Articles

  *In this case haunt takes on its meaning as a pronoun: a place that is habitually frequented. by Mianyi…

“You should be so grateful for such an opportunity, you get to attend a UWC school!”
“UWC will be two years of awesomeness and self-discovery.”
“Think of it, no parents or family, in a strange country…girl..you’re going to vibe and have fun.”
A month later, no one told me I would feel like this….no one told me about the UWC SYNDROME!

We feel love, hate, and enumerated types of emotions, we are surrounded by people but what when we feel distant on a room full of noise and hearts?

Whether you admit it or not, we’ve all felt (and feel) dumb the moment we walked out of our first class in UWC. And the reason you signed up for all those conferences knowing fully well you have no time is because you want to feel not dumb.

Well so do I, nice to meet you. Do say hi when you see me.

“UWC uses education to unite people, nations, and cultures for peace and a sustainable future.”

“A world of responsibility hangs on the shoulders of the youth, the ‘changemakers’, while to old say ‘well, we’ve done our part’”

“One of you always goes first, but it’s hard being left behind.”

Summer of 2014. A younger version of myself who possessed a burning passion towards cricket. A fundamental element of culture, bringing international recognition and national pride to Bangladesh. The people that brought us this recognition were worshipped. Cricketers were idolised.

In Mexico, around 10 women are killed per day (INEGI, 2021). Protests and marches around the country happen multiple times a year. But, just when we think the government is going to take action and that people are more aware about the issue, another femicide happens, taking us back to where we started.

After noticing an unsettling trend on social media, I have come to the realization that the harmful unrealistic standards imposed on women’s bodies have not disappeared, but rather evolved.

This article arose from self-reflection upon the challenges that I have gone through in my time here. Now that I have moved past said challenges, I have realized that they were needless —and some even unacceptable coming from a UWC community. Thus, I decided to speak up and share some of the conclusions of my reflection. Before you continue reading, I want to state that this article is not intended to create controversy or resentment, but to be taken as an opener for an honest discussion. I know that we all can reflect and act to do better here, and in future communities where we will engage.

As of October of 2020, the government of Bangladesh approved an amendment that allows rapists to be charged with the death penalty. This sparked protests all over the country, renowned activists saying it was a hasty solution to a complex and deep-rooted problem, calling for a nationwide discussion on rape culture and gender-based violence. These discussions brought me to think about the time I found out what my childhood crush had been up these last couple years.

This year and this term have been difficult for me, and for many of my friends and classmates, as we navigate the storm that is the UWC experience, especially at the beginning of our second year. Join me for a short reflection on how we can get through to the other side in one piece, if somewhat different.

What we define as a massacre of human rights is the conflict escalating between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

An interview with a UWC Mostar alumna Valeria Kluitko who, after graduating from the University of Florida, came back to home country, Belarus, and is now living in Minsk. The city became an epicenter of the current political uprising against the “reelection” of Alexander Lukashenko, a Belorussian president who has not managed to let go of his undoubtedly much cherished position in 26 years.

It seems like the real danger of peer-pressure is failing to understand its definition, or more importantly, not contextualizing it in our community. If we do not recognize the multiple layers of peer-pressure at UWCM, we could completely miss its burning – and even overwhelming, presence on our campus.

Not Just a Hashtag is an article discussing the #ENDSARS movement; what it’s about, a young Nigerian’s thoughts about it, and what it means to the greater youth of Nigeria.

OTBxTFD is a collaboration between @overthrowbabylon and TFD that provides a platform for oppressed voices to speak on overlooked race issues within the UWC movement. This piece is about how racist encounters are handled by authorities. More often than not the victims take all the blame along with the trauma caused by the incident. What a heavy load to carry.

OTBxTFD is a collaboration between @overthrowbabylon and TFD that provides a platform for oppressed voices to speak on overlooked race issues within the UWC movement. Through this piece, Hayley systematically breaks down the frustrations universal to the black experience at both UWCs and the world at large.

