The U8 is a student-led global university network. It provides a non-partisan platform for students to learn, share ideas and make a positive impact on the least developed parts of the world. We believe that students, engendered with a methodology for enquiry and informed action, are well-placed to make a difference in the world.
The U8 arena allows for sustained, unbounded discussion both online, through the website, and face-to-face at university, national and often international levels. By connecting students from around the globe the U8 increases their understanding of complex issues and their ability to reflect upon, appraise and challenge policy and practice. We aim to provide an impartial platform for critical thought and informed action.
Our long-term vision is a world of leaders and professionals who are aware of global issues; who act locally on global issues, who understand the global impact of local issues and who recognize the responsibilities that derive from our shared humanity.
The U8 derives its name from Millennium Development Goal 8 – to build a global partnership for development, and from comparison to the G8. Unlike the G8 the U8 it is not restricted to the richest countries but aims to include participants from around the world in a shared learning process.
Aims:
1. Shared Learning – to facilitate learning partnerships based on knowledge-exchange and joint-analysis of development issues.
● Groups of students conduct research into development issues. They are made up of members from around the world, to provide different perspectives on the topic in hand.
● Discussion forums on the central website and on campuses allow students to learn from each other and exchange their ideas freely.
● The website is a place where individuals can meet and engage in dialogue with peers from a different background with a completely different set of experiences and outlook on the topic in hand.
● Regional summits allow our members to meet face-to-face and engage with each other in workshops and at a flagship speaker event.
2. Promoting a Culture of Inclusion – To be completely inclusive to different levels of knowledge, cultural perspectives, and academic disciplines.
● We have an ever-increasing number of members from Africa, Asia, Australasia, Europe and North and South America.
● We provide tool kits and support to our members to assist the effectiveness of student contributions to development.
3. Engagement with Stakeholders and Policy Makers - To understand their objectives and practices. We work with professional organisations as equal partners to achieve shared objectives. We aim to provide students with opportunities to take part in policy discussions and deliver their own recommendations.
● Our members host speaker events from the private, public, and voluntary sectors.
● We publish peer-reviewed research and participate in policy consultations.
4. Promoting awareness and understanding of global development issues.
● Member universities organise speaker events, discussion forums and film screenings.
● We have an online resource section that provides links to research materials including articles, blogs and videos.
● We produce magazine publications that contain articles on development by students from around the world, as well as the outcomes of the student research teams.
