Scholars from Somewhere and Anywhere

“His ear heard more than what was said to him, and his slow speech had overtones not of thought, but of understanding beyond thought.” - John Steinbeck from Of Mice and Men. This is how our dreams session started by Dr. Stephen Wright, with a reference to the novel. Reflecting what dreams we envision for our journey here in Oxford, this set the tone for our priorities for the coming year. Of Mice and Men is a story of how we might sometimes not achieve those ‘impossible’ ideals, but it’s worth the try. The Weidenfeld-Hoffmann Induction Seminar was that time to listen to each other and learn about those stories that brought these 33 scholars together and start to build the blocks for the new stories we will collectively write at Oxford.

Each moment of break during sessions, dinners and lunches sparked a strong vulnerable spot for me. It was the chance to travel to different parts of the world to learn what others are doing in their home communities. It was the chance to see the unseen from a scholar pamphlet. Through the lens of our Moral Philosophy discussions during this event I want to share my biggest lessons, or probably just the beginning of them.

Power

Call it a simple chance or a sense of meritocracy for the use of our voice. These past days have indirectly been a deep reflection of the power that decision making has for society. In modern days, we are and some of us will become the expression of that power for the change that we need. We heard from the experience of past alumni how this power has an effect in the current War in Ukraine or for the future of girls’ education in Afghanistan. It is youth like us that have the capacity to have an effect on vulnerable populations.

Globalism

From the border crisis to the most interconnected societies in centuries, there is a sense of pertinence that shines in each one of us. Whether it’s pertinence from somewhere physically or sentimentally, or even anywhere, our generation has a calling to make a difference to our environments and societies. Being aware of these callings can help us orient our efforts and learn to listen for the needs of the unheard in current polarized democracies.

Equality

A so-called sense of unreservedness for our position here or even prestige can sometimes blind us from our duty, ‘impostor syndrome’ they might call it out there. With it or without it, there is an undeniable sense of duty for our people that brought us here together. Our discussions were triggered by the moral philosophy question of whether the weak are more deserving of a push for equity. That to me was the starting point of the actionable projects that we began with the Enterprise Challenge, finding solutions to those imbalances in opportunities for some populations in underdeveloped contexts like my country in Guatemala.

In the end, this is the ultimate gift from WHT so far - the unquantifiable value of traveling through the perspectives of each of our voices to all our countries and territories and from there, build a community.

To my scholar peers: It is fair to say that this is only the beginning of a year of growth that waits for us. Cheers to what’s to come!