“On the Right Track”: Global Commons Unique Student Publication Platform Is Growing

Since its inception in 2022, Global Commons, an OSUN-supported multimedia digital student publication platform, has successfully published two issues featuring an impressive roster of student submissions from across the network. The Spring 2022 issue launched 46 multimedia works from a variety of OSUN institutions, signaling that students from across the network were indeed interested in this new global platform. The positive buzz of the Spring issue prompted more students to submit an even greater number of pieces for the Fall 2023 issue, which featured 52 unique creators from 15 OSUN partner institutions.  The wide spectrum of genres the platform accepts, ranging from literary and creative work to academic research and journalism, also proved helpful in attracting a large quantity of submissions.

As a result of Global Commons’ popularity and the surge in student submissions, the publication’s international, student-led editorial team has grown from a mere five members to nine members at multiple locations. Umma Maimuna Alam of BRAC University in Bangladesh is the new Managing Editor. Design Editor Abdullah Naseer of Bard College Berlin is joined by new Assistant Design Editor Kasim Alhaji Ibrahim from Ashesi University. Renata Alvarez Leon (Bard College Annandale), Lily Sofia Susa Soto (Universidad de los Andes in Colombia), Lili Kitai (Central European University), Maxine Brenya (Ashesi University, Ghana) and Miles Masters (Bard College Annandale) make up the team of content editors. Finally, two new Social Media and Outreach Managers, Labby Ahsan (BRAC University) and Anka Rouissi (American University of Beirut, Lebanon) have been enlisted to boost the digital reach of student works across the globe. 

The Global Commons team encourages students to take full advantage of the opportunity to submit their work so it can be published on a wide-reaching international platform. The Global Commons aims to encourage students to create and publish work that is issue-oriented and impactful so that they can actively contribute to the world not only as a creative writer, journalist, or researcher but also as a global citizen.

"Getting my work published was a completely new experience," says Mohammad Hasib Emran (BRAC University). "It motivated me to start writing more and striving to inform the world about the contemporary issues that plague society."

On being published, co-writers Mark Sharag and Aliaksei Rodzik from European Humanities University said, “For us, publication in the Global Commons network means that we are on the right track. For us, it is a motivation to keep working and improving our skills.”

Managing Editor Maimuna Alam encourages students from any of OSUN’s 45 member institutions to submit their work without any hesitation. "The editorial board truly values any and all submissions and reviews each piece with equal attention so that students feel supported for their hard work," she says.

Global Commons is now accepting submissions for its Spring 2023 issue until February 12. To encourage free and open circulation of student work, the platform is calling out for submissions in any genre, including academic papers, creative work, journalistic pieces, or different media such as visual art, sound files, illustrations and photo essays.
 
Consistent with the core themes of OSUN’s vision, the content of submissions should fall under either of the following areas: Human Rights, Arts and Society, Liberal Arts and Sciences, Sustainability and Climate, Inequalities, Global Justice, or Global Public Health. Global Commons accepts work in  different languages; so far, works in three different languages have been published. 

Global Commons has been developed by OSUN partner institutions as a tool to inspire students so they create potentially impactful work. OSUN wholeheartedly congratulates every student who has submitted work in the past year and applauds the published writers and editorial team for contributing to two successful issues. Stay tuned for two more stimulating issues this year!

Students interested in joining the editorial team and faculty/staff interested in joining the advisory board are encouraged to write to [email protected].

Post Date: 01-23-2023