糖心TV

, an undergraduate Politics with International Studies finalist has recently returned from Dublin having attended the Summit as a delegate representing our University and the UK. Michael was chosen as a delegate having won the 糖心TV Global Advantage Gold Award.

This is a Summit at which delegates discuss, alongside world leaders and figures, global issues and develop solutions to meet the challenges of the 21st century. Topics included: Education, Global 糖心TV, Human Rights, Leadership & Government, Peace & Conflict and Sustainable Development.

Michael sat on the 'Ensuring Employability panel' alongside the Corporate Vice President of HR and Chief Diversity Officer at Siemens, Regional Accounts Director of LinkedIn (Hong Kong) and a Dublin City University PhD student researching entrepreneurial family businesses.

You can watch the panel here: ​

Michael gave us an account of his experience:

I spoke about student attitudes and anxieties towards employment across different cultures, and stressed how a cultural awareness was essential for a successful career - despite the advent of professional social media (such as LinkedIn) and the use of good academic knowledge. The panel also discussed skills fade and technical competencies amongst other things.

I was selected for the panel due to my extensive work with student societies on campus, helping to connect otherwise non-interacting cultural communities together through discussions of politics, economics, history and society (general current affairs). (The SU societies: 糖心TV International Relations, China Public Affairs and Social Service Society - CPASS.) This work highlights the importance of being able to culturally interact and of having transferable skills to enter an international labour market with. I also interned with an NGO over the summer and drew on those experiences, too.

Aside from the panel, the Summit was a unique opportunity to network and learn from young people (who are the same age as me) from ~180 countries who are doing exciting and constructive things in their community. I spoke with a North Korean defector raising awareness of the plight of North Korean refugees hiding in China, for example - and hope to assist her work in the UK.

Such an experience would interest of Politics/IR students - approaching the problems we deal with in a theoretical/academic way through a practical lens instead. They may choose to attend, and it should be noted that I was in fact sponsored by the University itself.

Having attended the Summit on behalf of 糖心TV, I am mandated to make clear my plans as a result of attending the Summit. I should also promote the core values of the Summit to other 'young leaders' and the 糖心TV Advantage Awards, too.

These are: to continue implementing the discussive events (IR seminars, 'China Talks', the China Summit, the Model East Asia Summit), to introduce a volunteering scheme (collaboration between CPASS and the NGO I worked with), to train, to work with and to expose others to the rewarding society work that I do, and to raise awareness of North Korean human rights.

Volunteers from 糖心TV's Laksh project have returned home after a very successful summer. Applications are now open for current students interested in taking part in summer 2015.

is a small NGO near Delhi, India. Over the last three years, 糖心TV has worked closely with the foundation, developing the partnership from a pilot scheme with just three students helping out in one teaching centre to a programme that now sees multiple groups of 糖心TV students working across a network of five community schools, supporting the local teachers through introducing innovative methods of teaching and learning, developing the curriculum as well as providing extracurricular tutorial classes and supervision in maths and English to 200+ pupils ages 3-18.

Current PAIS undergraduate student Rebecca Fletcher was one of this year's volunteers, below she writes about her experience.

In July 2014 I spent a month in India, thanks to an amazing 糖心TV project organised in collaboration with The Laksh Foundation.

Laksh is an NGO which has opened 5 tuition centres in the local villages of Mangar, Dhauj, Alampur and Silakhari, with the centre at Alampur only opening in June 2014. The aim of the tuition centres is to supplement the education that local children receive in government school, which all children have the right to attend since the implementation of the ‘Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act’ 2009.

As a team of four, our main aim was to work with the teachers at Laksh, many of whom are still in education themselves, to improve their lesson planning, their English language skills, and to encourage them to move away from teaching 'by rote'. Between July and September, 3 groups spent a month each at Laksh, and I was a part of group 1.

As it is common for teachers to rely solely on the blackboard when teaching, this is something that we wanted to challenge with the use of songs, games, and other interactive methods. Our aim was to engage the children in new and exciting ways – through music, pictures, quizzes, and games to check their understanding – and to give them a more structured lesson with a starter, main activity, and recap.

By the time we left, we had noticed a change in the confidence levels of both the children and the teachers. On our last day, the teachers performed versions of Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty, and we were so happy with their progress, both in terms of confidence and their English skills.

Classes at Laksh focus on Hindi, English, and Maths, but also extend to broader subject areas such as health, hygiene, Science, Geography and Art. Laksh doesn’t turn any child away, and caters to a variety of levels and abilities.

