Yeji Kim (MSc Refugee and Forced Migration Studies, 2024) will lead a workshop at the upcoming Borders, Belonging, and Building Futures conference, titled Power and Influence: Who Actually Decides?
Drawing on real-world examples, the session will invite participants to examine how influence works within complex systems, how harmful structures are sustained, and where meaningful intervention is most likely to be successful. Since completing her MSc at Reuben College, Kim has continued to consult for non-governmental organisations, governments, and monitoring bodies on policy regarding the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and accountability pathways. Alongside this, she contributes to democracy education initiatives across schools in the UK.
On her how her time at Reuben has contributed to her current path, she notes:
Being a Reubenite means becoming someone who actually does things. Reuben is interdisciplinary by design, with founding principles that put public engagement, social responsibility and equality front and centre. That is not decorative language; it shapes how you think and what you do with your research. It goes beyond just studying the world's biggest problems. It expects its members to do something about them.
Borders, Belonging, and Building Futures is a national, student-led conference on refugee health, rights, and belonging. It will take place from 16-17 May at Pembroke College, Oxford and is organised by students at the University of Oxford in collaboration with the Oxford Refugee Health Initiative and national student networks.
