Jane Pollock - Common Purpose, University of Johannesburg, South Africa

Global Leadership Programme – Johannesburg 2023

“A once in a life time experience which has enriched my leadership skills and expanded my horizons, I am grateful to have had the opportunity to be part of such a meaningful programme.”

Memorable moments

Visiting a variety of organisations and fully immersing in the experience, interviewing and having interesting conversations with some incredible people - examples include the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department and the South Africa Federation for Mental Health.

Visiting a safari national park with a new group of friends, seeing a range of amazing animals in their natural habitat. This included giraffes, zebras, elephants, hippos, rhinos and wildebeests. A once in a life time opportunity.

Experiencing a new culture

The culture in South Africa was incredible. Everyone that I came in to contact with, whether it be my peer students from Ulster University, the students in the University of Johannesburg, staff in hotels and various settings that we found ourselves in over the course of the week, or just members of the public - was so welcoming and friendly. I have never felt as accepted into a community and culture before, and it was extremely refreshing.

There were a number of cultural differences which took a little while to get used to. Load shedding is an energy utility method of reducing demand on energy generation systems by temporarily switching off distribution of energy for a period of time. Living in NI, I have always completely taken our constant energy supply for granted. This was a real eye opener and made me so appreciative of what I have at my disposal at home.

Challenges

On the Common Purpose Global Leadership Programme that we were working on whilst in Johannesburg, one of the key themes of the week was to keep an open mind, and to listen and appreciate to the opinions and perspectives of others. This was a concept that was quite new to me, but it was valuable in taking the time to understand the reasoning behind differences in opinion that we all may have had.

Another challenge which I faced was the issue of speaking out in groups / public speaking. In academic settings, this is something which I feel I have always really struggled with - whether due to a lack of confidence, heightened nerves, or a combination of both. Whilst working on this programme, I had many opportunities to speak out and get involved - through cafe style conversations, organisational immersions and presentations to the group. Stepping outside of my comfort zone and taking this step to challenge myself has helped me develop on both a personal and a professional level.

Making friends

The group of people on this programme were extremely diverse - coming from different age groups, backgrounds, academic settings, upbringings and locations. Everyone was so lovely, and so invested and interested in getting to know each other and connect, personally and professionally. We have all kept in touch via a range of channels, whether it be LinkedIn, Instagram or WhatsApp!

Advice

If you are considering a global mobility experience with UU - whether it be for a week away like myself, or a month, semester, or even a year abroad - absolutely go for it. The experience to be gained through learning and developing in another country and culture cannot be compared to anything else. If it will mean stepping outside of your comfort zone, you will be so thankful for it when you take that step!