OTBxTFD is a collaboration between @overthrowbabylon and TFD that provides a platform for oppressed voices to speak on overlooked race issues within the UWC movement. In this poem, Laure and Hayley walk us through their own frustration with a system the both ignores and heavily critiques black women like themselves.

OTBxTFD is a collaboration between @overthrowbabylon and TFD that provides a platform for oppressed voices to speak on overlooked race issues within the UWC movement. Jason and Joel explore and reflect upon their minority experience through a uniquely East Asian perspective on familial and personal expectations about merit.

OTBxTFD is a collaboration between @overthrowbabylon and TFD that provides a platform for oppressed voices to speak on overlooked race issues within the UWC movement. Sofi takes us on a journey of self discovery and understanding of her place in the discussion of race and colour in Latin America.

OTBxTFD is a collaboration between @overthrowbabylon and TFD that provides a platform for oppressed voices to speak on overlooked race issues within the UWC movement. In Edict of a Black Queen, Victoria exercises a power she expects to grow into and gives us her unabashed feelings on the BLM movement.

“It is much better than how it sounds”. Bengi feels lucky for being locked in UWC Mostar with friends, in a bigger building than her house. “Here, I’m empowered to organize things both in-person and online. I am trying to be proactive and inclusive and this place is still showing me new ways to do so.”

A very special goodbye to the DP2s that have held our hands through our first year, and a wish of luck on their journeys to come.

Juan Antonio Nelson is a Jamaican graduate of UWC SouthEast Asia and is currently studying at Luther College in Iowa, USA. He believes that it’s important for members of the UWC movement to show their support to movements like #blacklivesmatter as much they do on other global issues.

Estella is an 18 year old Norwegian/Tanzanian first year student at UWC Maastricht, and an illustrator in the Flying Dutchman. She believes the current #blacklivesmatter movement is succeeding in tackling the issue of police brutality, but wants to see more people having open discussions on the topic and actively taking action.

Studying in an empty room facing a vast horizon filled with apartment buildings, a UWC South East Asia student tells me about her life in Singapore. With around 70 or 80 students still on campus, life has become an interesting dynamic to reflect upon.

Looking back at her fondest memories of UWC Maastricht, Feyi Apampa reflects on how UWC helped her grow into the person she is today.

In light of the cancellation of graduation for the Class of 2020, Joel Phoon is reminiscing back to his abruptly ended time on campus and laying plans for his future.

Noah, DP2 residential student, is a proud member of the “Quaranteam”, self-designated group of now 55 remaining boarders at UWC Maastricht. In the first report of the series “UWC Locked: Life inside isolating campuses”, he tells how UWCM has looked like in the past weeks.

It would’ve been just another article on Facebook. I almost scrolled past. I scanned through the first paragraph, my thumb almost on the screen, but then I saw the name of my city. The place I grew up in. I felt sick- but why only after I’d seen that one word?

Facing a pandemic in the midst of our last moments in UWCM.

Do you feel that UWC is exclusive? Do we respect only one type of change-maker? A perspective on the dynamics of the UWCM community, to reflect on the interplay of different personalities.

Lia Quartapelle, member of the Italian Parliament in the Foreign and European Affairs Commission and UWC AC Alumna, helps us reflecting on the implications of being changemakers, especially when young and in politics. Lia was interviewed as she concluded a meeting with the Parliamentary committee of inquiry for the death of Giulio Regeni, Italian researcher and UWC USA Alumnus tortured and killed in Egypt in 2016. #truthforgiulioregeni

For the people thinking feminism hates men, people thinking violence has no gender: it isn’t just about good people VS bad people. It is indeed about women and their struggle to take over their own lives.

In the centre of Berlin, not far from Friedrichstraße Station, one can find a golden plaque stating “UWC International.” During a project week in Berlin, a delegation of UWC Maastricht students had the opportunity to visit the recently opened UWC International Office (UWC IO) in the German capital city.

