Warwick Law School is delighted to announce that six of our students have been selected to present at The British Conference for Undergraduate Research (BCUR) due to be held at the University of Leeds in April this year.

LLB students Benjamin Nde, Sofia Dadou, Emily Kent, Catherine Nkuo, Marina Pinedo-Ocaña and exchange student Tony Hung will all present their research at the conference scheduled to run from 6-7 April 2020.

BCUR promotes undergraduate research in all disciplines. The conference meets annually every spring at a different British university and undergraduates of all levels are invited to submit papers, posters, workshops and performances. This year Leeds promises an exciting and diverse programme of presentations, workshops and speakers to inspire and encourage outstanding undergraduate researchers from all over the country.

The conference has been running since 2011 and is the first conference of its kind and largest in the UK. According to Dr Jane Bryan, Director of Student Experience at Warwick, “this conference showcases the very best in student research and I am delighted that Warwick Law School will have such a strong presence there, demonstrating the talent and hard-work of our students.”

We caught up with three of our presenters to find out a little more about their research.

What will you presenting on?

Catherine: Is there a formula for dismantling oppression? The presentation will examine the techniques of successful uprisings over the decades, from the Indian independence movement in 1857 to the anti-apartheid revolution in 1948. By uncovering successful methods from different uprisings over the time, this research will reveal any patterns of success, thus discovering if there is a formula for dismantling oppression.

Tony: Exploring the self-determination of Hong Kong. I will explore the definition and its legal ground under international law and treaties. Then, I will examine the possibility of the self-determination of Hong Kong, and the relevant factors influencing its likelihood.

Marina: My paper vindicates for a reform of the legal definitions of rape and sexual abuse in Spain by undertaking a comparative analysis of the laws in other European countries like England or Sweden. It will examine not only the reasons why such reform should be implemented but also the manner in which to do so in order to prevent the problems still evident in the English or Swedish systems.

Why did you decide to take part in this opportunity?

Catherine: Because it is important that we all use our voices about issues that matter. A leader who I think we can all take notes from is Nelson Mandela; Mandela notably said, ‘education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world’. This will be a great opportunity to reach out to other intelligent individuals and hopefully create a chain of beings who are passionate about changing the world like I am.

Tony: I wish to mingle with other UK students who are exploring their interests through research and share my thoughts about my topic, teaching them more about the current situation in Hong Kong, making a contribution/impact to help my home city in its current turmoil. I hope sharing my research will benefit both myself and my audience.

Marina: I want to take my research “to the next level” and be able to share my findings more broadly. The idea of discussing my work and getting expert and interdisciplinary feedback is also very appealing. As a future academic researcher, BCUR offers me a very valuable opportunity to start entering and familiarising myself with the sort of research environments that I hope to frequent in the future, and to meet other young researchers with similar passions.

What skills do you hope it will help you to achieve?

Catherine: I hope that this opportunity will both develop my public speaking skills as well as build my confidence to speak to the masses in the future. I also hope to build connections with other undergrads and develop my understanding of the range of exciting research being shared by others.

Tony: I want to enhance my presentation skills. As English is my second language, it is a good challenge for me to present my topic in front of the native students. I also hope to receive feedback on my research and sharpen my research skills too.

Marina: I wish to sharpen my answering skills to provide satisfactory and interesting responses to all thought-provoking questions about my work. That will also allow me to challenge and expand my own knowledge and understanding of my topic of study. Moreover, this conference poses two main challenges, presenting in 10 minutes a paper I have been researching for months and also explaining my legal findings and arguments to a non-expert audience while making it not only understandable but also engaging and interesting. This is the perfect occasion to develop the communication and presentation skills that will be key for my chosen career path. These are the main reasons why I would highly encourage anyone thinking about a career in academia or researching to present at national conferences like BCUR.

How will this research help you in the future?

Catherine: Well, it is important to note that one country this research uncovers is my country of origin Cameroon; a country where we can currently see the Anglophones fighting against the dictatorship of president Biya, all in the hope to gain their own independent country, Amberzonia. I hope this research can somehow underpin their struggle and suggest ways that we as a collective can help in the future. History is always repeating itself, so I ask you, what can we learn from history to prevent such events from reoccurring?

Tony: I hope my research can inspire others, to broaden their imagination about the future of Hong Kong, as a place with promised democracy and freedom. Recently, Hong Kong is under the threat of the police force's arbitrary arrest and prosecution. A credible government and representatives elected by HK citizens through fair and transparent election, are desperately needed to rectify the police force problem. I wish my research could inject some new thoughts into the debate about whether Hong Kong should be turned into a more autonomous entity, to right the wrong and find the justice my home fellows deserve.

Marina: Up until know, this research has had an enormous impact in terms of defining my career goals, which are to become an academic researcher majoring in criminal law and gender. It has provided me with essential knowledge in my area of study and has also improved some high-value skills for the future such as writing, researching and organizational skills. But most importantly, it has also allowed me to identify those other skills that I still need to work on from this day forth.

We wish all our participants the best of luck at the conference next month.

If students are interested in presenting their research to a global audience, the Law School also takes part in the International Conference of Undergraduate Research (ICUR) which takes place in September. Submit your abstract here: https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/cross_fac/iatl/student-research/icur/icur_2020

Further information:

• Student Research at the Law School
• The British Conference of Undergraduate Research - University of Leeds, 6 – 7 April 2020
• About BCUR
• About Institute for Advanced Teaching and Learning (IATL) - IATL have funding for student projects on a rolling to deadline to kick-start your research.
• Submit your research to the reinvention journal for publication or the Global Undergraduate Awards (deadline for which is 2 June 2020).