Partnership is the form DEN’s work has always taken. Across a decade, our students and staff have travelled to and welcomed colleagues from Westminster International University in Tashkent, Kasetsart University in Bangkok, Hanoi University, Istanbul University, and Further Education Colleges in London, building friendships that have produced joint conferences, jointly edited books, shared classroom projects and continuing conversations. These pages document the visits, exchanges and outreach activities that bring DEN’s network to life beyond the screen: trips to partner institutions led by students, hosting of international guests at Westminster, engagement with further education colleges across London, and the wider community work that grows from those relationships. Each visit returns something to the network: new ideas, new contributors, new questions for the next conference and the next volume. If you are an institution or community group interested in working with DEN, this is the place to start.
I am beyond thankful that I got to visit Uzbekistan with DEN. This trip was fulfilling, inspiring, and unforgettable in every possible way. I feel incredibly fortunate to have made lifelong friends not only in Uzbekistan, but within DEN too. The memories, conversations, laughter, and experiences are things I’ll carry with me forever. But before...
I was excited from the very start of the preparation process, both before and during the visa application. It was my first time applying for a visa on my own, and even though it might seem like a small thing, it felt like a real personal win. It taught me about responsibility and what it...
The day after completing my final university exam, I closed all the tabs on my laptop and swiftly made my way to the airport. I was ready to embark on a journey into the beating heart of the Silk Road – Uzbekistan. As soon as I stood in the queue for the check-in to Tashkent,...
Despite beginning my journey with quite high expectations of what may greet me upon my arrival, I was quickly shaken by just how incredible my experience was going to be. My Uzbek friends had made me aware of how hospitable the people are, and just how beautiful the country is, so I had anticipated some...
My trip to Uzbekistan was my first time travelling to Central Asia, and it has broadened my global outlook in ways I could not have anticipated. This opportunity, given to me by DEN, has been both deeply impactful and genuinely exciting, shaping not only my academic future but my personal growth in equal measure. But...
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...
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...
In the coming days, I will embark on yet another adventure with DEN and my DEN friends. My first trip with DEN took me to Thailand, and that journey was fascinating and life-changing. This time I will be travelling to UZBEKISTAN, and what a mind-blowing destination that is. A central Asian country with Mongolian, Turkish,...
As someone deeply drawn to exploration and connection, I have always found meaning in travelling – immersing myself in different cultures, meeting new people, and seeing the world through perspectives beyond my own. This upcoming trip to Uzbekistan feels especially exciting, as it will take me to a part of the world I have never...
In just a couple of days, fourteen members of DEN, including myself, will venture into a country whose history seems to be the epitome of the term ‘complex.’ Over the course of its 2500-year civilizational history, Uzbekistan has been part of ten major empires, including the Persian, Mongol, Timurid, and Russian Empires, leaving its culture...
On the 25th of April, alongside a few members of the Democratic Education Network, I shall be embarking on a voyage to Uzbekistan. I have always been intrigued by the opportunity to visit other countries, meet new people, embrace new cultures, and try cuisines I would otherwise never have encountered. As different as it may...
My name is Azaria, and I am currently in my second year at the University of Westminster, where I am studying Politics and International Relations. I moved from Ireland to London about two years ago for university, and it has been the most amazing experience of my life, where I have been able to meet new people, travel to new places and experience life in...