Leveraging the Power of Purpose: WHT Scholars participate in the Global Leadership Challenge 2021
As Weidenfeld Hoffmann Scholars, we are always encouraged to use our time at Oxford University to not only progress academically, but to also cultivate our entrepreneurial and leadership skills. In line with this direction, three scholars - Maya Sherman from Israel and Rai Sengupta from India and Faith Ateino Odero from Kenya – applied to the Global Leadership Challenge 2021. We were all fortunate to be selected as three of 100 young emerging leaders and professionals, to participate at this global conference. In this blog post, we, Maya and Rai, will elaborate upon our experience in our working group tackling gender inequality in Latin America.
The Global Leadership Challenge 2021 was organized by The Oxford Character Project at the University of Oxford, and the St. Gallen Symposium, and was supported by the Lemann Foundation and the Templeton World Charity Foundation. It brought together postgraduate students and practitioners from more than 30 countries globally, to explore the theme "Power of Purpose".
All participants were selected based on their commitment to responsible leadership and their passion for engaging with complex global challenges.
The conference was broadcast live from Cohen Quad at Exeter College, and the Kulturzentrum Lokremise in St. Gallen, and provided its participants with essential skills and knowledge to empower the next generation of responsible leaders. It gave us the opportunity to hear the insightful remarks of leading industry leaders and academicians – such as Mr. Dominic Barton (Canadian Ambassador to China), Mr. Christian Mumenthaler (CEO Swiss Re), Prof. Dr Judith Walls (Professor for Sustainability Management, Universität St. Gallen), Bogolo Joy Kenewendo (former Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry of Botswana), and Prof. Ngaire Woods (Founding Dean, Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford) - during discussions centered on responsible leadership in the modern era.
During this 5-day social hackathon, we were divided into different groups tackling the urgent issues posited by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), through innovative entrepreneurial projects. Our group comprised four female researchers from four distinct regions – India, Israel, Peru and Syria. In developing a solution to address SDG 5 (Gender Equality), we felt humbled by the power of our diverse perspectives and
experiences. Through an intense and enriching week of entrepreneurial content, cross-generational dialogues, and design thinking workshops with senior leaders and stakeholders, we worked on a venture promoting digital innovation and sexual education for young women in Brazil during COVID-19, using AI technologies and mobile platforms. In the end, our solution involved an app-based platform promoting increased access to contraceptives in the Latin American Region, against the backdrop of COVID-19 induced disruptions.
Being a part of the Weidenfeld Hoffmann Leadership Programme with scholars from 25 countries has, time and again, reinforced a key learning: different regions are bound by their experiences of common, sometimes global challenges. This learning was also reflected in the 5-day Global Leadership Challenge. We came away realizing the urgent need to leverage digital innovation and purposeful leadership, in establishing a more sustainable and inclusive tomorrow.
