Meghan Lai Winner of the 2025 Magna Charta Observatory Essay Competition
B.A.(Education); Major in Education in Global Contexts student, Meghan Lai, submitted her essay to Magna Charta Observatory (MCO) conducted their annual Essay Competition, responding to the question: "Drawing on your experience, how might your university engage more effectively with stakeholders both to improve both access to higher education for all and enhance the learning experience of students?" Lai's essay, "What is D without EI: Enhancing Access and Learning through Political, Curricular, and Data-Centred Reform". This piece explores the notable progress in increasing access to higher education for diverse groups, but the lack of inclusionary and equitable practices in teaching and learning at the university level. Her essay argued that students, as the most important stakeholders in a university setting, should have a greater say in university governance reform through political, curricular, and data-centred channels. The MCO received ninety-four essays from students in thirty-seven countries. Meghan was selected as one of five winners of the essay competition and was awarded an expenses-paid trip to Cape Town, South Africa, to participate in the World Access to Higher Education Network (WAHEN)'s World Access to Higher Education Day (WAHED) 2025 conference on October 27-28.
