Vanderbilt will send five students to Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, for the Education Without Borders International Student Conference this February.
Along with 800 students from over 100 different countries, these students will attend workshops and discussions about global issues with international business and human rights leaders, Nobel Prize winners and influential government leaders.
“This is our first time to send a Vanderbilt delegation to EWB,” said Mark Dalhouse, director of the Office of Active Citizenship and Service. “The Vanderbilt International Office hopes to foster global citizenship by putting our best and brightest forward to make global connections for the university.”
The theme for this year’s conference, Innovative Solutions to Global Challenges, is designed to encourage analytical and creative thinking about international issues through several different division tracks.
“We hope that the conference’s focus on humanitarian assistance will allow our students to make global connections for Vanderbilt and bring (the connections) back by connecting with students from all over the world,” Dalhouse said.
Senior Stacy Tolos and Vanderbilt alumnus Jake Brewer are on the global executive planning board for EWB.
Since attending last year’s conference, they have been working hard to promote the conference and encourage Vanderbilt to sponsor student attendance at the event.
Senior Samantha Ansley, a civil engineering major, plans to participate in a track related to her interests, Harnessing Education and Technology to End Poverty.
“EWB is a great global community experience,” she said. “So many different cultures are coming together to talk about issues that affect everyone.”
Freshman Emani Davis said she is excited about the communications track of the conference, Media: A Tool for Social Impact.
“It’s such a unique opportunity to connect with such a large variety of people,” she said. “I’ve never been out of the country before, and I’m excited about the learning experience and the opportunity to effect change.”
Freshman Anna Elliott and sophomore Gustavo DePena will also attend the conference.
“I am enormously proud of these students,” Dalhouse said. “It brings me joy to be able to send such incredible rising young leaders to such an awesome experience.”
When the students return from Abu Dhabi, they plan to present their experiences to a freshman seminar and participate in World on Wednesdays, a discussion group sponsored by International Student & Scholar Services.
“Any time a student has the opportunity to go abroad, he or she comes back with a different perspective,” Dalhouse said. “When these students return and invest themselves back into campus, they will bring back better understandings about important issues and, we hope, the motivation to continue to spread awareness as they lead various organizations on Vanderbilt’s campus or start their own.”