In a busy world with endless things to do, it’s imperative to search for a greater purpose that fulfills us. To find it, we should take a look at where do we currently invest our time.

In Jamaica, our language is an undeniable part of our culture, a part for which we have become infamous around the globe. Where we do we draw the line between its recognition and its tokenism?

Emerging from the Great Depression and benefitting from the War Economy, New York had experienced unforetold growth and unmanageable stress.

From Homer’s poems to tourism in a globalised world: the evolution of hospitality, through the Caucasus and UWC.

Reasons why you should consider taking a gap year.

A welcome letter to whom it may correspond

“Stehind – stories behind the news – is a platform aimed at sharing authentic human experiences, in the belief that these have the power of shaping world societies to be more understandable and empathetic.” 

My first year’s toughest experience, and one of its best

Food as a union of people, nations and culture.

As one of the most discussed issues this year comes to an end, a recapitulation is done to track down the collaboration between Staff and Students to solve this issue

It is time for us to move on from all those things we do not like about our school, time for us to think and reflect upon the thought of what we want this place to be like for the years to come.

Free space for creative expression, counter-cultural place of resistance in Maastricht.

We are not the only one: exploring the insights of the Mandril, many parallelisms were seen between life and idealism in the free culture zone and at UWC.

With the constant weight of goodbyes, we would believe that the process of saying goodbye becomes much easier. However, with each goodbye we bid, it touches a different part of us like how every person we encounter affects us in various ways.

We should show our attachment and love to our country by acknowledging our departure and doing what is within our reach and beyond in order to soften the impact of our physical distance from home.

My gaze shifts and I stare out of the tiny window to my left, I see the sun slowly sinking beneath the clouds and I start to think about the country I left behind.

Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave” depicts the journey out of the cave in order to come face to face with our ignorance.

A Feminist play to the community, from the community.

What the community has to say about feminism

The answer to this ‘how’, I’d wager, can be found in his driving sense of purpose. Yes, ‘purpose’. An innocuous word, I know. Just two simple syllables. Yet right now, by which I mean today, aujourd’hui, hoy, vandaag, there is no single more important word in the English language.

On 8th March, International Women’s Day, students of UWCiM ”rose-filled” Mostar by marching for ”emancipation and empowerment of womxn regardless of their ethnic background”.

Are the complaints about the food quality in Mensa reasonable? The opinion of a teacher.

On the 7th of February students from the whole of the Netherlands gathered in the Haag to protest for a sustainable future. More than a hundred students from UWCM joined the protest.

Was the decision to object the talk justified?

Pendejo/a: (noun) Shameless or despicable person. S. coward, stupid, motherfucker.

From January 27th to February 1st of this year, sixteen UWC Maastricht students had the privilege to attend one of the largest Model United Nations conferences in the world. “The Hague Model United Nations” took place in The Hague, Netherlands for some five full days. Attendance numbered up to 3500 participants from all over the world, including UWC South East Asia (Dover Campus).

Reflecting on the Terror Attack in Nairobi, Kenya on the 15th of January 2019.

Although the events are revolving unreported, the consequences and the impact on the lives of refugees is immense. This article is dedicated to my younger brother.

In the United States, prescription painkillers like OxyContin have been excessively produced, advertised and prescribed across the nation. This has led to a sharp rise in the number of opioids, and subsequently, heroin deaths in the nation as addiction fuels drug abuse skyrockets. Communities have seen their youth dying at the hands of these drugs, but in 2018 27 states brought pharmaceutical giant Purdue Pharma to court with lawsuits in relation to false advertisement and the drugs’ deadly consequences.

In hopes that this letter will be a starting point of a wider, bottom-up conversation about the importance of community, collaboration, transparency and integrity.

Step by step, ndanke ndanke, we can eradicate micro-machism and appreciate the job that women do.

His plan was simple: get admitted, learn, earn.

