Warwickshire News Mine

Samera Hussain and Kenneth Smailes, who both live in Warwick, were named in the Prime Minister’s top 100 Global Fellows for this year.

The pair recently returned from a six week expedition to China and Brazil respectively, and last week they hosted assemblies at Aylesford to tell their former schoolmates about their experiences.

Every year, 100 young people spend six weeks during July and August investigating issues of culture, language, education and global enterprise.

Samera toured China and during that time learned basic Mandarin, took in the culture and visited sights including Tianamen Square and the Great Wall.

Kenneth saw many facets of Brazilian culture and picked out the social projects as the highlight of his visit, especially those in the favelas.

Judith Young, Warwickshire County Council’s International Development Officer, was on the panel involved in the selection process of the 100 Global Fellows.

She said: “The Prime Minister’s Global Fellowship marks a conscious step in developing the understanding of global issues among talented young people in England. It also aims to give them the experience, skills and confidence to turn the challenges of living in an interdependent world into opportunities and the ability to succeed in the future.”

Samera, aged 18, completed A-levels in Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics and History at Aylesford. She is now starting a science degree at Aston University.

Kenneth, also 18, finished his A-levels in Chemistry, Art, Mathematics and History and is studying History with International Relations at Reading University.

The Prime Minister’s Global Fellowship works with school and college leavers, youth community representatives and apprentices to give them a strong foundation in interacting with one of the major countries of the new global economy; Brazil, China and India.

On their return they automatically become part of a network of young people in England with a personal understanding of global citizenship and a well-grounded insight into what it will take to contribute to and compete in our changing world.  They all have a responsibility to turn their personal learning into relevant information for other young people and the wider community. Samera and Kenneth are scheduled to meet the Prime Minister at Downing Street to talk about their adventures later this year.

Cultures, economies and people around the world are connected more than ever before which creates new challenges but also opens up exciting possibilities for a new generation of young people and future leaders.
The Prime Minister’s Global Fellowship programme is funded by the Department for Children, Schools and Families. It was devised and developed with and will be managed by the British Council, in collaboration with the Talent and Enterprise Taskforce. 
The Global Fellowship will be a signature programme for the new Talent and Enterprise Taskforce, which aims to unlock talent in young people. The programme will communicate to young people the narrative of global competitiveness, through the Fellows’ experiences of the ambition, energy and hunger for success of the world’s fast-growing economies.

Link to WCC