LSST Writing Competition 2023 Winners Announced at The Tony Blair Institute for Global Change
By Kunal Chan Mehta | Article Date: 27 October 2023
The winners of an innovative writing competition, organised by LSST and featuring esteemed panellists from CNN and The Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, have been revealed. The competition provided LSST students, across all courses and campuses, with an exceptional platform to showcase their writing talents tailored for non-specialist audiences. With a prize fund of £850, the competition serves as a unique platform for students to exhibit their writing acumen and engage in thought-provoking dialogues in the presence of expert panellists.
For LSST’s 2nd annual writing competition, the themes of AI, governments and the metaverse inspired hundreds of captivating submissions, in which the panellists found wonderful wordplay and wisdom.
The challenge of choosing a winner was taken up by this year’s judging panel, which comprised of Daniel Sleat, Senior Policy Advisor for Europe & Global Trends at The Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, and Monica Sarkar, Senior Editor at CNN International in London along with Kunal Chan Mehta, PR Manager – and competition organiser – at LSST.
Ahmed Al-Athwari, a Business student from LSST Aston was given the top prize of £500 for his outstanding poignant and piquant exploration of the Metaverse as a plausible future for the internet. The panellists asserted that Ahmed’s well-constructed work had a wonderful narrative about the Metaverse and portrayed its transformative power in the most simple and succinct way possible.
Ahmed expressed his immense pride, stating that the moment he found out he was a first prize winner was ‘one of the proudest days of his life’. He also thanked staff at The Tony Blair Institute for Global Change for their personalised and encouraging feedback and expertise.
The essence of the day was not solely the recognition bestowed upon the competition’s victors but also the exceptional opportunity they had to gain insights from researchers and policy analysts. The Tony Blair Institute generously extended its support to the winners by offering individually signed copies of Sir Tony Blair’s renowned book, “A Journey,” to the competition winners. Recognising the emerging writers’ literary talents, this gesture provided invaluable resources and inspiration to hone their craft.
Mr Ali Jafar Zaidi, LSST’s Deputy CEO, emphasised the importance of the competition: ‘I am absolutely thrilled with the outstanding submissions and the remarkable scope of creative thinking. This competition clearly empowers LSST students to express their views and helps them discover their unique voices and writing styles.’
The student winners are currently collaborating with Kunal Chan Mehta, LSST’s PR Manager, on various writing initiatives for LSST Life magazine, including additional articles, academic and creative writing webinars, and article writing presentations.
For any questions or comments about this article, please do not hesitate to contact the author, Kunal Chan Mehta, at kunal.mehta@lsst.ac.
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Engaging in this activity has been a source of immense joy, expanding my experiences and strengthening my self-confidence. I am deeply grateful to LSST, particularly Mr. Kunal, for his exceptional supervision during the competition. Additionally, I extend my appreciation to Sir Tony Blair for honouring me with his signed book, “The Journey,” and to the members of his Institute for Global Change, as well as CNN, for their oversight and outstanding contributions