Like all Heads of United World Colleges, there is an expectation that I will attend at least one (and hopefully more) of the regional meetings of the UWC National Committees each year.  The regional meetings are an important time for National Committee members (almost all of whom are volunteers) to meet with each other and with College representatives, to discuss issues that inevitably improve the consistency and quality of selection processes, to guide the strategic direction of the UWC Movement, and to establish and maintain relationships that must be subsequently sustained via e-mail, telephone and postal communications during the subsequent three before the next regional meeting.

This weekend, the European National Committees have been meeting in Brussels (Belgium), and I have been representing LPCUWC.  The importance of the European meeting can be seen in the fact that 9 of the 12 IBDP Colleges are represented; over half the National Committees world-wide are situated in Europe.  The meeting was certainly a large one, with 88 delegates attending the three-day meeting.  As always at these regional gatherings, the meeting was characterised by the enthusiasm, commitment, idealism and camaraderie of everyone present.

Among the significant topics discussed were:

•promotion, selection and preparation of UWC students;

•the new UWC branding;

•using potential and diversity as criteria for selection

•fundraising opportunities

•needs-based scholarships

•the new UWC proposal for Spain

•UWC outreach

As most of the Colleges were represented, a session was held where Heads were asked to answer various questions without notice from National Committee representatives.  Furthermore, an extra meeting was held for Heads to undertake a consultation on the UWC branding proposals.  In response to the discussion at the recent International Council meeting, some exciting new work had been done on the new branding, including some excellent new logo proposals and some proposed ‘key messages’.  I really appreciated being part of this consultation, as well as having the opportunity to provide feedback from our board members on the earlier proposals.

It was especially encouraging to see three recent graduates of LPCUWC playing significant roles in National Committees.  It was great to catch up with my former students – Katre Vahtra (Estonia), Mikito Takada (Finland) and Neil Keating (Great Britain – but Ireland when at LPCUWC) – and experience first-hand that they have lost none of their eloquence and exuberance since leaving Hong Kong.

On the afternoon of the day I arrived for the meeting (indeed, just 90 minutes after my plane had landed), I was on the train with a group of UWC National Committee representatives to inspect the new United World College in Maastricht.  After having been part of the process to approve the new College, it was an exhilarating feeling to see the College in reality. 

Our hosts were extremely hospitable, greeting us with Dutch pie and coffee on arrival, providing us with a briefing on the College, including input from students on the CAS program, before showing us through the College, both primary and secondary sections.  The primary section is housed in temporary (but nonetheless excellent) buildings that were attached to the secondary school buildings just a few weeks ago.  The secondary section, while a bit grey and dismal on the outside, has excellent facilities, being built in an organic form around a huge central atrium.

Although the facilities are very adequate in every way, it is planned to replace the buildings we saw with a new purpose-built facility in about three years from now.  We were shown the site for the new College, as well as the building that will be used from September 2010 to accommodate the international students from around the world.  The location of the student residences was especially impressive, being in an elegant building in central Maastricht, just across the road from the central square housing the city’s old administrative building (the Town Hall).

Unfortunately, on the day I visited Maastricht, the weather was somewhat grey and overcast.  Nonetheless, I managed to take some photos (of course!), and I have created a gallery of 33 images of UWC Maastricht which can be seen HERE.