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 writing this blog two days before my departure to Thailand. I’m thrilled to embark on this trip, as I’ve never been this far from home, and I’m eager to explore the city of Bangkok. I imagine this trip to be very exciting and educational, as I’m going to be socialising with the Thai...
The field trip I’ve been researching and discussing all semester is finally just around the corner: Bangkok, Thailand. Having previously ventured to South Asia, I’m eager to witness the cultural shift as we continue east. My expectations are currently shaped by what I know of the region, which is humidity beyond belief, which usually turns...
Going to Thailand for the second time in the same year feels like stepping into a dream I never thought I would experience. Back in April 2025, I was sitting in my hotel room in Bangkok, still reeling from the thrill of being in a completely new environment, when an unexpected email arrived from my...
Before this upcoming trip, I have never travelled to Thailand; I have never actually been to Asia before, let alone South East Asia. The furthest I had travelled was to East Africa, where my family is from. Everything I know about Thailand, particularly Bangkok, comes from anecdotes shared by friends who have been fortunate enough...
Preparing for this field trip has me thinking a lot about what this experience will bring. Travelling to Thailand will be a first for me, from the culture to the food and the pace of life, I am eager to try it all. All of this will feel both unfamiliar and exciting. I’ve only seen...
I have never been to Thailand before, but as the departure date draws closer, the idea of the journey begins to glow in my mind like a distant lantern. I imagine a place unlike anywhere I have seen—a world warmer, brighter, and richer in colour than cold December London. Somewhere beyond the long flight, I...
As the Thailand field trip gets closer, I find myself trying to picture what the experience will be like. I’ve never visited Thailand before, so my expectations are based on things I’ve read, watched, or heard from others. I know these impressions will never perfectly match reality, but they still shape how I feel at...
I am writing this blog on Tuesday, 2 December 2025, one full day before my departure, and I am feeling both excited and slightly worried about my trip to Thailand. I have travelled to many places and have branched out in practically every direction, both within and away from Europe. I have also travelled east,...
Having returned from our trip to Turkey, I feel like I have a much deeper and more personal understanding of the country. I anticipated gaining knowledge, but the experience exceeded all my expectations. I experienced moments that truly astonished me, particularly the sensation of moving from one continent to another in just a few minutes....
This trip to Turkey has been an immense pleasure. We were fortunate to be in the presence of various academics and student representatives who shared their presentations, further deepening our understanding of Turkey’s development model and beautifully uniting and building upon every lecture and reading we have covered in this module. This trip allowed us...
Over the last week, I embarked on a journey with my classmates to Istanbul, the city known as the meeting point between Europe and Asia, not only in a literal geographic sense, but also through its rich culture, vibrant politics, and storied history. Istanbul is a unique city because it seamlessly blends the legacies of...
After spending five days and four nights in Istanbul, Turkey, my perspective on the country has undergone a complete transformation. Before visiting, I only knew Turkey as a place rich in history and architecture, but being there allowed me to experience the culture, religion, and development of Turkish society in a much deeper way. On...