When imagining studying abroad at Queen Mary University of London, I don’t envision airports, pictures, or tourist attractions. Instead, I imagine the dynamism of the city itself: women dashing down to their jobs via the Underground system, debates between students regarding policy in packed cafes, and the consistent flow of buses and trains bringing millions of people together daily. As a public policy major with a passion for education, social policy, and women’s advocacy, London appears more like a living classroom than an actual destination.
Travel has always felt inherently political to me. From the dynamics of urban life to accessibility to education, the prioritization of public safety, and even environmental policy, everything speaks to what values are held by any particular society. Traveling abroad allows one to see such policies and processes first-hand as opposed to merely reading about them in research papers or briefings. That being said, there is a certain irony to traveling abroad as well. While international relations may promote collaboration, it comes with its own cost environmentally speaking. This is why I believe it is important that my travel abroad reflects the values that led me into policy studies in the first place.
By living in London, I will have the opportunity to engage first-hand with the concepts that relate to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, specifically Gender Equality, Sustainable Cities and Communities, and Climate Action. In particular, I am interested in the ways in which urban design can contribute to gender equality by providing accessible transportation and safe environments, and social policies can help promote equal opportunities for all members of society. As a researcher and activist, I am curious about the approach taken in London regarding issues such as accessibility, environmental protection, and education.
In order to make my international experience as sustainable as possible, I will try to immerse myself into a single community, rather than continuously travel from one place to another. In addition, I will use public transport, walking and any other low-carbon footprint means of transport as much as possible, reduce my waste production, and purchase goods from local businesses wherever possible. I think that sustainability should be approached as both environmental and social sustainability.
I hope that my experiences abroad will amount to more than mere memories. I hope that they will help increase my knowledge of how sound policy can lead to sustainable, equitable, and accessible urban environments, especially for women, and thus influence the type of policymaker that I wish to be.
