A WIUT graduate on flying 5,275 km to the 6th DEN Conference in London, and what surprised her when she got there
Munira Zakirova, BSc graduate, Westminster International University in Tashkent (WIUT), Class of 2023, Uzbekistan
Part of the Inside Westminster anniversary series marking ten years of the Democratic Education Network.
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How did you first come into contact with DEN?
In 2022, I was part of a group of volunteers who hosted students visiting Tashkent from the University of Westminster in London. A year later, we were invited to an exchange programme that allowed us to attend a DEN conference in London.
Which DEN activities have you taken part in?
I have participated in one: the Sixth Annual DEN International Student Conference, Sustainable Development in a Diverse and Unequal World: Actions Speak Louder Than Words?.
Was there a moment at DEN that has stayed with you?
It was striking to see how many students participating in the DEN conference questioned international power structures, politics, laws, and capitalism. They followed a philosophical approach to shake what is perceived as conventional.
In a similar conference in Uzbekistan, you will see a different approach: an action-seeking approach for local problems, where students propose a strategy for sustainable development, for climate change action, for job creation, and so on. It is an approach aligned with the existing policies of the country. With the same conference title, our students would frame the world as unequal in economic terms. The presentations of the London DEN students focused on inequality in political terms.
I will leave it to you to judge which is better, if either. But I can say one thing for sure: there was a difference in thinking.
What aspects of DEN have had the biggest impact on you?
I was surprised to see so many students holding what seemed to me a depressed opinion about the world we live in.
How has DEN helped you develop personally?
I have learned the importance of questioning the conventional once in a while.
Has DEN helped you with employability or professional development?
I have included a line about my participation in DEN on my CV. I hope it was helpful.
What is one thing DEN has given you that you would have struggled to find elsewhere?
Networking with students studying in the UK.
What advice would you give to students thinking of joining?
Be brave and daring.
What would you say to a colleague at another university?
DEN is a conference that allows students to express their voices, to think critically, and to connect with like-minded people.
Should DEN do anything differently in the next decade?
Open calls for international partner institutions. For example, the conference call could include a single spot for students from Westminster International University in Tashkent, so that students from Uzbekistan could also submit their papers and be selected on a competitive basis.
Anything else you would like us to know?
Thank you for the opportunity.
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Photo caption: A group of students from Uzbekistan who flew 5,275 km to participate in the 6th DEN Conference.
