On the GwyddonLe stage at Urdd Eisteddfod in Meifod, the Morgan Institute Challenge was held again this year, a public speaking competition open to year 10 - 13 school pupils and sponsored by the Morgan Advanced Studies Institute, Swansea University. The topic of this year's Challenge was "A Carbon Free Future for Wales: Dream or Reality?" and the judges, Professor Trystan Watson from Swansea University's School of Engineering and BBC Radio Cymru journalist Heledd Siôn, awarded Esther Harper the title of best speaker 2024.
Esther is a year 10 pupil at Ysgol Gyfun Ystalyfera, and as well as winning a monetary award for her school, she also had the opportunity to choose work experience organised by Academi Hywel Teifi. Esther is interested in international law and politics, so it was arranged that she attend a workshop organised by the Hillary Rodham Clinton School of Law, Swansea University.
Professor Yvonee McDermott Rees, a specialist in international law from the School of Law, and one of the speakers at the workshop, took Esther under her wing for the day. The focus of the event varied from looking at the role of the International Criminal Court and community accountability processes in the context of post-atrocity justice, to bias and bias in court cases and the justice system when considering false evidence, in particular artificial intelligence and deepfakes. Esther got a taste of very different but very timely and important issues which affect international law today.
Esther was fortunate enough to visit the Senedd also, shadowing Sioned Williams who is the Member of Senedd for South Wales West. As well as a tour of the Senedd and an opportunity to learn about the work and role of an MS, Esther was able to watch a session of First Minister's Questions. What an experience!
Speaking about her experience, Esther said: "Since I won the Morgan Institute Challenge at the Urdd Eisteddfod 2024, it has been a huge privilege and pleasure to be part of the very interesting experiences organised by Swansea University. Through these experiences, I had the opportunity to meet experts in their field and learn from their experiences, specifically in the fields of politics, law and social justice. I will not forget the great people I have met as a result of winning the competition and the valuable skills I have gained through these experiences, which have broadened my horizons, not only in my work path, but in my life choices. I am very grateful to Academi Hywel Teifi for their organisation work and their generosity during this period. I look forward to seeing their valuable work continue!"