Warwick International Development Summit

The Warwick International Development Summit (WIDS) is an annual, weekend-long conference organised and run by the International Development Society at the University of Warwick. Normally taking place during the first term, WIDS is the largest student-run Development Summit in the UK[1] with multidisciplinary scope.[2] Since its inception in 2006, the annual summit has attracted over 3,000 visitors, with speakers from 6 continents.[3] The Summit scope includes raising awareness of developmental issues and plausible solutions for such global concerns.

Previous summits


2006


2007 – The Role of Global Governance in International Development


2008 – Contributions to Development
Help or Hindrance?


2009 – Development for the Modern Age
Crisis, Climate and Cooperation


2010 – Resources, Crisis and Conflict
Facing Up to the New Decade


2011 – Ideas for a Better World


2012 – The Faces of International Development
Old Ideas, New Solutions


2013 – The Story of Development


2014 – Development through the Lens of Diversity

Lecture series

The WIDS Lecture Series was launched in October 2013 with the aim of expanding the focus of the annual Summit, by enabling more students to participate throughout the year. WIDS is thus able to maintain a stream of high-quality speakers to continuously engage students, in line with its mission of providing a platform for discussion, inspiration, and learning opportunities.

The Lecture Series was inaugurated on 10 October 2013 by the former Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Singapore, Ambassador Bilahari Kausikan. The theme for the talk was Diplomacy in Development and aimed to explore how foreign services create space for development.

The second talk was given by Paul-Andre Wilton, a distinguished conflict advisor at CARE International UK, who discussed issues surrounding conflict in international development. With a background initially in Education, Paul-Andre has worked in conflict, peacebuilding and development for five years in the UK and USA, with a focus on Africa.

The third talk was given by MP Andrew John Bower Mitchell, speaking on issues concerning International Development and military peacekeeping. A former United Nations military peacekeeper, he has extensive pre-government experience of the developing world, and is the founder of Project Umubano, a Conservative Party social action project in Rwanda and Sierra Leone in central and west Africa, launched in 2007.

The fourth and final talk in the 2013 Lecture Series was given by James Thornton, the founding CEO of ClientEarth, who was speaking on issues concerning International Development and environmental law. The New Statesman named him as one of 10 people who could change the world in 2009,[4] whilst The Lawyer has picked him as one of the Hot 100 2013[5]

References

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