Tell us how your student experience has been affected by COVID-19.

Join the first-ever global health policy platform on “Learning Through a Pandemic”, hosted by University College London’s Global Governance Institute. This is your opportunity to connect with other students and share how you have navigated these uncertain times. The online conference will feature two back-to-back sessions on (1) the impact of the digital divide on remote learning during COVID-19 and (2) how vaccination status may affect access to higher education going forward. Each session will be kicked off by an expert speaker, followed by an open discussion that gives you an opportunity to talk about your experiences and the policy changes you would like to see going forward.

This workshop is open to interested under- and postgraduate students. Tickets are limited.

WORKSHOP PROGRAMME

10:00 - 10:10 (BST): Welcome Remarks and Convenors’ Introduction

10:10 - 11:10 (BST): Session I: Bridging the Digital Divide and Promoting Equitable Access to Remote Learning

The move to remote learning during the pandemic has put the spotlight on the severity of the 'digital divide' and its impact on the provision of higher education. Students’ access to digital education varies significantly, depending on where they are based and the financial resources they have available. This session will reflect on a number of factors that have shaped students’ experiences with remote learning, including accessibility of digital platforms, availability of reliable power connections, affordability of electronic devices and access to quiet study space.

Speaker: Dr Edward Fottrell is an Associate Professor in Epidemiology & Global Health at University College London. He is experienced in community health measurement, intervention development and evaluation in Africa and Asia. Dr Fottrell is Director of the UCL Centre for Global Non-communicable Diseases, and he is currently PI of health research projects in Bangladesh, Ghana and South Africa. He leads modules on the MSc in Global Health and Development within the UCL Institute for Global Health.

11:10 - 11:30 (BST): Break / Informal Discussion Time

11:30 - 12:30 (BST): Session II: How Vaccination Status May Affect Access to Higher Education

This session will reflect on how vaccine inequality may impact access to in-person learning, the diversity of the student body and access to essential learning and teaching resources. A return to regular university life appears to be on the horizon but not necessarily for all students. With rich countries scrambling over scarce supplies, many poor countries stand little chance of achieving mass immunisation in the near future. As a result of the highly inequitable provision of COVID-19 vaccines across the globe – and the criteria that determine in-country distribution – many young people will continue to see their access to high quality education reduced.

Speaker: Professor David Katerere is the Research Platform Chair of Pharmaceutical and Biotech Advancement in Africa (PBA2) at Tshwane University of Technology and Chair of PharmaConnect Africa, a non-profit which is a premier convenor of the pharmaceutical industry in Africa. He is also a board member at UI-Global and the Association of African Medicinal Plant Standards (AAMPS).

Learning through a pandemic: Share how COVID-19 has impacted your education