The Wales and Northern Ireland and South West Regional Networks held a seminar on 8 April 2016 at Cardiff University titled ‘Educating the people, engaging the nations’. Scholars came together with CSC staff at the seminar to discuss the following key questions:
- How have the careers of Scholars developed on completion of their scholarship in the UK?
- What challenges have Scholars faced on completion? What are the solutions to these challenges?
- What are the CSC’s expectations of the role of Scholars in their home countries on their return?
- To what extent are appreciable gains in knowledge and skills attained as a result of Commonwealth Scholarships and how are these put into practice in the workplace?
Scholars discussed the importance of engaging with other Scholars and the CSC both when on award and on return home, as well as taking the initiative to find solutions to problems. Many Scholars recognised that they face similar challenges and need not only to learn from each other, but also to apply the things they learn in order to make the change they and their countries need.
During the seminar, Scholars heard from Danielle McDougall, South West Regional Network Coordinator, who presented her experiences working in educational development in her home country of Trinidad. A final comment from a Scholar on the seminar was:
‘As Commonwealth Scholars we should be empowered to bring change, think more about it, and plan ahead.’
The Regional Network event ended with a tour around historic sites in Cardiff, including the National Museum Cardiff and Cardiff Castle. Pictures from the seminar and tour can be found on the CSC Flickr site. If you would like to get involved in events in your Regional Network, you can find out more and contact your Regional Network Coordinator by visiting the CSC Regional Networks page.
