As a first-year joining DEN, I felt scared in some aspects and excited in others. At the beginning of my first semester, I joined DEN to feel part of a community and enrich my university life. As the weeks went by, I found myself feeling more like a member by writing and reviewing blogs; eventually, I found...
Between 4 and 10 May 2026, the Democratic Education Network (DEN) brought together students from across our colleges at Westminster and from partner universities in Thailand, Poland and Uzbekistan, for a week of learning. The Summer School, themed Democratic Engagement in an International Context, was built around collaboration and peer learning. The programme included a...
This year was a year of firsts. Having joined DEN for the first time, I also had the privilege of attending the 9th Annual DEN Conference. Throughout the year, the conference had been spoken about with a quiet excitement, not only as an opportunity to present research to academics and fellow students, but as a...
Visiting Uzbekistan for a second time was a huge privilege and one I did not take for granted. It was such a brilliant opportunity to go back and visit my friends, whom I had missed dearly over the past year, so seeing and embracing them again was so surreal and amazing. This trip is memorable...
I attended and participated in the 9th Annual DEN International Student Conference on the 8th of May 2026 at the University of Westminster. The conference had a brilliant welcoming atmosphere, surrounded by students and academics from across the globe. It was great to see so many people gathered in one place to discuss and present...
This year was my first time attending DEN’s conference, as well as my first-ever time being on a panel and presenting my research to an audience of peers and academics. In my final year of university, I found the event a satisfying conclusion to my time at Westminster, a culmination of my three years studying...
Attending and presenting at the 9th DEN conference felt like the closing of a loop I had opened years ago and one of the most meaningful milestones of my academic journey. I first heard about DEN in 2018, when I was an undergraduate student in Politics and International Relations at Westminster. Farhang Morady was my...
I am a second-year Medical Sciences student. I recently had the opportunity to present at the DEN conference on a topic that has long remained in the background of my life: impostor syndrome, particularly in higher education. At sixteen, I struggled deeply with self-confidence. I was unhappy with myself academically, physically and emotionally. I often...
The DEN Conference, which took place on the 8th of May at Fyvie Hall on the Regent Street Campus of the University of Westminster, filled my heart with joy, hope, and inspiration. More than an academic event, it felt like a reminder that community spirit is still alive and remains the starting point for making...
My name is Afra, and I am a final-year Politics and International Relations student at the University of Westminster. This blog follows on from my last one, in which I wrote about the history of Uzbekistan and why I decided to travel there. The reason was to take part in the largest Model UN in...
Attending the 9th Annual DEN International Student Conference was a truly meaningful experience and a memorable way to conclude my final year at the University of Westminster. Looking back on the day, I feel incredibly grateful not only for the opportunity to present my own research but also for the chance to listen, collaborate, and...
The DEN Conference was an absolutely wonderful experience, and one of the highlights of my first year at university. I hope to keep attending in the years to come. What I valued most was the chance to meet likeminded people from beyond Westminster. I had a long conversation with a guest from Poland that continued...