Even though over 100 area high school students weren’t in the classroom on Friday, learning didn’t stop.
The students gathered in Houston Hall to attend a series of lectures by Penn professors as part of the second annual Penn International Relations Conference. Sponsored by the Penn International Affairs Association, PIRC aims to bring together “motivated high school students from the Greater Philadelphia area … to impart to students the importance of world politics and global events,” according to the PIRC website.
Nine area high schools were represented at the free all-day event, where presentations centered around the region of Asia. “Asia is a really important topic that students don’t get much exposure to in high school,” Conference Director and College senior Brittany Elliott said. “There is such an emphasis on American history, especially in public schools, but it is more important than ever to have an understanding of the wider world.” Presenters covered a variety of topics including Chinese human rights, development and security issues.
Penn faculty members Amy Gadsden, Avery Goldstein and Arthur Waldron were among those who spoke. Gadsden, associate dean and executive director for International Programs at Penn Law School, said participating at PIRC was a very positive experience. “I am impressed by the IAA’s outreach to the community and I am really excited to see students getting the opportunity to learn about these topics,” Gadsden said.
College senior Anne Sherman spoke on Sino-African relations, sharing her experiences studying abroad in China and Senegal. “I was really impressed by the students,” Sherman said. “They were really knowledgeable and asked a lot of great questions.”
Zachary Stone, a College junior who has traveled to China numerous times, also presented on the topic of human rights.
