clinic and Human Rights Watchdealt with Poland鈥檚 backslide on LGBT rights by establishing 鈥淟GBT-free zones鈥. It involved speakers from Human Rights Watch, the Committee of Equality and Non-Discrimination at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, and a former advisor at the Office for the Polish Commissioner of Human Rights.
On Wednesday, a symposium regarding the realities of algorithmic defense took place, organized by IRW鈥檚 Prototype Warfare project in collaboration with the Advisory Council on International Affairs. Involving experts and practitioners, it discussed the current state of the development of operational autonomy in military technology systems. Moreover, The Open City Network in collaboration with the student organisations ACHN and SIB Utrecht held a workshop on sustainability in cities and reaching out to the Global South. This workshop presented arecent research-led teaching initiative, involving students from the Faculties of Geosciences, Social Sciences and the Humanities, named 鈥淭he Lives of Deltas: a Research Exchange on Sustainability and the Imaginary鈥.
On Thursday, a panel discussion with the topic of 鈥淚ntegrating Policy and Practice: The Case of Migration鈥漺as organised by theSchool of Economics鈥 Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Taskforce 鈥(USE-EDI) andStudy Association . The event, moderated by UGlobe鈥檚 director Joost de Laat, introduced policies surrounding the inclusion and integration of migrants from the perspective of researchers and practitioners, and to engage in a constructive conversation towards pathways for the future. The Global Challenges Week ended with a borrel at Janskerkhof.
We are looking back at a week filled with inspiring speakers, discussions regarding relevant and urgent global challenges, and awareness-raising events which can hopefully contribute to addressing those global challenges.