UBC MPPGA students Susanne Beilmann and Tommy Koh participated in the T20 Argentina Summit in Buenos Aires as VISION20 (V20) Fellows. They joined Professor Yves Tiberghien (V20 Co-Chair and Founder, UBC Political Science) in coordinating the collaborative Brookings-V20 panel on “Visioning the Future”. The T20 (or Think20) is a think-tank driven network that seeks to add value to the G20 process through evidence-based public policy proposals.
The well-attended panel featured a diversity of global views. V20 Co-chair Colin Bradford (Brookings, USA) was joined by Sergio Bitar (Inter-American Dialogue, Chile), Chen Dongxiao (Shanghai Institute of International Studies, China), and Julia Pomares (CIPPEC, Argentina). The panel sought to identify drivers of ongoing disruptions to the global order and to articulate a future vision through concrete proposals.
During their time in Buenos Aires, Susanne and Tommy engaged representatives from think-tanks, academia, civil society, and Government. They also connected with new and existing V20 partners and affiliates including Alan Alexandroff (V20 Co-chair, University of Toronto Munk School), Tim Doyle (V20 Partner, Centennial College) and Claire Floody (V20 Fellow, Centennial College).
Following their participation in T20 Argentina, Susanne and Tommy will provide research support to the V20 Co-chairs and prepare policy briefs and reports for publication.
The V20 initiative offers a unique opportunity for the inclusion of youth voices in conversations about global governance and the global order. Learn more about the VISION20 initiative, founded at UBC, on Twitter @v20summit and by visiting its website at www.thevision20.org
Tommy: Participating in T20 Argentina as a VISION20 Fellow provided me with fresh insight on the process of governance. Being able to observe the T20 and how think-tanks seek to influence policymakers was particularly instructive, especially for my career as a future policymaker.
Buenos Aires was also an opportunity to reconnect with V20 affiliates who I previously met at the Brookings-V20 workshop on Social Cohesion in April 2018. This enabled me to stay abreast of the newest ideas in governance and social cohesion while strengthening my professional relationships.
I’m hopeful and confident that the ongoing work of the V20 and its partners will meaningfully influence the achievement of global stability today and the improvement of global governance tomorrow. This remains a unique chance to observe and participate in global governance and is a valuable and peerless opportunity to UBC’s MPPGA program.
Susanne: Participating in the T20 Summit as a VISION20 Fellow was an invaluable experience in my training as a future policy maker. The various sessions and side events wherein think tank leaders and policy experts shared research-based policy recommendations on topical issues were incredibly informative. Learning more about how different organizations and leaders continue to collaborate to find inclusive and sustainable solutions to today’s global problems was thought-provoking and inspirational.
Connecting with V20 affiliates and discussing the ideas presented, as well as formulating our own ideas, was an excellent exercise that allowed me to apply the lessons and skills learned in the classroom to real-life problems.
The V20’s innovative ideas and leadership in policy and governance are a necessity for today’s many challenges, and I am confident that the V20 will continue to affect positive change in key areas. For students, being part of this team provides unparalleled opportunities to learn about policy making and governance in real-life settings, meet industry leaders and grow our professional networks.
