Lord Patel of Bradford OBE has addressed Queen Mary’s Global Leaders Summit where he shared his vision of what attributes are needed for future leadership.
Queen Mary’s Future Global Leaders Forum is a new programme enabling students to work and learn together on specific projects to build the skills, mindset and cultural agility needed in a global leader. The focus is on students taking leadership and driving positive change that impacts the university campus and local community, working in partnership with the Leaders in Community Project.
Queen Mary’s Global Engagement Strategy has six commitments to excellence covering research partnership, global policy impacts, alumni relations, education and industry. A very important further commitment to excellence is to provide students with the skills to be the next generation leaders. The Future Global Leaders Forum initiative has been developed and led by Dr Rosemary Clyne, Academic Lead for International Student Experience.
Speaking at the Global Leaders Summit showcase event, Professor Colin Grant, Vice-Principal (International), provided an introductory overview of the Forum, which in this inaugural year included more than 50 students from 20 countries across all three Queen Mary faculties. “Queen Mary’s Global Engagement Strategy aims to increase our global community of diverse talent,” said Professor Grant.
“Through this work we will continue to offer excellence in a global education and become world leaders in research, achieving impact by shaping policies internationally and addressing some of the most pressing issues of our time,” he added.
Lord Patel shared his own personal journey which saw him move to the UK from Kenya in 1961. Pointing out the challenges that leaders face today, he said: “It is sad to see that many of the current global leaders are failing to address issues.
“We need leaders who are prepared to speak passionately and to stand up for the rights of others.”
Lord Patel also said that he hopes his experience will inspire members of the Forum: “My journey stands for hope, making things better for everyone. Tackling injustice is something we must strive for. Change does not happen overnight but it does happen.
“My journey has been long, with ups and downs, but I have never doubted that it has been worth it,” he added.
After the opening remarks, students then presented their work to attendees. The interactive format, dubbed the Global Leaders Café, allowed groups to hear about the projects in a short space of time.
In total, 19 projects were undertaken on topics including improving campus safety to shining a spotlight on student volunteer work. At Leaders in Community, students worked on projects empowering local citizens and youth. Following the presentations, Lord Patel conferred certificates to Forum participants and awarded the project prizes.
Award-winning projects undertaken at Leaders in Community were:
Dr Rosemary Clyne said: “It was such a privilege to have Lord Patel address the students, inspiring them to lead by example and with values. The Global Leaders Summit was a very special event and we will build on these strong foundations going forward.”
To express your interest in collaborating with a small group of talented students, who can offer insights into a project relevant to your area, and find out more, please contact Dr Rosemary Clyne, Academic Lead rosemary.clyne@qmul.ac.uk by 26 September 2019.
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