"Curiosity, Diversity, and Responsibility": Virtual Conference Highlights Student Leaders Shaping Society
“Leadership is very experiential and situational, the more we practice it – the more we grow into it, so no one can claim to be a teacher of it, but rather we are all students.”
– Samuel Jude Acquaah
This October, OSUN held its third annual Virtual Student Leadership Conference, gathering enthusiastic student leaders from multiple network institutions so they could participate in immersive online keynote sessions and creative workshops to help them serve their communities better and strengthen their leadership skills.
First day keynote speakers Laura Arana and Juan Moncaleano, undergraduate students and OSUN Global Engagement Fellows at Universidad de los Andes in Colombia, discussed how their leadership journey has given them the privilege to shape and support civic engagement projects across the network. Both said a sense of curiosity, diversity, and responsibility characterized their leadership journey. Curiosity and diversity are ways of thinking and such thoughts can be important in understanding how to build together, despite interpersonal differences, they said. Courage and love were also important, as they allow you to rise to a challenge, knowing that you are speaking for others who might not be heard, implementing care to help lift their burdens, said Arana and Moncaleano. Arana also pointed out that leadership comes with great responsibility; it is crucial to keep in mind that you are working with others and in service to others, and therefore responsible for their time, energy, and effort.
Arana and Moncaleano shared six pictures reflecting their involvement with OSUN opportunities, featuring conferences, workshops, and other community-based events. Moncaleano pointed out that through these, both had learned to share their experiences with others and listen to the experiences of others, which allowed them to learn a great deal about the world.
Samuel Jude Acquaah, Assistant Director of Outreach and Experiential Learning Programs at Ashesi University in Ghana, provided the keynote speech for the second day of the conference, focusing on the provocative stipulation that “Leadership is very experiential and situational; the more we practice it, the more we grow into it, so no one can claim to be a teacher of it, but rather we are all students.”
Acquaah related the formative story of the time he asked his mentor, a non-literate Ghanaian, about what leadership meant, and the mentor responded “Atu, mpeyinidie ni onsum,” Twi dialect that means “Leadership is all about service,” something Acquaah affirmed as true, based on his many years of experience.
Acquaah stressed the multiple crises now occurring in the world, sharing images of poverty, environmental catastrophes, war, climate change, and inequalities, but he also highlighted reasons to be optimistic, including the connective capabilities of technology and the power of sound leadership, as evidenced in the recent visa waiver agreements between Ghana and South Africa. He pointed out that strong character, clear vision, and good organizational skills are all key traits of a valuable leader. Empathy, courage, humility, and strong listening and communication skills are also important, he added.
To serve well requires us to use modern skills and ancient wisdom, said Acquaah, who encouraged young leaders to serve and build trust with those they were serving, so that they too can learn to be good leaders who serve.
The conference included workshops that further connected students in breakout rooms with facilitators. When asked about the key takeaways from the workshops, Ewura Ama Sam, a student from Ashesi University, said that she has learned how to leverage the power of technology to break down silos while implementing her day-to-day tasks as a leader.
In a post in Whatsapp for the OSUN Virtual Student Leadership Conference Group, Sabawoon Durrani, a student from Afghanistan, exclaimed that “it's a beautiful opportunity to be engaged with global minds…alongside students and networks from universities worldwide.”
Throughout the two days, participants at the conference were empowered to be catalysts who can transform their leadership roles through service and collaboration. Presenters explained that while building leadership skills was very important, securing the skills that allow you to listen and collaborate with communities faithfully is also crucial to fulfilling the role of a strong leader.
Post Date: 10-30-2023