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 all things related to global inequality, power, political change, education, AI, technology, the environment, the SDGs, student voice, media, society, sustainability, development and future economies.
I left the conference feeling accomplished and supported because I was able to present on my chosen topic ‘Education and Resistance: Women and Power in Afghanistan’. I felt that it was imperative to speak on women’s and girls’ lives in Afghanistan, considering the current lifestyle they’re living in under the Taliban regime for the past 5 years.
The one thing that stayed with me from the conference was the genuine respect and interest everyone showed for each other’s presentations and opinions. It showed me a different level of human understanding and tolerance for one another, considering we all come from different backgrounds, yet that did not stop or hinder us from making human connections and celebrating our similarities and differences.
By collaborating and listening to one another, I learned how important each topic is and how it can affect others without directly noticing it at first. I hope readers will take inspiration and drive to pursue the opportunities they can and never limit their educational journey. We should all always strive to learn – no matter how big or small the matter may be. Education is the most powerful tool anyone can have and use throughout their lives, and we need to make the most of it.
Being part of the 8th annual DEN book launch panel was also an extremely amazing honour, as I was alongside so many other excellent authors with whom I have worked closely in DEN over the past year. It’s a remarkable feeling to be able to contribute and get published in a book alongside so many other talented people and it just goes to show the incredible power and voice of students and how far it can go. I specifically did an interview for the book because I wanted to give more of a personal insight into my life, both personally and professionally, and to be proud of the piece I would publish for many years to come. I wanted to reflect on it and remember how incredibly important it is to share these kinds of stories with people from all kinds of backgrounds and to create a community through shared stories and testimonies.
Overall, the DEN Conference created a space for creativity, learning and for expressing what students and academics are passionate about and for recognising how incredibly interlinked we all are, whether we realise it at first or not. None of this would have been possible without Dr Farhang Morady, so I want to take this opportunity to say thank you. Thank you for being the best mentor I have ever had and continue to have. I can’t wait to see what other amazing opportunities you have in store for DEN, and I can’t wait to see how DEN flourishes in the upcoming years!
Negena Mahmoud
Army
that’s my cousin btw 😘😇