Abdel-Hakeem Mohammed. Image: Supplied

In a world increasingly shaped by global conflict, economic instability and shifting power dynamics, young people are often told they are the future. But what happens when they step into that future and start participating in the very conversations that will shape our world?

As a master’s student in Development Studies at the University of the Western Cape (UWC), I spent the last two years doing just that.

From China to Brazil, and from Russia to Sweden, I immersed myself in international diplomacy, global governance debates and academic collaboration while representing UWC on platforms that few students from the Global South ever have access to.

It’s one thing to read about global affairs in a textbook. But it’s another to be in the room, having real conversations with experts, diplomats and students from across the world.

In October 2023, I boarded a plane for the first time out of Africa and headed for the Young Scholars Programme in Shandong, China. I was selected as one of only two UWC students to travel. The two-week academic and cultural immersion introduced me to Chinese universities, museums and policy institutions.

That trip opened my eyes. It was my first taste of what’s out there, and it sparked something in me. I came back knowing I wanted to see more, learn more and contribute more.

Just a few months later, in April 2024, I was on the move again, this time to University West in Sweden as part of a three-month exchange funded by the Brian O’Connell Scholarship, which is facilitated by UWC’s International Relations Office.

Living in a quiet Swedish town provided the space required to focus, but also to explore. During my time in Europe, I travelled to Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Poland - even visiting the EU Parliament in Brussels.

As someone studying international relations and development, being at the EU Parliament was surreal. I could connect my research to real-world institutions and see how theory meets practice.

As the master’s research deepened and focused on agricultural trade, food security and cross-border payments between South Africa and China within the BRICS framework, so too did my global journey.

Between September 2024 and July 2025, I participated in four BRICS Summer Schools across four different member countries, including in Johannesburg, Moscow, Salvador and Shanghai.

In each country, students, academics and young professionals from across the Global South gathered to explore issues like sustainable development, security cooperation and economic reform.

Each school gave us the chance to go beyond academic discussion. We engaged in deep cultural exchange, asked tough questions about global inequality, and built relationships that will last a lifetime.

In Russia, an essay submission earned me top honours and an invitation to return in October 2025, fully funded, to further participate in the 2025 BRICS Summer School hosted in Moscow.

My travels continued at the start of January 2024. In January 2024, the travelling itinerary included Andalo, Italy, for a Winter School on Nuclear Deterrence and Global Conflict, where we heard from scholars and policy experts from Harvard, MIT, Cambridge, the United Nations and the International Atomic Energy Agency.

It was sobering to discuss nuclear deterrence while the war in Ukraine continues and the genocide in Palestine unfolds. But it reminded me why international engagement from the Global South is so important; we have perspectives the world needs to hear.”

Then, in December 2024, I was selected as the UWC representative for the Abe Bailey Travel Bursary, one of the most prestigious youth leadership programmes in South Africa. Only 16 students nationwide are chosen each year.

The experience took me across England and Scotland, where I visited Oxford, Cambridge, the British Parliament, and even ticked off a lifelong dream: watching a live Premier League football match.

It was Manchester City vs Crystal Palace. But beyond the football, it was about meeting other young South African leaders who are also working to make their mark on the world.

I come from UWC. I come from Brooklyn, Cape Town. I’m proof that you don’t need to have international connections or private schooling to take your place on the world stage. You just need to be prepared, put yourself out there, and believe that you belong.

I encourage UWC students - across disciplines from Political Science to Psychology, Law to Development Studies - to explore the scholarships, exchanges and global programmes available through the University.

We often underestimate ourselves, but I’ve seen firsthand that UWC students are capable of excelling on a global level. We’re not just part of the conversation. We can lead it.