Beyond expectation: winning recognition for undergraduate research
James Kenneth entered the Global Undergraduate Awards 2023 in the hope of getting his research published. He ended up with much more – a prize and the experience of a lifetime
James Kenneth
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The phrase “experience of a lifetime” is often overused, and risks bordering on being cliché. It is, however, the perfect way to describe my time at the Global Undergraduate Awards (GUA) in Dublin, Ireland at the start of November this year.
I had the honour and privilege of being invited to GUA’s 2023 Summit as the global winner in the classical studies and archaeology category. My initial reason for submitting to the awards was not actually to win a prize.
Rather, I had been looking for opportunities to publish some of my undergraduate work (something that anyone in the humanities can agree is quite challenging, as far too few outlets exist for this).
Around the time that I was researching undergraduate journals, Western University’s international affairs department sent out details about GUA; it was clear to me that this was a top-level awards programme, which provided the added bonus of publishing the work of its winners.
I decided that I had nothing to lose by entering and submitted papers in three categories. I was beyond happy when I received an email telling me that one of my papers had been commended as one of the top 10 per cent in the world; I was speechless when I got a call two days later telling me that my entry had been selected as the top submission in one of the categories I had entered.
The Global Undergraduate Awards Summit 2023
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I had high expectations when I arrived in Dublin for the Global Undergraduate Awards Summit; those expectations had been exceeded by the time I left a few days later.
From the time I arrived until the time I left, I was impressed with the level of thought and organisation that went into every facet of the summit and its associated events, and simply with how well everything was executed.
From the keynote speakers and breakout sessions to the global winner presentations and the poster session, every aspect of the summit’s formal programme was engaging and enriching. Equally important, the GUA team took great care to provide social events and tours so that we could fully experience Dublin and – most importantly – get to know each other on a personal level.
What really struck me as I reflected on the week while flying back to Canada was that despite being a top-level event attended by brilliant, accomplished individuals, there was nothing “stuffy” about the summit…in fact, quite the opposite.
Even the gala dinner – easily one of the most formal events I have ever attended – was relaxed and fun, with everyone mingling and talking like old friends (which it felt like we had become after just three days together).
I also realised just how positive and supportive the atmosphere was throughout the entire week. One would perhaps expect that such a gathering of scholars might result in tension and clashes of egos. Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, we all cheered each other on as we gave our presentations and showcased our research posters, and everyone had nothing but sincere interest in each other’s work.
The memories and connections I made over the course of the Global Undergraduate Awards Summit will stay with me for many years to come. I am happy with my decision to submit my work to GUA; I strongly urge you to do the same. You have nothing to lose, and the experience of a lifetime to gain.
