Students as Partners 2023

Students as Partners 2023Students as Partners 2023Students as Partners 2023
  • Home
  • Schedule/Briefing Notes
  • Program Booklet
  • Transportation Info
  • Photo Exhibit
  • Delegate Bios
  • Accommodation Info
  • Background
  • Practical Questions
  • Thank You
  • More
    • Home
    • Schedule/Briefing Notes
    • Program Booklet
    • Transportation Info
    • Photo Exhibit
    • Delegate Bios
    • Accommodation Info
    • Background
    • Practical Questions
    • Thank You

Students as Partners 2023

Students as Partners 2023Students as Partners 2023Students as Partners 2023
  • Home
  • Schedule/Briefing Notes
  • Program Booklet
  • Transportation Info
  • Photo Exhibit
  • Delegate Bios
  • Accommodation Info
  • Background
  • Practical Questions
  • Thank You

We are excited to welcome you very soon!

Our Schedule is Now Available

Our Schedule is Now AvailableOur Schedule is Now AvailableOur Schedule is Now Available
View Schedule
Open to the community!

Keynote Event: Phan Thi Kim Phuc

Phan Thi Kim Phuc, also known as "The Girl in the Picture"  is a world-renowned speaker who moves audiences by sharing her journey of forgiveness and hope. Her keynote speech will be followed by a reception featuring a book-signing and photo exhibit. This event will mark the start of the 3-day international conference.

Register Now

March 30th-April 1st, 2023

  Wilfrid Laurier University is excited to welcome delegates from around the world to a first-of-its kind conference hosted by International Students Overcoming War and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. At a time of growing humanitarian crises as a result of conflict, we will explore how students can lead in developing sustainable initiatives in partnership with their institutions of higher education. 


The planning and implementation of the Students as Partners Conference is informed by the students as partners ethos. Students will represent institutions along with faculty and staff, and their contributions will be crucial to the collaborative, active-learning style workshops that will facilitate rich research-informed discussions on core conference themes. Delegates to the conference will come from a diverse array of countries. They will include youth who themselves are either refugees or who are impacted by humanitarian crises. The workshop conversations will be framed by a few carefully crafted plenary sessions featuring individuals with experience in this work. Together we will listen to each other’s stories, provide feedback on plans to initiate action, and in the process build a network of enduring relationships. 

About the Conference

Will there be presentations of research? 

Yes, there will be an opportunity to listen to a small number of presentations by researchers whose work focuses on students as partners.


Why are we putting the focus on active learning workshops rather than presentations of research?

  • The emphasis upon student as partners in campus-based humanitarian action is new. We hope to generate future research through this initial international conversation.
  • Individuals with research expertise in the primary conference themes will be active participants in all sessions of workshop format.
  • Our goal is to foster learning by including those with lived experiences and those with a personal passion for humanitarian action. 
  • The workshop format will allow for maximum meaningful participation by all delegates.


Will I share if I have extensive experience and knowledge based on lived experience/research?

Yes, in the workshop format that fosters inclusive participation by all delegates. Active participation is a priority of this conference. The format of the workshops will avoid the dynamic created by one speaker in front of an audience. Trained facilitators at each table will ensure that the goals of the session are met by guiding the discussion and leading each group towards established outcomes.  


How will we ensure equitable time to everyone participating in a group?

Trained facilitators will ensure that key questions for each session are addressed while ensuring each group stays on track. 


Who is doing the facilitation?

We are asking a range of students, faculty, and professionals from around the world with experience and knowledge to help guide the delegates to answer workshop questions.


Will there be the opportunity to publish material presented at the conference?

Yes. There will be two opportunities to publish case studies and reflective writing that captures your own journey before and during the conference. A small number of pieces will be considered for publication. The International Journal of Students as Partners will publish select pieces in a Special Section in 2024. Together the UNHCR and ISOW plan to publish a broader collection of writing by conference delegates in a separate volume: Humanizing Higher Education.

Topics to be explored include:

  • Humanitarian Action in a time of Global Crisis
  • Humanizing Higher Education through Humanitarian Action
  • How do We Make the Case for Universities to Engage in Humanitarian Action?
  • Transforming Student Activism into Sustainable Action
  • What does Ethical Humanitarian Action Look Like?
  • Students as Partners: What is the Potential for Effective Action?
  • How can we Mobilize Students through Civic Engagement?
  • What are the Perspectives of Refugee Youth on Humanitarian Action?
  • Are Universities Critics or Agents of Social Change?

Our Partners

Equipping Student Leaders as Partners for Sustainable Humanitarian Action

Equipping Student Leaders as Partners for Sustainable Humanitarian Action

Equipping Student Leaders as Partners for Sustainable Humanitarian Action

Equipping Student Leaders as Partners for Sustainable Humanitarian Action

Equipping Student Leaders as Partners for Sustainable Humanitarian Action

Equipping Student Leaders as Partners for Sustainable Humanitarian Action


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