Network Summit 2021

In November 2020, amidst the Covid-19 Pandemic restriction, the Academic Committee, under the leadership of Chair Christopher Lim, started planning for something that had never been done before: a virtual conference designed to broaden the horizons of students on their Higher Education options. The Committee Chair, who had established and expanded the scope of the Committee's work throughout the Covid-19 period, took it a step further.

Immediately, the Innovation Sub-Committee was set up with Christopher Lim as the Chair and Organiser of the Network Summit. We reached out to up to 20 academics at leading universities around the United Kingdom to invite them to address the Network Summit, prepared the timetable and schedule, and planned in collaboration with school management to bring this together: Senior members of the Academic Committee, including the External Secretary, Treasurer and Digital Secretary, also helped provide suggestions for the Summit to come. Members of staff watched keenly as the event developed and soon enough, became a reality.

We sourced leading academics and practitioners from the Hong Kong Philharmonic's Principal Clarinetist Andy Simon to the Dean of Durham Law School Professor Thom Brooks, the University of Bristol Department of History's Professor Simon Potter, and University of Surrey Lecturer in Spanish Dr. Catherine Barbour. This is far from an exhaustive list - a total of 16 speakers addressed the Network Summit and it's attendees. Running from the 1 March - 5 March 2021, it was truly a place to get inspired. 

Dean Brooks gave viewers a run through of what studying law at university looked like. Professor Potter gave viewers a mock lecture exploring broadcasting in the interwar years, and Dr. Barbour spoke on Multicultural Iberia, the many regions and cultures of Spain - and the various global issues students of Hispanic Studies can explore. It was an opportunity to learn, to explore and to gain insight. This event was designed to be an inclusive event, accessible to students in the local community, and meant to bring information to all.

The Chair of the Academic Committee had been given the unanimous mandate of the Business Council, the Committee's agenda-setting body of students from all parts of the school, created during Christopher Lim's period as Chair to enhance democratic participation. The Business Council was created to drive forward the business of reform - and the Network Summit was a part of that. During Christopher Lim's period as Chair, he convened a committee that consulted on Academic matters central to school life. The committee spoke up for students from all sections on issues that mattered to them. Peer Mentoring. Pupil Participation. 

It was created and its role expanded to make clear that in a school community, everyone's views are welcome.

In the Meeting of Committees of the Pupil Council, post-Network Summit, Chair Christopher Lim addressed the Pupil Council thanking the staff for their support in this venture and to the Pupil Council for the opportunity to bring the event to life.