Exciting moments from UWC Day 2024

This year, the theme of the UWC Day was "Together We Change" and on 21 September, UWC Changshu China celebrated UWC Day 2024 with more than 30 diverse activities.

As a UWC Day tradition, students from 94 countries and regions put on their national costumes and celebrated the diversity of our community through beautiful songs, dancing, and a variety of activities. This celebration serves as a way to demonstrate taking action in pursuit of the UWC mission.

UWC Day represents a celebration of cultures and a spark for ideas, encouraging everyone to embrace exploration, step out of their comfort zones, and drive positive change.

In the morning, at the opening ceremony, Principal Simon Head delivered a speech on this year's UWC Day theme, and shared, "Before we can change the world, we must transform ourselves. And it doesn't happen in isolation—it happens through communication, through the conversations we have, and through the relationships we build." 

He encouraged students to reflect on the roles they play in this community and to ask themselves:"How can I make my conversations more meaningful? How can I see disagreements as an opportunity to learn rather than win? How can I approach differences with curiosity, rather than competition? How can I use communication to build bridges, not walls?"

Mark Jiapeng Wang, founder and Chair of the Board of UWC Changshu China, shared his remarkable story of how UWC changed his life after he survived an aircrash at 12, and got scholarship to study at UWC Red Cross Nordic at 17. He encouraged students not to underestimate their own powerand the power of friendship, inspiring them to bravely pursue change.

Reem from Lebanon, Class of 2018, returned to UWC Changshu on UWC Day to share her journey. When asked about how to be a changemaker, she said she is still figuring it out, but offered her reflections on the journey.

She said:"I strive to set goals based on what resonates with me, I strive to achieve those goals, anticipating challenges along the way, I find sustainable solutions to the problems I'm facing, and I strive to be patient, because I know that it always takes longer than I think. I also remind myself of inspiring stories and I remind myself that I can do it too."

Wenwei Lu, economics teacher at UWC Changshu China since 2017 shared his personal journey of transformation, similar to many students who began their educational journey on an island far from home. He spoke about his struggles with having low self-esteem and suffering from loneliness. Through the kindness of others and willingness to engage, he transformed by opening his heart and became brave enough to embrace himself and extend kindness to other people around him. 

He encouraged students:"You can make yourself proud by opening the door of the cage that locks you away from the community. Open your heart and let new experiences flood in. You will uncover endless possibilities of yourself and in turn, find the connections that give you the power when ordinary dots connect with each other like your friends, they can also move the world towards a better future, because the world is comprised of ordinary people like us. "

Student sharing Zoe、Anamika、Antek 

Three students shared their experiences from different perspectives, discussing what change means to them. 

DP2 student Antek from Poland revealed that he used to think change had to come from big roles, but his time at UWC Changshu made him realize you don't need an impressive title to make a difference. "Change starts small but it grows with every action we take."

DP1 student Zoe from China recounted her experience in a bird conservation project, where she felt the power of change through action when they successfully put anti-bird collision stickers on campus. 

DP2 student Anamika, who is originally from India but grew up in the UAE, reflected on her fears about change, and that UWC Changshu empowers students to take the initiative and become changemakers. "Change is woven into every step we take as members of this global community fostered by UWC."

Community members also organized and participated in a range of workshops and activities that reflected this year's UWC Day theme.

The panel discussion on UWC Day centered on the theme of "How Education can Transform lives, Communities and Global Opportunities for a Better Future". The speakers included Siri Holmebakk, Vice Secretary General of Shanghai Huji Foundation, who shared her experiences in early childhood education in Yunnan; Wesley Chiu, Board Director of UWC Changshu China, who recounted stories from the 10 years of the Project Volunteer Online initiative; and Claudia, a DP2 student and leader of the 'Children of Stars', who is dedicated to caring for children with autism. They shared their challenges, hopes and their pursuit of promoting educational equality.

Students of the Robotics Zhi Xing organized a workshop "Reusing Broken Items Through CAD and 3D printing". The aim of the workshop was to equip participants with practical and innovative skills to design 3D print parts using Computer-Aided Design (CAD) software, enabling them to repair and extend the life of broken items rather than discarding them. 

DP1 student Qichen Zhuang from China said:"A key aspect of sustainability is reusing items and repurposing old or broken objects instead of throwing them away. Through the workshop, we hope to foster a mindset where innovation and technology are used to solve problems in a sustainable way."

At the workshop "The Potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI): Language and Cultural Preservation," the main discussion focused on exploring the intersection of AI with language and cultural preservation. The workshop began by outlining the utilitarian, ontological and aesthetic reasons for preserving languages before talking about topics ranging from AI's potential and limits to the evolution of languages. 

Giulio, a DP2 student from Australia and one of the event organizers, shared, "Regarding my own experiences with various languages and the effects of language loss and reclamation, I drew from my work with different Indigenous Australian groups, most prominently the Barngarla people. I wanted to provide participants who are from more than 10 countries with firsthand perspectives on the importance of this task. Our aim was to raise awareness about the significance of linguistic diversity and to critically analyze the ethical implications of AI."

The ARDEI (Anti-Racism, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) committee held its first panel discussion of the year to explore how to engage in difficult conversations within our diverse community. Panelists and audience members shared their experiences navigating controversial topics such as war, conflict, religion, and race. 

Sara from Iran and Lulwa from Lebanon, DP2 student leaders of ARDEI, stated:"We aimed to address the highlights and challenges of having tough conversations in a diverse setting. The discussion allowed participants to express their emotions and think critically about these topics. We found it rewarding to see teachers and students equally share their stories from different perspectives. We look forward to hosting more workshops like this in the future."

The Global Cafe event was centered around the theme of UWC Day and featured eight roundtable discussions. The topics included "The Global Impact of Brain Drain," "Bridging Differences: Understanding the Diverse Faces of Discrimination," "Reimagining Strategies for Effective UN Peacekeeping," "Is Religion a Source of Division or Unity?" and "Assimilation VS Integration Across The Globe." 

Callista, an organizer from France, said, "On UWC Day, whether the topic was prone to perspective-sharing or narrative-recounting, we witnessed so much understanding, critical thinking and enthusiasm. Bonds were formed and learnings were absorbed. This was as rewarding as it was heart-warming."

In addition to the rich exchange of diverse thoughts and perspectives, UWC Day featured an impressive array of talented performances by students from Asia, Africa, the Arab world, Europe, and Latin America. 

Workshops included climbing, Chinese sword performance, lion dancing, magic, pottery, hip-hop, yoga, pasta making, and African dance, along with events like the Human Library, Ultimate Frisbee World Cup and mural creation. 

These activities showcased the students' diverse passions and talents while fostering cultural exchange and understanding. Most of the events for UWC Day were meticulously planned and organized by the students themselves.

Chinese sword performance

Pasta Making

Lion Dance Workshop

Africa Dance Workshop

Ultimate Frisbee

Ceramics Workshop

Art Mural

Day opening ceremony, "Reflecting on the countless beautiful cultures thatsurround us, it is the commitment and collaboration that truly define our journey here. Every flag, every student, every story reminds us that our differences are not divides, but strengths. They teach us how we learn from each other, how we grow, and ultimately how we create lasting change together.