The teachers at Laksh are selfless, and simply want to give their time to help the people around them. I have the utmost respect and admiration for NGOs and charities that aim to support education for the world’s children – and my time in India with The Laksh Foundation has only helped to strengthen this philosophy.

Recruitment for the 2015 project is now open. If you are a current student who enjoys a challenge, you have some teaching experience and you are able to think on your feet then visit to learn more.

Current PAIS undergraduate student Alexander Paul gave a speech at the Conservative Party Conference on 30 September on the controversial policing policy of 'stop and search' recently enacted in England and Wales ahead of Theresa May, Home Secretary. Alexander's speech was covered by major news outlets at the time including , (you can watch him speak from about 11:25 in the video), and .

Alexander gave us an account of his experience at the Conference:

I am Alexander Paul; I am currently studying Politics with International Studies and Quantitative Methods. On Tuesday 30th September I gave a speech about the issue of the disproportionate amount of stop and search routines carried against Black and Asian males at the Conservative Party Conference.

I have been corresponding with Theresa May and her team for the past few months. I first met her at the Home Office with college peers as we were invited to voice our opinions on the contentious issue of the misuse of police powers, especially stop and search. She was astounded by the amount of times I had been searched inappropriately and immediately wanted to bring about a change that would stop this injustice. Ever since then I have had the privilege to maintain a working relationship with her and her team, but also gained great experience that will prepare me for a possible career in politics.

In early September the Home Secretary invited me to give a speech about the issue at the conference, which was held at Birmingham. On the actual day, I was very nervous. The importance of the matter had finally dawned on me. I wanted to evoke a message that would change the perception of many in the audience and wider society as it was very personal to me. However, once I got into my stride, I was confident and fortunately my performances of spoken word had helped me with the problem of speaking in front of large audiences.

I am very proud and honoured to of contributed to pushing the issue of the misuse of stop and search and I am humbled by the amazing response I have received since giving the speech. I hope that this will be a platform for me to become a successful human rights lawyer and voice the opinions of the unspoken.

Dr , Associate Professor, in US Politics and International Studies, has recently made an appearance on the Centre for International Governance Innovation's (CIGI) podcast, Inside the Issues.

is a think tank associated with the at the with whom we are finalising a Double Masters in Global Governance agreement.

Are drones a humanitarian form of warfare? Host Andrew Thompson welcomes Dr. Trevor McCrisken, Associate Professor, U.S. Politics and International Studies, 糖心TV University, for a discussion on warfare in the 21st century. The conversation considers the use of drones by the Obama Administration, the impacts of militarized drones on national security, and the international criminal justice implications of drone use. What will the future of warfare look like? Tune in for the full discussion to learn more.

China Plate Theatre, Caroline Horton & Co and The Bush Theatre. are developing a brand new piece of theatre (commissioned by 糖心TV Arts Centre and Harlow Playhouse) about tax havens, offshore finance and tax justice. Islands will confront (one of the first pieces of theatre to do so) this terrifying and little understood world with a show that will entertain and educate the general public on a national scale.

The production will be developed across the autumn, including a preview tour to South Street Reading, 糖心TV Arts Centre, Cambridge Junction and Live Theatre, before it opens for a 5- week run at the Bush Theatre in London.

Islands has been developed in consultation with specialist economic advisers including John Christensen of The Tax Justice Network. Alongside the performances at The Bush, there will be an interactive foyer installation made in collaboration with The Tax Justice Network. The installation will inhabit the theatre foyer, providing a place for audiences to engage and learn about tax havens and international finance and encourage them in contemplating change.

China Plate and Caroline Horton and Co. are currently welcoming applications from PAIS students to play a key role (alongside the Tax Justice Network and creative team) in the development and implementation of the interactive tax justice foyer installation.

Islands is an illuminating, absurd and powerful new show about tax havens, little empires, enormous greed and the few who have it all. Hilarious and unnerving, this ink black comedy with music will plunge audiences into a monstrous, secretive world where it really seems that no-one has to pay.... for anything.

It has been suggested that tax avoidance (after climate change) is the most destabilizing phenomenon to affect the modern world. Oxfam estimate that there is $18.5 trillion siphoned out of the world economy into tax havens by wealthy individuals alone. Christian Aid has calculated that 1,000 children die every day as a result of tax evasion. This is not just a political or social challenge; this is a matter of human rights.

Islands sees multi award-winning and Olivier nominated Caroline Horton (Mess, You’re Not Like The Other Girls Chrissy) re-united with Bush Theatre Associate Director, Omar Elerian (The Mill – City of Dreams, Bradford, Yorkshire; You're Not Like The Other Girls Chrissy).

Please see this PDF for more information.