From June 17 to June 19, 2025, three recent JCU graduates and student leaders, Sebastian Terrazas, Rhoda Basoah and Federica Murgolo, attended the Student Leader Global Summit to present their project at the University College Cork, Ireland. Accompanied by Anna Cudemo, assistant for student activities and engagement who oversaw the project, the delegation proudly represented JCU on the international stage.
The Student Leader Global Summit is an annual event organized by International Association of Student Affairs and Services (IASAS) and whose primary objective is “to bring student leaders from different parts of the world together to discuss student governance, leadership, mental health and wellbeing, and other topics of shared interest.”
This experience was organized and sponsored by the JCU Student Engagement Office as part of the Student Leadership Program.
The 2025 Global Summit: Sustainable Governance and Student Leadership
The 2025 SLGS summit focused on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Agenda 2030, with a special emphasis on empowering students to promote sustainability and develop leadership skills that translate knowledge into action for a better future.
Throughout the summit, participants engaged in interactive lectures and workshops led by academics, specializing in leadership, sustainability, governance, public health, intercultural understanding, and more. These sessions aimed to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of the SDGs, their impact on daily life, and strategies to leverage them effectively. Additionally, guided by expert facilitation and equipped with practical tools, the students collaborated to design projects to implement one or more SDGs within their own communities, combining theoretical knowledge with hands-on leadership skills.
“One of the most valuable aspects of the summit was the range of expert speakers,” said Rhoda Basoah, secretary of the Black and African Student Association at JCU. “Discussions on systemic inequalities and debt opened my eyes to deeply entrenched global challenges, while sessions on global health emphasized the urgent need to decolonize health systems and shift existing power dynamics. These conversations made us understand the urgency of becoming active leaders in our communities, reminding us that even the smallest changes can make a significant impact.”
Federica Murgolo, treasurer of JCU’s Queer Alliance, said: “The interactive lectures broadened my own understanding of leadership, helping me reflect on the kind of leader I am and the values that guide me.”
SLGS 2025: A New Perspective
Participants represented universities from various countries including Colombia, South Africa, Tunisia, Egypt, Germany, Spain, Ireland, fostering a sense of belonging to a global community of leaders. The diversity represented offered valuable insights into how students experience academic life and leadership in different cultural contexts, highlighting the importance of other perspectives.
“JCU’s student population is probably just as varied, if not more so, than the summit’s participants,” noted Sebastian Terrazas, president of JCU’s Student Government. “I feel as though my experience as a JCU student leader prepared me for the summit. By exposing me to an entire group made up of strangers, the summit forced me outside of my introverted comfort zone to work with new people.”
Dr. Kat Callahan, senior lecturer of leadership studies at Christopher Newport University and coordinator of SLGS, captured the spirit of the summit with her motto: “Be curious, not judgmental.”
