Students Travel to India for Sustainable Development and Inclusive Policy Forum
The Global Youth Leadership Development Program provides a unique platform for global youth to gain a nuanced understanding of global affairs. The ultimate aim of the programme is to expose a diverse group of participants from around the world to the idea of leadership, which my fellow participants and I feel was successfully achieved during the pilot programme that was launched in India in March 2017 to meet the specific needs of the Global Youth Leaders.
This pilot programme brought together more than 25 delegates from 15 countries and involved daily participation in online seminars with professors and other experts, as well as face-to-face interactions at Delhi University, the International Institute of Foreign Trade - Delhi, Hotel Jutsa, Greater Kailash-1, as well as several corporate and manufacturing firms such as Hero Motorcorp Ltd.
This two-week experience has contributed immensely to my understanding and shaped my goals as far as sustainable development is concerned. It was fascinating to listen to some of the experiences of people from different parts of the world and to learn how certain legal and political aims concerning gender equality and human rights are being carried out.
Some of the important areas discussed during the programme included parliamentary proceedings, with Mr. Surinder Watts (Joint Secretary (Retd.), Parliament of India) explaining how the parliament of India works and how parliamentary questions play a role in making the voices from bottom of pyramid heard at the highest echelons.
In speaking about international law and trade among states and multinational organizations, Mr. Sarvpreet Singh, who has spent several years on the Supreme Court and High Court, addressed several cases of the International Court of Justice. We also heard from professors, economists, research assistants, and business consultants as the programme continued addressing global topics of importance such as public finance management, sustainable management, and the international business environment.
A highlight was hearing from one of the best foreign professors from the Higher School of Economics, who also happens to be a citizen of India – Senior Lecturer Sanjay Kumar Rajhans. He spoke about the concept of global governance and non-state actors over an interactive online section. Professor Sanjay handled this session with ease and professionalism as he does in our classroom back in Moscow, pulling practical examples and real life scenarios from both developed and developing countries.
After the trip, it became clear that this highly important programme can only help when it comes to creating lasting relationships that will enable similar programmes in the countries of other participants.
Prepared by Benjamin Odame, second-year student in the Political Analysis and Public Policy Master’s programme