5 things… to know about UCL Global Citizenship

Find out more about Global Citizenship at UCL and how you can get involved.

1 What does Global Citizenship mean?

Citizenship describes our responsibilities towards our community and those around us; global citizenship extends that responsibility in the context of a shrinking and ever more closely connected world.

As London’s global university, simply studying and working here fosters a sense of the wider world beyond Bloomsbury. Our student community is diverse and global: the smallest seminar room can contain students from across the world. In the same way, our location in London gives our students and staff the experience of living in not just a capital city, but a world city.

You can find out more about Global Citizenship at UCL in a recent edition of the Provost’s Perspective.

Global Citizenship was outlined further by Dr Tim Beasley-Murray – Academic Director, Global Citizenship in a Lunch Hour Lecture from earlier this year.

Find out more through the Global Citizenship website.

2 What does it mean for everyone at UCL?

The education we provide must take into account – and promote – the increasing importance of global citizenship and educate our students not just as experts in their disciplinary fields, but students who are global citizens, those who:

• look beyond their individual and local interests and see the complexity of an interconnected world

• understand the nature of the challenges that face that world

• are aware of their social, ethical and political responsibilities

• are ready to display leadership and work together to change the world for the better

• are able to solve problems through innovation and entrepreneurship

• prosper in a global jobs market that values the skills UCL provides

This is what we mean by education for global citizenship: studying at UCL equips our graduates to face the complex problems of the modern world. These are the principles that inform all that we do at UCL – from our commitment to student volunteering, the way we conduct ourselves as an organisation to the way we work with other institutions.

3 What is the Global Citizenship Programme?

This year’s Programme will see around 750 students taking part across 7 strands.

The two-week programme takes place after summer exams (this year, 1 –12 June 2015) and involves a hands-on mixture of team and project work, group presentations, lectures and workshops. The programme aims to challenge students from any discipline from start to finish by encouraging critical thinking. Students look at a range of topics and skills and put them in to practice – it’s an excellent opportunity to work out their strengths and areas for development so that they are better placed to go out in to the world as global citizens as well as graduates.

4 What is the future for Global Citizenship at UCL?

We are now beginning the process of developing the Education Strategy 2015-20. This is your opportunity to share your views on Global Citizenship and the wider education agenda.

One of the proposals being put forward is the introduction of a ‘core’ UCL first-year module, to be open to all students, with a number of possible ‘routes’ through the content. This would develop students’ critical thinking skills through a programme structured around the local and global implications of UCL’s founding principles and values.

The UCL Global Citizenship programme provides a model for this cross-institution approach and reflects our desire to ensure that the UCL education provides significant opportunities for students to experience collaborative, interdisciplinary learning outside their home discipline(s).

Find out more about the proposal and share your thoughts on what this might look like.

5 How can you get involved with Global Citizenship?

• UCL's Global Citizenship Project Grants scheme offers grants of up to £4,000 to UCL students to allow them to make a significant contribution to the wider community around them. Applications will be considered at any point during the academic year, subject to available funds.

• Follow UCL Global Citizenship on Twitter for the latest updates

• Share your views on Global Citizenship and the UCL core course through the Education strategy consultation – either online or at the Town Hall meeting on 1 June 2015.

• Sign-up to the Global Citizenship Programme e-newsletter for the latest updates throughout the year.