U8 Global Student Partnership for Development

issues.

Etymology

The U8 takes its name from the 8th of the Millennium Development Goals – to develop a global partnership for development. The name is also a play on the G8, with a strong contrast drawn between the exclusivity of the G8 and the inclusivity of the U8.

Activities

The U8 arena allows for sustained, unbounded discussion both online and face-to-face at local, national and international levels. It is hoped that by connecting students from around the globe, their understanding of complex issues and their ability to reflect upon, appraise and challenge policy and practice will be increased. Local activities include speaker events, such as the Warwick International Development Summit [cite web |url=http://www.wids.org.uk/u8.php|title=WIDS and U8 |accessdate=2008-06-11 | publisher=WIDS | date= 2007] , and skills-based courses such as the Cambridge and Oxford University International Development Courses [cite web |url=http://www.humanitariancentre.org/idc/course/ |title=Cambridge University IDC |accessdate=2008-06-11 | publisher=Cambridge Humanitarian Centre] [cite web |url=http://www.oxfordhub.org/oxfid/about-idcs |title=Oxford IDC |accessdate=2008-06-11 | publisher=Oxford Student Hub] , which are organised by member groups. Global activities, are based around four pillars:

1. Research - online, collaborative projects, proposed by members and carried out via online communication. The outcomes are published online and usually take the form of research documents. Research outcomes from 2005 were submitted to the UK Department for International Development's 2005 White Paper, and a paper from 2006 was published in an Indian university journal.

2. Discussion - hosted on the online forums, where members can propose or join existing debates on topical issues. The monthly "Veritas" focus topic is used to provoke thoughts and debate, and there are also "Feature Forums" where high-profile development professionals reply to members' posts on a particular topic.

3. Blogs - Written by members and professionals on development issues.

4. Writing - Articles are published online and in an annual print publication, which has been designed by students from Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, for the past two years.

Aims

1. Shared Learning - To facilitate learning partnerships based on knowledge-exchange and joint-analysis of development issues.

2. Promoting a Culture of Inclusion - To be inclusive to different levels of knowledge, cultural perspectives, and academic disciplines.

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.

4. Promoting awareness and understanding of development issues.

References

External Links

* [http://www.u8development.com Official homepage]
* [http://www.cuid.org Cambridge University International Development] A founding member of the U8.