Recently I had the pleasure of joining the DEN conference to listen to presentations from friends across the DEN community as well as to present my own research idea. This was my first time joining the conference, and I did not know what to expect, but I am happy to say that the day blew me away. What we all witnessed throughout the day was a display of passion from students who shared their own particular topics of interest and presented a factual and interesting array of social and political issues. It was a really enjoyable experience that allowed me to get an insight into the wide range of topics that were discussed throughout the day. The presentations opened the floor to interesting questions, which sparked fun conversations and debates. The concise delivery of each topic was a great way to cover the variety of subjects throughout the day, and I feel I learnt a lot about both the people presenting and about the topics themselves.
I thoroughly enjoyed being given the opportunity to discuss my own topic of interest. Having the platform and the time to share my potential research proposal for next year was an exciting way to start to bring my questions to life. I am still formulating the subject matter and the overarching question for this research project, that to try and condense the subject into a brief presentation gave me the space to really push myself to formulate the questions that I am trying to ask not only myself but also to try and tempt others to question themselves.
Not only was the DEN conference an insightful experience to learn from those around us, but it was also a really intellectually and socially enriching environment. The atmosphere was welcoming and comfortable, and although the day was a long day of presentations, the energy in the room was fantastic throughout the entire day. I really enjoyed the presentations that were given by external international students who were visiting for the week, as well as the presentations from the business college students who came in to share their own experiences in education and business.
All in all, the day was a fantastic display of passion and sharing. I am thankful to have been part of this day, and I look forward to participating in next year’s festival again!
Jake Beasley, University of Westminster