Future of Our Cities

Six student delegates from DAIS participated in the Future of Our Cities Conference on 11th May, hosted by the UWCSEA School, Singapore. Our delegates were Aryana Barai, Freeyah Golia, Taher Kachwala, Shiv Mehta, Aryan Pai and Gayatri Srivastava. The conference had about 30 participating schools from India, Australia, England and the USA.

All delegations were required to make an infographic of their city and how they envisioned it would be in the period of 50 years by 2071. This task allowed delegates to think creatively about the ideas and technology of the future. It prompted them to think critically about the problems they see in their cities that they would want to change and resolve. The DAIS delegates worked on an infographic based on the map of Mumbai to envision a city with considerable development in the environmental, health, social and technological sectors. There was also a mock conference a week before the main meeting, which allowed the delegates to interact with and get to know the delegations from other schools through interactive ice-breaker games.

During the main conference, delegates had the opportunity to discuss the elements of a future city and test their knowledge through engaging Kahoot games. During the baraza sessions, they got the chance to present their infographics to everyone, sparking fruitful discussions about the similarities and differences between each delegation’s plan for a future city. The delegates had an enriching experience, having been exposed to and learning from others’ ideas about their cities. This gave them the chance to reflect on the strengths of the other teams; moreover, it helped them identify areas where they might adopt ideas from others.

The Future of Our Cities Conference was a brilliant opportunity for delegates to hone their social skills and teamwork while also opening their eyes to the perspectives and ideas of their peers in schools across the world. It was an excellent learning experience which also provided them with a clear insight into the technical aspects of hosting such a big online event.

Student Reflections:

Aryana Barai: The Round Square Conference held by UWSCEA, was truly a memorable event, which I could never forget, I all learnt about various cultures and how cities would look like in 50 years, as well as teaching students about Mumbai. I also made new friends from all over the globe, like the UK, Australia, Africa, India and Singapore, during the breakout rooms. Overall, I loved this opportunity and we’ll never forget it! I’m beyond grateful for this opportunity!!

Freeyah Golia:I am truly thankful to my teachers for giving me the opportunity to attend this event and interact with students from all across the globe. The thing that I enjoyed the most was playing the kahoots prepared by the United World College of South East Asia (UWCSEA). We had great discussions and shared our views on questions asked by our baraza group leader. This event made me realise that a lot that can be changed to benefit both the environment and our countries. I had a great time and hope that I will get many opportunities like this in the future.