I’m finding myself on a ferry back from a hamlet with the impossible name of Rysjedalsvika, far up in the northern fjords of Norway. I’m feeling energised and my head is spinning with what has been an amazing weekend at UWC Red Cross Nordic in Flekke, following an equally amazing week of visiting 3 other UWCs — or United World Colleges — in Europe. This journey had me passing through 7 countries in 7 days, losing count of the number of planes, busses, cars, trains and boats I’ve taken, pulling my suitcase through potholes and puddles, running through airports to — just about — not miss connecting flights.
This is one thing that UWCs have in common: they mainly find themselves in the most remote corners of the world. From a castle on the Welsh cliffs of Llantwit Major, to a former monastery on the slopes of the Black Forest, to a once-besieged school in Mostar, Bosnia to a cluster of colourful wooden buildings around its own Fjord in Flekke, Norway — you really have to WANT to come here in order to actually get here. You don’t just accidentally find yourself strolling onto campus.
Another thing UWCs have in common is the fact that they bring together a unique, bright and global community of students from every part of the world for their final 2 years of IB, sharing and building experiences and stories that will shape their lives. It’s an environment that cultivates curiosity and critical thought, that fosters entrepreneurship and empowerment, and that nurtures kindness and creativity. I have a somewhat personal connection with UWC as, way back when I was a defiant Dutch teenager, I was convinced UWC was where I belonged, so went through a series of interviews which made it painfully clear to me that I certainly wasn’t the community-serving individual that deserved a spot. I utterly failed to get in, and found different ways to satiate my curiosity and gallivant around the world (and the rest, as they say, is history). To an extent, it’s exactly that gallivanting that eventually brought me back full circle when many years later I started visiting UWCs as a university rep, and since then have been taking great pleasure and pride in connecting with students around the world as they are contemplating next steps in their personal journeys.
Bringing ALU — the African Leadership University — to UWC this past week was amazing. I’ve marvelled in the synergies and shared values between our two communities. I’ve been embraced by students telling me that what ALU is doing is “the one thing that education needs — and from there we [the students] will change the world”. I’ve met with students from Portugal to Paraguay, from Eritrea to Ecuador, from the Netherlands to New Zealand. All of them with a shared passion to make a difference, to think out of the box, to become part of something bigger than themselves. To recognise that the world is changing rapidly and continuously, and is becoming more global. To understand the instrumental part that Africa plays in this, and to recognise the importance of an African lens in fostering global understanding. To critically question the traditional models of higher education and to realise that these may not be as relevant as they were centuries ago.
Choosing a university that feels right for you is a tough choice. So many options, so much to consider. And then there is the fear of making the “wrong” choice. I always say to students — there’s no such thing as a wrong decision. It’s what you do with the decision that counts. I am 100% convinced that whatever choice you make, you (as a student, an individual, a human being) have complete ownership of making the most of that choice. There’s no one path to get to where you want to go. There are many paths — some are more trodden and carved out than others. Joining ALU certainly means embarking on a path that has not been walked on by many people before you. You will be able to mould and shape that path as you go along, and eventually there will be many people — in years, decades and centuries to come — who will follow your footsteps.