We live in an era in which our information is all saved, stored and spread digitally. The slightest breach could break way to major upheavals of our personal data and secret lives. Our generation has grown blind to our online presence and image, and must begin to consider the privacy and security of our data from prying individuals and powerful corporations.

Having spent part of his childhood on the streets of the Philippines, Kesz Valdez talks the Flying Dutchman through his life-changing experience, his organization C3, winning the Children’s Peace Prize, and his life at UWC.

UWC Singapore student, Casper Øhlers, reflects on how the UWC values and mission are reflected in Dover campus and how to make the community better as a whole.

“You command the interest of the world when you can do common things in an uncommon way,” George Washington Carver.

We are fed news about the horrors of the world daily. Massacres, famines and environmental disasters seem to be endless, as the world seemingly spirals out of control. However, we are actually living in the most environmentally friendly, peaceful and equal era in human history and must not let the present’s seemingly dire situation blind us from continuing this upward trend.

Ilija Lichkovski, a member of the Student Council, writes about the changes they introduced in terms of communication, which would ensure productive and effective communication with the student body.

Li Po Chun UWC’s planned Belt and Road Centre allies the college with the Chinese Communist Party. The issue will be discussed at the UWC International’s Board and Council meetings at the end of October in UWC Dilijan Armenia.

The response of the development director at Li Po Chun United World College to the article “Li Po Chun United World College to Open Belt & Road Centre, Allying Itself with the Chinese Communist Party.”

The experience of a UWC-USA Student witnessing the humanitarian crisis at the US-Mexican desert border.

A poem by MUWCI student Gayatri Sharma about her experience in UWC.

A group of 6 UWC alumni took off to rural areas of Southern Belarus to promote the UWC movement among the local people, who are often underrepresented in the selections of the Belorussian National Committee.

With the European project at a crossroads, UWC students in Europe will have a role to play in the upcoming election of the European Parliament.

Poem by UWC-USA alumnus, Raul, talking about the experience at UWC.

After a reckless bus driver had run over a group of students, killing two and injuring nine, students went to the streets to protest for proper traffic laws which would ensure adequate traffic safety. The government responded by shutting down or slowing down mobile data services and political groups interfered with the peaceful protests, resulting in violent clashes.

According to the world wide web, the word Siba means “enthusiasm” or “youthfulness”, and, to me, it represents exactly that: The youthful escapism from academic obligations, a silent rebellion against mensa food, a time machine that lets us halt time in our fast-paced world, and one of the simplest forms of happiness in the midst of our over-complexified realities.

Shubhanshi Gaudani writes about the pre-UWC journey, how groups on social media helped to form a bond between the future co-years, and what her expectations for UWC are.

I wrote this poem through the eyes of an orphan who gets adopted; inspired by the story of my little brother whom I am infinitely thankful for.

Dadaism is not only an art movement. Dadaism is not only a response to war and its impact. Dadaism is a perspective and I’m going to talk about why it’s relevant (and to some extent necessary).

The 29th of June marked the beginning of the first ever cross UWC Sailing Regatta.

Ivy Tirok reflects upon the ways we unconsciously strip away our identity in the modern world through hypocritical actions that do not align with our words.

For one person their time at UWC Maastricht might be about achieving or delivering academic excellence and for another it might mean participating in every activity possible and spending time getting to know as many people as they can. Is either aim less important? Are we to judge? Can you do both?

UWC appears to be the epitome of diversity, but a survey at UWCM proves that our ideologies are, across the board, very similar.

There are plans to adorn our campus by removing the cage and replacing it with a grass amphitheater and trees. While this may be a positive change for some, there has been a lackluster consideration of the DP students’ opinions. In order to maintain a respectful and well-rounded community there must be a discourse between students and administrators on issues that affect the community.

A poem by Siddhant Sharma, a student at United World College Maastricht.

The United States has the largest prison industry in the world. With forced, and almost unpaid labour, thousands of usually minority prisoners find themselves producing goods for huge corporations and earning mere pennies.

