My name is Aoife Fortuna, and I am an exchange student from the United States. Having grown up in a small town in upstate New York and spent most of my college years in a smaller village in Ohio, coming to London was a dream come true for me. So far, city life has been an incredibly eye-opening experience, and I have found it to be both challenging and rewarding. Living in the fast-paced, diverse, and culturally rich landscape of London has taught me so much and enabled me to grow personally and professionally. Additionally, being in a classroom setting with professors with backgrounds different from my own has given me new perspectives on my field. As a political science student, I have enriched my perspectives on global issues through my international relations courses at the University of Westminster. Especially in politics and international relations, it is critical to develop a broad worldview and consider others’ perspectives. Travelling and meeting people with different life experiences and viewpoints is critical to being a well-informed global citizen. That is why I am extremely grateful for the incredible opportunity to travel to Uzbekistan and participate in the Tashkent International Model United Nations Conference. I have always dreamed of travelling to Central Asia, a part of the world which is unfamiliar to me, but very intriguing. Since being accepted by the conference, I have been researching the history and culture of Tashkent, and I am eager to learn more from the locals and our host institution. I have researched Uzbekistan’s political history, especially its post-Soviet development, which has deepened my academic interest in the country. This is a unique opportunity to engage with global perspectives in a region which is currently very foreign to me. Experiencing Uzbekistan firsthand will enrich my understanding of the world beyond textbooks, especially through dialogue with local and international peers. I look forward to debating policy, building cross-cultural connections, and gaining insight into Central Asian politics while contributing my own perspective to meaningful discussions. Opportunities such as this exemplify how participating in DEN can open doors for students and help us build cross-cultural connections. I hope that through this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, I am able to create meaningful relationships with academics from a diverse array of backgrounds, learn from their life experiences, and build my global perspective.
Aoife Fortuna