Cayman students in UK to meet premier

(CNS Local Life): Cayman students in the UK have been invited to to attend a reception in London where they will get the opportunity to meet fellow students as well as Cayman Islands Government officials. This comes after a recent conference for Overseas Territories students, also held in London, at which Cayman was represented.

Premier Alden McLaughlin will attend the reception and provide updates on his delegation’s visit to the UK along with current affairs and news from the Cayman Islands, stated a press release from the Cayman Islands Government Office UK (CIGO UK). The event, set for Saturday, 8 December, is once again being held at the Cayman Islands Government Office in Mayfair.

Students studying in the UK, who are registered with Cayman Connection UK (CCUK) are encouraged to RSVP by Monday, 6 December.

To register for the event and CCUK, email Cayman Connection. For more information, go to the CIGO UK website.

Previously, on 3 November, more than 50 Overseas Territories students, including those from Cayman, attended a conference at the Natural History Museum in London. The event marked the third student conference organised by  the UK Overseas Territories Association (UKOTA).

The conference presented an opportunity for students from a wide range of cultures to come together and celebrate their shared histories and distinctiveness, said the CIGO UK in a press release. The theme of the 2018 conference was “Identity”, something that “resonates strongly amongst the Overseas Territories”, the release said, adding that at a time of change in the UK with the imminent departure from the European Union, both the UK and its Overseas Territories are reflecting upon their historic ties and cultural identity.

Students were invited to produce a short film depicting their homeland while embracing that theme. Films were shown at the conference in the Flett Events Theatre as part of an Overseas Territories film festival, and were judged by the political and cultural geography academics.

The Cayman Islands film, made by David Ramsaran, Kimberly Ebanks and Jawara Alleyne, and edited by Delissa Hernandez, showcased Cayman’s culture, history and people, focusing on the idea of CaymanKind and the warm caring nature of Caymanian, the press release said.

The Natural History Museum hosts spoke on the vast range of exhibits and specimens held at the museum from UK Overseas Territories across the globe.

The final speaker was Cayman fashion designer Jawara Alleyne, who talked to the audience about his exhibition in the National Gallery of the Cayman Islands and how identity is a key theme in his work.

UKOTA chair Eric Bush, Cayman Islands Representative in the UK said of the event: “We were delighted to be host the important UKOTA students conference, where the future generation of Overseas Territory citizens get to meet, interact and share areas of common interest and celebrate differences.

“We are particularly grateful to the prestigious Natural History Museum for generously hosting the event. The museum offers both fantastic facilities and a genuine insight into the various Overseas Territories, seen through the enormous collection of exhibits gathered from around the globe. I was extremely impressed with the calibre of the students and was very happy with the portrayal of Cayman and its people at the film festival.”

Cayman student Jessie Jackson said he was “really impressed” with the conference, adding, “I was able to meet not only Cayman students in London but also students from other UK territories that I didn’t even know existed. I loved the film festival and was very happy to see Cayman represented so well; it was a great start to my studies in the UK.”

Tags: Cayman Connection UK, Cayman Islands Government Office in the UK

Category: Education