To celebrate 50 years of IB’s existence, the International Baccalaureate published a video of UWC graduates Aernout Van Lynden and Akihiko Hoshide.

A of Max Avis, UWC Atlantic College graduate, is circulating the internet as newspapers, like the Washington Times, cover Italy’s decision to shut ports to ships with more than 600 migrants.

In spite of the gratitude we allot to the school for providing as comfortable space as possible, it is important to question with how much regard fitness and the nutritious value of the food we consume are treated.

On April 9th, 2018, Dr. Victoria Mora, President of UWC Armand Hammer, wrote an article published on LinkedIn called “Cheese and Liberty”.

The founding of an UWC in the hills of northern New Mexico was not only a unique education venture, it was also the story of unusual individuals involved in an enterprise that is undoubtedly the finest memorial to the controversial businessman and philanthropist, Armand Hammer.

Throughout his journey at UWC he captured pictures of the beautiful Norwegian landscape, the warm moments of joy that students cling to an otherwise cold and isolated Flekke and the individuals that made up his family at the school. Take a look. 

Second years, we urge you to march on to the world with the same attitude as you defy norms, share your intellect and make a difference in your communities. We bid you good goodbyes.

Although the perception of disabilities has improved in the past years there is still work to be done. Anabel reminds us that we should, as a UWC community, be committed to diversity also when it comes to disabilities.

Do we neglect to focus on economic diversity? The vagueness of UWC Strategy 2018 and Beyond concerning this topic suggests so.

In 2017, Kim Han-sol became the subject of intense media interest after the killing of his father, Kim Jong-nam, in mysterious circumstances at Kuala Lumpur airport

Still Looking For A Grad-Trip? The EU Has You Covered

John Koffi a UWCRBC graduate and currently in his first year at University of British Colombia has written a memoir titled The Journey Much Desired about his hardships as a refugee and his experience at UWCRBC.

A group of researchers just published Building Bridges to the Future: Global Case Studies of Teaching and Learning in the 21st Century, featuring UWC as one of ten examples of global best practice in education. 

Only three UWCs offer Computer Science. This needs to change if the movement is to prepare students to face the economic challenges of the future.

Yes, it’s haunting to think about graduating, about moving on and starting anew, but there’s also something enlightening.

Founder of the Flying Dutchman, Jeppe, writes about the two years that has passed and the development of the paper.

While theý have been subject to little critique in the past, conferences at UWCM are currently scrutinized by different stakeholders.

Honest thoughts by UWCM student Jens Lloyd on five years in UWC.

My country, Rwanda, has been known as a war zone; a hateful nation; a trouble spot for a long time.

Though alumni are zealous defenders of UWC values, our Movement lacks coherency in its political ambitions. To achieve political impact, we must first acknowledge that our movement is, in fact, a political movement.

Where do all our socks go? For years this mystery has remained unsolved but now UWCM student Trevor Marimbire believes he has the answer.

Should colleges have waiting lists with more names than make up a class of new students? Open letter to colleges calls practice cruel and says “insanity needs to stop.”

“Every springtime, the inboxes of tens of thousands students receive what many of them have been dreading or dreaming about their whole lives: their college admission emails.”

Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics do not seem to have a place in the brand of Kurt Hahn. At least not the way they are being interpreted and implemented
now.

“The result at many UWC have been the reliance on so-called ‘inheritances’. Some students are lucky enough to have the latest Collegeboard SAT book or the new History Study Guide from Cambridge passed down to them from a graduating second-year.”

We must acknowledge the fact that thanks to the Davis Scholar Programme, UWC has become a direct feeder into the US college system. Indirectly, Davis creates a brain drain from the rest of the world.

A poem by UWCM English teacher, Larissa Stutterheim.

“Though many day students are capable of taking responsibility in organising or leading conferences and events, their candidacy is often undermined by the majority of residential students who control the organisational bodies and application processes of these events or student bodies.”

