This is the second student interview in our series, reflecting on last year’s experiences and offering guidance for first-year students. To enhance student representation and foster community across the University and DEN, we’re interviewing second and third-year students whose stories share insights to ease peers’ integration. We hope this initiative gives you clear guidance and...
Author: Insidewestminsterblog
Student Voices – Looking Back
To enhance student representation and foster a sense of community within the University and DEN, we are conducting interviews with second and third-year students. The stories we gather will reflect their insights and experiences, helping to ease the integration process for their peers. This initiative aims to provide personalised guidance for all students, equipping them...
From Comfortable Stranger to Inspired Explorer: A Transformative Journey Through New York
Reflecting and looking back on the New Trip, I honestly can’t believe all the stuff we managed to do in such a short time. It was a trip where you learnt so much without realising it at first, and now, having the chance to look back, it was truly an unforgettable experience. My initial thought...
Alumni Voices: Mistee Barrett on Resilience, Belonging, and Reimagining Education
As part of our Alumni Voices series, we sat down with Mistee Barrett, who recently completed her BA in Politics and International Relations at the University of Westminster. This marks the second interview in our series with former students, highlighting the journeys of those who have shaped the Democratic Education Network (DEN) through their leadership,...
Reflections on the New York Field Trip
The DEN-organized field trip to New York delivered an enriching experience that combined academic knowledge with cultural discovery and friendships during 14–18 May 2025. My five-day visit allowed me to visit several prominent city landmarks together with world-class institutions alongside global networks in New York. The experience deepened my knowledge about New York’s development into...
New York City: A Global Hub of Juxtaposition
Never in my life did I imagine I would one day travel to New York because of my involvement in a university society. When I first told my family about the trip, they were incredibly hesitant and insisted I couldn’t go. But I was persistent—and after showing them my visa and flight tickets, they had...
A Journey of Discovery in New York City
The five-day field trip to New York City from May 14th through May 19th created experiences that I will always remember. Through Professor Farhang Morady, this academic trip evolved into both personal development and cultural exploration, creating enduring memories. The group members displayed clear excitement while standing at Heathrow Terminal 5. I enjoyed a chicken...
Reflections on My Unforgettable New York Experience
A passion project months in the making, our trip to the UN Headquarters in New York was an incredible experience for everyone involved. The morning of our departure was filled with suspense and anticipation. Once we landed and cleared border control, it finally hit us—we had made it to New York City. Bustling with life...
From Expectation to Experience: Reflecting on New York with DEN
Before this trip, I had imagined New York as a place where everything felt bigger, bolder, more alive, acinematic city of endless opportunities. Having lived in London for three years, I was curious to see how the two would compare. And while New York did feel overwhelmingly vast, I also found somethingunexpectedly familiar in it:...
DEN Field Trip to New York City – Reflection
So it is over.The trip I was looking forward to for months. The trip I was planning since January. The trip thatI was worried about for many different reasons. And the trip that seemed surreal just a few daysbefore.As I am writing this blog, in which I want to reflect on the whole experience and...
DEN Conference: A Reflective blog
This month, I took part in the Summer School and honestly, it was one of the most rewarding weeks I’ve had in a while. A lot happened in just a few days, from commemorating Victory over Japan Day to showing international students around London and ending the week with the launch of DEN’s latest book...
Bridging Cultures , Building Futures: Reflections on the Eight DEN Conference
I had a formal academic event in mind when I went to the Eight DEN International Student Conference, complete with panels, lectures, and organised networking. But what I found was something much more significant. I felt a part of something human, democratic, and transforming from the first session when students from countries like Vietnam, Thailand...
