After an 8-hour flight to meet our peers from the more western universities, the extended-weekend unfolded as follows...

- Friday:

Georgetown University graciously hosted me throughout the conference. Once we had all arrived and settled in, we enjoyed lunch at a Persian restaurant. This provided the opportunity for me to get acquainted with the Georgetown scholars, who were all remarkably warm, welcoming, and possessed a great sense of humour - they would get on well with UCL!

 In the evening, we visited the picturesque University of Toronto campus and began connecting with fellow scholars attending the conference. The evening's agenda included engaging in various activities such as karaoke, entrepreneurship discussions, and a jeopardy game. I attended the entrepreneurship panel, which proved to be an intimate and enlightening experience. We learned about the opportunities available through Laidlaw Ventures and heard from entrepreneurs at the University of Toronto. Personally, I found it most valuable to discover how Laidlaw continues to support its scholars after graduation. I was also inspired by the impressive pursuits of my peers, both within and outside of university.

 - Saturday:

The morning commenced with a warm welcome from the University of Toronto, followed by a virtual global engagement session with scholars in Dublin. Lord Laidlaw and Linda Doyle shared their insights and fielded a range of insightful questions.

 One of the highlights of the day was the Three-Minute Thesis competition, which offered a unique glimpse into the research and leadership projects undertaken by scholars worldwide. It was particularly memorable to see a student (Chris) from my cohort presenting in Dublin while I provided live support from Toronto. Several keynote speakers addressed topics ranging from Eco-Anxiety to leadership. The most thought-provoking aspect of the day revolved around the exploration of how to make challenging conversations meaningful.

The evening was brought to a close with the Gala Dinner, which provided a more relaxed environment to meet even more scholars. The winners of the Three-Minute Thesis competition were announced, and dinner was served. I had the privilege of sharing my table with a group of exceptional women from US universities. We exchanged stories about our research pursuits, spanning a wide array of disciplines and interests.

 - Sunday:

The conference culminated with the commencement of the Oxford Ethical Leadership Programme, hosted by Cory Crossman. I was genuinely surprised by the wealth of knowledge and personal growth I gained from her sessions, which will undoubtedly benefit my self-awareness. We delved into the power of music and even curated a playlist, with each scholar adding a song that connects us all even when we all went our separate ways.

 I owe a huge debt of gratitude to the University of Toronto and Georgetown University especially for their warm hospitality and the opportunity to engage so actively with their remarkable scholars. This amazing experience will remain with me forever, and I hope to have the pleasure of reconnecting with those interested in coming to London for their LiA project in the near future!