Peter Dalglish has spoken at multiple UWC events, such as UWCCongress, UWC Thailand’s opening ceremony and UWCSEA’s graduation in 2016. This has sparked concern among the colleges as well as the International Office. In response UWC International released a statement on April 10th.

At UWC we tend to frown upon those who are too studious. This opinion argues that we need them.

“It seems to me that students have not lost interest in our community – as the success of other community projects reflect this not to be the case – but that students’ interest in specific projects have faded.”

Instagram feeds are starting to feature throwback pictures or emotional countdowns and while many DP2s and DP1s have varying relationships with the idea of graduation, the truth of the matter is simple: time is running out.

Saskia Van Kampen, Head of Year at UWCM, writes in response to the paper’s editorial on Friday Space.

UWC Mostar Removes Aung San Suu Kyi’s Name From Scholarship

Why My University Application Was One of Protest

As a UWC alumni his leadership and integrity stands to be admired. 

The first day a huge crowd cheered for the monologues. Yet, the following two days just a fraction of that gathered for the events.

the “Buy One, Give One” model has been widely embraced by consumers and businesses alike as an effective model for creating both commercial and social value. However, when examining the social impact of “Buy One, Give One” the model’ become rather obvious.

Watch Jesper Damberg of the TFD team interview UWCWK alumnus and social entrepreneur Mandu Reid. In the interview, Jesper and Mandu discuss Mandu’s highly successful NGO The Cup Effect, the life as a social entrepreneur and the UWC movement in relation to these two. 

An incident at UWCM highlights how Friday Space – a set time and place to support students academically – is misused. We look into how to reinvent Friday Space so that it can become the support it set out to be.

In the macroeconomic context of our times, however, the economic integrity of the money that we receive as UWC from the Hoegh family appears controversial and raises several questions on what type of funding we should accept as a organization that aims to further a sustainable future.

Submitted to the Flying Dutchman by Nam Phuong Thi Doan – Originally published in the The Bennington Free Press March…

To celebrate #MyFreedomDay, we asked 10 UWCers what “freedom” means to them.

“As debate rages about the dangers and implications of an over-reliance on technology in everyday life, there is one particular conversation that I had with a student a few years ago which remains imprinted in my memory.”

it seems that the question of whether UWC neglects its own aim of “ensur[ing] increased diversity throughout the UWC governance structure” outlined in the new “UWC 2018 and Beyond” strategy under the action point “Govern” (Point 1.6 of section “C – Govern) still lingers.

In the early 1960s, students at Atlantic College in Wales began mapping plans for a sleeker, safer and more efficient lifeboat. What resulted as a part of the curriculum’s maritime studies class was the first ever inflatable boat with a wooden hull.

The unspoken agreement between student and teacher, that when in class, they are on a journey together in learning, seems to have been removed, and we now simply occupy seats where what we spend our time on is completely in our own hands.

As we celebrate the International Day of the Woman on the 8th of March, I ask you one question, “How can you help make womanhood a celebration for more people in society?”

In 2016, Afghanistan was given an ultimatum: lose EU financial support or sign the EU-Afghanistan Joint Way Forward agreement and allow for the return of rejected Afghan asylum seekers.

UWC Alumni, Farah Rangosch, got together with other alumni to write an open letter about the lack of diversity in our leadership and received a response in January 2018.

A few weeks ago, UWC Alumni Šarūnas Černiauskas received an official state award by the Lithuanian President for promoting investigative journalism and fighting corruption in Lithuania. The Flying Dutchman reached out to Šarūnas to ask a couple of questions about his story from UWCUSA to investigative journalism.

If you are 18 years or older and Holder of a European Union Passport, you can vote in the upcoming Dutch municipal elections on the 21st of March 2018.

At UWC we tend to romanticize the work of NGO and NPOs. They aim to have positive impact without gaining profit. Though often true and admirable, in the light of the ongoing “Oxfam scandal”, it seems not all NGOs of the rock-solid integrity we believe them to be.

