While attending a regular Wednesday DEN meeting a few months ago, I remember Farhang briefly mentioning the upcoming DEN conference. At the time, all he wanted was some volunteers to present, and without much thought, I gingerly raised my hand. Fast forward to today; as I reflect on last week’s DEN conference, I am delighted I volunteered all those months ago.
DEN hosts its international conference annually, and although I’m in my third year at Westminster, this was my first time attending and presenting at the conference. Since the conference was scheduled for the week after my dissertation deadline, I needed more time to consider and prepare for it. So, naturally, I presented my dissertation topic and quickly went about creating a slideshow to accompany my 10-minute presentation.
I will never forget the exhilarating experience of standing in front of an audience comprising both the public and my peers, presenting what amounts to the most complex academic research I have ever undertaken. Despite slightly exceeding the allotted time, my presentation went flawlessly, thanks to the supportive and collaborative atmosphere fostered by DEN.
In addition to my presentation, I had the opportunity to witness numerous other students from DEN, Westminster, and other UK universities, as well as students from Thailand and Uzbekistan, sharing their ideas. This enabled me to exchange thoughts with my friends and classmates and an international audience with diverse viewpoints, opinions, and understandings.
One particularly proud moment for me and my friends was witnessing the official launch of the DEN 2022 book, which I had co-authored and published alongside my colleagues from DEN and Hanoi University. It allowed us to showcase our collective academic capabilities to the world. While my time at Westminster is ending, this is just the beginning of my journey with DEN. I plan to attend next year’s annual conference to meet new students, explore new ideas and perspectives, and expand my academic horizons.
Lucas Iacuzzi