Our students debated with French politicians in the framework of the French EU presidency

In March, four of our students, Anna Petrides, Panayiotis Hadjicostis, Lara Wilks and Maria Thanassa, were selected to participate in a debate with French and Cypriot politicians.

Anna Petrides, Year 7, talks about her experience:

 French Embassies worldwide organized their Night of Ideas this year, the event constituting a medium for communication between youth and policymakers.  Against the backdrop of the French Presidency of the Council of the EU, this year's event addressed two key issues: 'Climate Change' and 'the Digital Revolution.'

Each of the five individuals comprising the 'Digital Revolution' panel of the Night of Ideas brought something unique to the conversation, in most cases drawing inspiration from past experiences.  The privacy rights, cyberbullying, museum accessibility and communication between youth and policymakers were discussed.  Personally, having observed political polarization in my Instagram and Facebook feeds, I found reconciling social-scientific research in political polarization with my own experiences fascinating.

Preparing for the event was just as meaningful as the event itself.  In our meetings with Dr Kalliopi Agapiou-Josephides, representatives from the French Embassy and the director of the French Institute in Cyprus, our ideas took shape and form and were transformed into 3-minute presentations.
Highlights included an informal cocktail night at the French Ambassador's residence, having discussions with Embassy staff (in French) and interacting with renowned academics.  Nevertheless, the most memorable element was the sheer feeling of hope I felt seeing young people use their insightfulness and creativity to solve global challenges.  I feel grateful to Madame Salina Grenet-Catalano for this opportunity and hope that such events will be expanded in the future.

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