At United World Adriatic, Sophie Hawley-Weld’s passion for music had matured, and she wished to pursue music more professionally at University.

Each individual UWC, is ideally, responsible for not only building its unique identity, but also utilizing it to further promote progress and self-discovery within the community.

UWCRCN has appointed a new Rektor. Gudmundur Hegner Jonsson will become the next Head of College, starting August 2018.

‘Emancipating’,’ daring’ and ‘unconventional’ were some of the words used to describe the performance of the ‘Vagina Monologues’ on the evening of Tuesday, the 7th of February.

In the hallways, many MYP students can be heard yelling these kinds of expressions frequently.

A lack of diversity persists at the top of the United World College organization.

With little money and no phone, Mahmud started walking North into Sudan. He had seen a picture of Sweden in a magazine and decided his future lied in a country of opportunity.

A question is asked. “Do you want to take up this project?” Gloomy silence fills the room. Empty glances decorate the faces; some look down so not to be seen. “What about you?” An uncomfortable short pause. “I can’t, sorry, I have SATs in March, and I need to prepare for that.”

A petition, StuCo, mocks and referendums.

At the café, you talk about the good old days, but soon the conversation drifts to more important matters…

He was imprisoned by Adolf Hitler, became close with the British Royals, was a good friend of Prince Max Von Baden and found himself in the middle of the Paris Peace Conference which resulted in the Treaty of Versailles.

We love our conferences and for that reason, it is our responsibility to ensure their success. However, that does not mean sticking to the same frameworks every year.

Have you ever met someone who set arduous goals for the new year, worked with great determination and consistency, and eventually achieved every single one of them?

As Brexit negotiations progress, The Flying Dutchman provides answers to the two questions that worry most UWC students dreaming of attending a university in the United Kingdom.

Does these “confessions” serve as evidence of anything? I believe that they are albeit too vague and much too uninhibited to be considered reliable.

Ana Penella, UWCM, writes satirically to show the absurdity of the CommonApp essay.

Last year Tian Bersey left UWCM to go to the United Kingdom. She did a lot for students’ life on campus, and she is a difficult person to replace. Fortunately, Kate Doyle, a person of equal passion and spirit, has joined our community this year.

The illustrations published in 2017

Stina Wigroth highlight how stress is perpetuated in UWC communities.

When colleges choose applicants, they’re juggling competing goals, like increasing diversity and bringing in more revenue.

As a campus of many minorities the infamous travel ban affects some of our DP students.

Houd Haroon Hier! Saturday, the 10th of December, the city of Maastricht witnessed the second demonstration on our attempt to keep our beloved Haroon from being deported, along with his family and many Afghan citizens in similar situations.

Two instances that highlight the need for reflection are also the most memorable events of our December month: YES conference and the Brie Mathers Presentation.

Only when a man entered the stage, the boys listened. This shows how gender issues are ever present, and that there is a demand for conversation regarding feminism. Just not Brie’s talk.

The research behind France’s decision to ban devices poses difficult questions for our school.

The Rocky Horror Show was a bold choice by the directors of the musical.

Jeppe Damberg shares his take on Brie Mathers’ session on masculinity.

But university doesn’t have to be the height of our existence, in the same way that UWC doesn’t have to.

Sofia is the youngest board member of Amnesty International worldwide and she was also recently nominated for the International Children’s Peace Prize for her work with Amnesty International Chile.

Donovan Livingston will visit UWCM on Friday the 24th November. Livingston is a graduate of the Harvard Graduate School of Education and many students may recognize him as his convocation speech went circulated on social mediums in May 2016. 

On our campus experiences can be bought at the cost of a mug of hot chocolate.

A pupil I teach and whose opinion I highly respect commented last week, somewhat morosely no less, that the dab is being phased out, that it has served its purpose, and that like the fidget spinner and bottle flip challenge before it, is no longer a fixation with idle students in the atrium.

