Skip to main content.
OSUN Menu
Education sub-menu
Education
OSUN Courses
Faculty
Graduate Programs
Certificate Programs
Mobility
Teaching
Birkbeck Summer School
Center for Liberal Arts and Sciences Pedagogy (CLASP)
Developing Teaching Professionals
Experiential Learning Institute
Global History Lab
Global Teaching Fellowship Program
GLOBALED
Curricula
CORUSUS
Economic Democracy Initiative
Experimental Humanities Collaborative Network
Global Studies
Hannah Arendt Humanities Network
Human Rights Program
Liberal Arts and Sciences Collaborative
Policy Labs
Professional Development Program for University Administrators
Strengthening the Core
Transnational Feminism, Solidarity, and Social Justice
Research sub-menu
Research
Research Projects
Community Engaged Research
The Democracy Institute
Economic Democracy Initiative
GEOHUB
Global Institute of Advanced Study
OSUN Forum on Democracy and Development
Research Creation Initiative
Fellowships
Chatham House Academy Fellowships
Global Scholars Academy
Past Projects
Interruptrr
Global Observatory on Academic Freedom
Open Society Research Platform
Access sub-menu
Access
Teacher Education
Enhanced Network Teacher Education Capacity
Hubs for Connected Learning Initiatives
Education Pathways
Bard Microcollege for Just Community Leadership
Collaborative for Liberal Education for Adolescents
Consortium for the Liberal Arts in Prison
Hubs for Connected Learning Initiatives
Civic sub-menu
Civic Engagement
Student Engagement
Get Engaged Conference
Global Commons
Global Engagement Fellows
Engaged Learning
Certificate in Civic Engagement
Community Engaged Liberal Arts and Sciences
Community Engaged Research
Experiential Learning Institute
Solve Climate by 2030
Past Projects
Engaged Senior Projects
OSUN Science Shop
Academic Freedom sub-menu
Academic Freedom
Initiatives
AltLiberalArts
Invisible University for Ukraine
Smolny Beyond Borders
Threatened Scholars Integration Initiative
Institutional Partners
American University of Afghanistan
Parami University
News sub-menu
News + Opportunities
Newsroom
Current News
News Archive
Events
Current Events
Events Archive
Opportunities
For Students
For Faculty
Archive
Resources sub-menu
Resources
Video Collection
Case Studies
Course Collection
Student-Produced Videos
Teaching Tools
About sub-menu
About
About OSUN
Our Vision
Who We Are
What We Do
Member Institutions
Themes
Annual Reports
Branding
Search
Search
News & Events Menu
News & Events Menu
Newsroom
Current News
News Archive
Events
Current Events
Events Archive
Opportunities
Current Opportunities
Opportunities Archive
OSUN News
View all news
"More than Virtual”: Online Student Leadership Conference Imparts Skills and Connections
Student writers Ariha Shahed and Sabawoon Durrani
By Ariha Shahed and Sabawoon Durrani
October’s Virtual Student Leadership Conference (VSLC) was an enriching experience that brought together students from across Open Society University Network (OSUN) and the Bard International Network. Over two days, student attendees heard global perspectives on leadership, teamwork, and collaboration that equipped them with the skills and supportive connections they need to be most effective.
Learning Resilience
Moderators
Zarlasht Sarmast
of Afghanistan and
Shadin Nasser
of Palestine opened the conference by discussing the need for resilience in their own lives as they experienced learning while under conflict. An embodiment of the spirit of the conference, this was underlined by a keynote presented by
Nafira Nayeem Ahmad
, a Global Engagement Fellow from BRAC University in Bangladesh, who discussed “Leading with a Healthy Headspace.” Ahmad emphasized the importance of student leaders finding ways to maintain self-awareness and balance. She said maintaining mental well-being and staying grounded were foundational for strong leadership—a reminder that great leaders prioritize self-care so they can support their teams better.
Breakout sessions, the core of the conference, covered essential topics such as how to handle difficult discussions with an empathetic approach, led by
Sabawoon Durrani
of AUAF. Vishal Parkash ‘27 of Bard College Berlin explored the strengths of various leadership styles and how to adapt them effectively. Dareen Alhajaref ‘24 from Al-Quds Bard College spoke of the sensitivity required to build inclusive teams and H
aneen
Jarrad ‘25
(Al Quds Bard College),
Ata Ullah
(Hubs for Connected Learning), and
Nguyên Dang
(Parami University) presented on how to help students support strong cross-cultural communication in diverse spaces.
Virtual Format Permits Collective Impacts
VSLC’s virtual format especially promotes leadership development for students from regions facing political or social constraints. In some countries, access to leadership training is limited by conflict, restrictive laws, or economic challenges. The online nature of the conference breaks down these barriers, giving students worldwide access to a platform where they can share ideas, gain skills, and connect with peers across borders, thus democratizing knowledge.
Durrani said he facilitated two sessions because he believes in the power of “knowledge and the responsibility we all have as global citizens to lift one another up.” He also thinks the impact that collective learning can have on individuals and communities can be powerful, as evidenced with his work with Fekri Raghoon (Intellectual Reconstruction) in Afghanistan, helping to empower women and youth through education and critical thinking.
“The most interesting part of the conference was the immediate impact of the sessions on the students, which was both inspiring and promising,” said Durrani, whose first session on "Engineering Successful Co-working Mechanisms," allowed students to dive deep into strategies for navigating teamwork and productive collaboration. He said it felt “incredibly rewarding” to him when participant
Sajjad Ahmad
shared that "I was having issues with coworkers in my work environment and was about to lose my cool. Attending this conference session has helped me, and I'm now confident I can resolve the problems using the skills learned today."
Durrani said he is “already looking forward to similar opportunities where I can share my experiences and learn from others.” “Making new connections with students from all over the world, while imparting practical skills, underscored the global need for spaces like the VSLC,” he continued. “I strongly believe that the energy, discussions, and connections made here will have lasting effects not only on the attendees but also on my own journey as a facilitator and leader.”
One student attendee said, "It's a great opportunity to get inspired, meet amazing people who want to make a difference in the world, and learn techniques on how to become a leader and face challenges, including mental health issues like burnout." Another commented, "I feel more equipped to navigate conflict resolution and team motivation challenges after the conference."
Kitwanda Reeves
, a student at the Bard MicroCollege at The Brooklyn Public Library in New York, said "The conference was more than virtual; it was a ‘global meeting of the moment’ to connect and communicate our collective purposes for a greater good."
Post Date:
November 1, 2024