July 9, 2014

Young leaders travel to Glasgow for youth leadership conference

Six UOW students chosen to help tackle climate change at Commonwealth conference.

A handful of UOW students will travel to Glasgow to help tackle one highly topical question: ‘What role does the youth of the Commonwealth need to play in progress toward low-carbon economies'?

The six students are among 100 18- to 25-year-olds from over 30 different nations and territories who have been invited to join the 33Fifty Commonwealth Youth Leadership Programme in Glasgow and Edinburgh, which forms part of the Legacy 2014 national programmes ahead of the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

Marlee Silva, 18, is in her first year of a double degree of journalism and creative arts. She is a self-described, “get up and go” sort of person and says she didn’t hesitate before applying for a spot at this year’s conference in Scotland.

“I'll try anything like this and to me, passing up an experience like this is unthinkable. There's not much more exciting to me than a collection of young minds full of passion and ideas coming together to discuss something that could potentially make a genuine difference in the world,” Marlee said.

Twenty-three-year-old Arush Kumarage from Sri Lanka is soon to complete his Master of Science with a focus on logistics at UOW and dreams of using his knowledge and skills to benefit others far and wide, particularly in his home country.

“My life goal is to create a group of companies and organisations that aspire toward my two broad life dreams: sustainable supply chain management and poverty alleviation and economic empowerment.”

The 33Fifty conference, Arush says, will provide insight into how other youth leaders are creating change throughout the Commonwealth and will be a platform for him to connect with like-minded people and launch himself into bigger and better things.

Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education) Professor Eeva Leinonen said: “This is a unique opportunity and is something that will not only give lasting memories of an exciting trip, but also develop our students' understanding of other cultures, their team working and leadership skills as well as ambassadorial capabilities.”

“Opportunities like this give students life experiences which are highly valued by employers and broader society. This is education at its best, bringing real world experience together with university learning.”

The 33Fifty conference, delivered by the Royal Commonwealth Society and Common Purpose, will take place from 17 - 20 July. More than 900 young adults applied for a spot at the conference.

Media contact: Jacqueline Wales, Media and PR Officer, +61 2 4221 4582 or email jwales@uow.edu.au.