On the 10th of October, United World College Maastricht was evacuated due to an alleged bomb threat. Shortly after the clock passed 1pm, a call was received by the school’s receptionist claiming the presence of a bomb on school grounds.

Individual ambition belongs at UWC, but it should, like the mission of our own movement, be a strive for a better world, not an aim for admission to a prestigious college. When service becomes a burden, then we know that it is time for reflection. 

It is soon December and that means St. Nicholas is back with Zwarte Piet, his Moorish servant.

How can we all stand as ambassadors for a movement promoting understanding, acceptance and diversity when we, ourselves, act in opposition?

Marshall Mcluhan’s The Medium is the Massage predicted the internet in 1967. Before the inception of the internet itself, Mcluhan put words on exactly what molds our life in the 21st century.

Lina Attalah is a UWC Adriatic alumni 2000, and was featured for her brave work in Time’s #NextGenerationLeaders.

“It seems that every choice we make concerning our education comes down to a cost-benefit analysis, a price tag with a clear value written out on it.”

Our Green Flag, which now gently sways in the cold Maastricht air, must have felt like an awkward third wheel while we were entertaining our guests.

It is a reality that many bright and intelligent students, who could do very well academically at even the most demanding colleges, will be at a disadvantage to legacy students.

To study on at United World College is a dive into self-discovery. For you to overcome this daunting experience, we have created a few universal tips.

Alaa Murabit is a Libyan-Canadian physician and leading international advocate for inclusive peace processes. Nicknamed “Doogie Howser” by Jon Stewart, Alaa Murabit is an UN High-Level…

19-year-old Noa Gur Golan sits in Military Prision 396 near Haifa. She has been labelled a traitor and a coward. It is not clear when she is going to be released, because she’s being detained for refusing…

On 15 May 2017, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCRR) and UWC (United World Colleges) entered into a Cooperation Agreement to support refugees

Ari Satok’s book, “The Architects of Hope: Sixteen Young People Dreaming of a Better Tomorrow”, has been released perfectly capturing the unique stories of United World College students.

An open letter to Tian

The New World may be on the verge of becoming the Old Europe of the twenty-first century’s globalized economy.

Edouard Jacqmin joined TEDxYouth Maastricht to talk about how he traveled 1000km across 5 different countries in 21 days with no money and no internet.

  Her Vang gave a TedTalk in Bonn on his non-profit organization, “Dream Givers”, aiming to provide a full educational…

It all started during the Ebola scourge in Sierra Leone. As we were fighting to eradicate the virus from our country…

Back home so many people would forbid their daughters from spending times with me. They said “the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.” They said that I would end up like my dad and achieve nothing in life…

Soon our second years will be leaving us, they are off to new exciting experiences with two years of UWC-spirit, unforgettable moments and lifelong friends in the backpack.

We asked several students who practices religion whether they felt the school has space for religion. Most students…

The anxiety of students can be heard throughout the school hallways, during dinner in Mensa, and even on Friday and Saturday nights…

You might have heard me getting called Mum or even better Grandma by people I am close to. I’ve actually come to realize that I don’t mind either of the two epithets, as I think that they reflect one of my main life goals

The expansion of UWC should be done carefully so as to guarantee that new schools are not simply international schools with a logo.

Kurt Hahn founded United World Colleges in 1962; his dream was to use education as a tool for achieving sustainable peace in a world of many conflicts. This is usually the part of UWC history that most of us know.

From the title of this article, you may be thinking that this might be a review of the show everyone on campus seems to be watching. I will talk about the show briefly, but that is not the main topic of this article.

Amid a migrant crisis, economic inequality, growing disillusionment with the European Union and a sense of lost national identity, right-wing parties in a growing number of European countries have made electoral gains.

A United World College, is the most amazing accepting environment, where you can be who you want, and are able to express your ideas and opinions freely. But only if you share the same liberal mind-set…