An inspiring keynote by Professor Janet Hemingway kicked off day two of The Big Hope, with the Director of Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine discussing her malaria research.
Professor Hemingway described her work trialling different mosquito nets, as part of research into insecticide resistance in malaria carriers.
The address was followed by a diverse series of discussion forums, which explored women in leadership, faith, environment and technology, migration, and maternal and newborn health. Lively debates were led by a leading experts and commentators on the topics, with delegates invited to ask questions and challenge the panel.
Colonel John Blashford-Snell presented the afternoon’s keynote speech, which reflected on his involvement in Operation Raleigh with His Royal Highness Prince Charles. Operation Raleigh took 400 young people from across the globe on life-changing missions and adventures.
He encouraged the young delegates to embrace this outlook on life and return to their communities with a mind-set for change. Colonel Blashford-Snell said:
The Big Hope 2 is all about becoming leaders… return home, communicate and inspire.
Throughout the afternoon, delegates attended a series of workshops where they took part in everything from dance to the exploration of conservation. A session run by Milapfest saw women from India, France, the US and UK learn traditional Sufi and Qawwali dance moves to a famous unity song, while the University’s Special Collections team hosted a workshop exploring the history of fake news and truth in the Tudor period.
Samaya, who took part in the Special Collections session, said: “I’m keen to study an MA in Linguistics in the UK, so the Communication and Truth Learning Track was particularly interesting to me. I’ve travelled from Bangalore in India for the Congress, and was surprised by how diverse it is, with people from all over the world coming together. It’s my first time in the UK, and I’ve enjoyed touring the city and exploring the idyllic campus.”
Evening activities saw delegates relax after a busy first day of workshops and lectures, with a quiz and live music in the University’s social hub - Our Place.