Competition #6 winners!
03 March 2025
Festival experts
Welcome to this week’s competition! Every Monday we’ll open a new competition and the winners will be announced on Fridays. If you win, you’ll get three stars and your entries will be pinned to the top of the discussion!
This competition is nice and simple. We’d like you to let us know something you’ve learned from one of our Festival 2025 experts.
To enter the competition...
Step one: choose one of the Festival 2025 experts
Step two: explain one thing that you learned from them. Try to be specific – for example, you could quote something they said and say how it affected you, or mention a particular fact they shared.
You could phrase your entry like this:
“The expert I learned most from during Festival 2025 is xxx. They taught me that xxx.”
Remember: all of your examples need to be about Festival 2025 experts.
This competition is now closed. Well done to the winners below!
Comments (45)
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The expert I learned most from during festival 2025 is Yulia Starostina .She taught me many things ranging from the difficulties faced by journalists to importance of reporting truthfully which helped enhance my empathetic as well as critical skills.While listening to her interviews and views upon the topic of The war of Russia and Ukraine, She stated many things which made me feel heartbroken.
She told that the journalists of Russia are forbidden to speak the truth about the war like how many innocent people are dying in Ukraine because of Russian attacks,Wrong steps taken by the government etc.She also stated a particular quote that changed my perspective towards journalism and to what extent can propoganda cover the truth.She stated that the citizens of Russia were told that this is "Not a War but a Special Military Operation" Yulia also bravely revealed the truth to the world about the harsh reality and the hardships faced by the journalists while uncovering the truth.She gave many examples and motivated me.She gave live examples of her colleagues facing harsh treatments after reporting truth,But still Yulia is bravely fighting for the rights of journalists and is continuously working to bring the truth to the public.
To conclude i would like to say that Yulia Starostina is the person from whom I learnt the most during the festival as she motivated and taught many people including myself to support the truth,Be empathetic and to bravely bring the truth to the light. -
The expert I learned most from during Festival 2025 is One Small step for women and one giant leap for humankind. They taught me the struggles that women go through especially in the job industry. There is a thing called the motherhood penalty that can affect the women's payroll just because she has a child. In my opinion I think this is very unfair to the women of the world. Also, women can be portrayed by movies or shows this is called stereotype and expectation. When you watch movies or read stories, women are mostly given domestic roles and caregiving responsibilities.
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My most admired expert in the topical talk festival 2025 is Shauna, She is a brave astronaut from Canada precisely and will be one of the first astronauts to travel to space in 2026. what I like about her is her braveliness and courage, the way she speaks, the way she always emphasizes on the future of girls and gender equality .
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The expert I learned most from during Festival 2025 is Dr Shawna Pandya. She taught me that if you want to break the gender inequalities problem, or do lots of things in your life and be a role model you have to work hard like Dr Shawna Pandya (as she said in Youtube video) , the thing that made her successful is her hard working she is an astronaut, a sky diver, a Taekwondo Player (LIKE ME), a doctor, physician, pilot-in-training, advanced diver, and I think there is more!!! So what do you think, isn't she a role model and a hard worker???
Also, my dream is to be in an advanced belt in Taekwondo and be a good physician like her. That's why she is a role model for me and also I think for many people too!!! This is is a proof why I chose her because she is a role model who had lots of experience. -
I learnt that “TRAINING OUR MIND REQUIRES EXERCISE “ I have observed and analyse majority of expert comments and they share something in common that they ask us to think the other way round and makes our mind exercise. They try to ask in such a way that our mind adapts to think differently in different situations and with different perspectives. To be specific one expert comment that I was really attracted to was by Yeman @ KPMG in Syria topic where question was what should happen to refugees, which was explaining that to show skills of topical talk we need not only research because it does not represent the complete story instead, we should not comment without knowing complete information because what the research tells might also not be 100% truthful and we un-necessarily blaming someone . Along with facts we also need originality which comes from our own thoughts so for an ideal comment we need: our thoughts+ facts + more than one way of thinking ( basically having maximum views for a single problem which requires thinking differently ). Therefore I thank all experts for teaching me to adapt and think with every side of the glass and train my mind and this is also a kind of hint from all the experts that if you want to achieve stars or want your view to be highlighted you need to see problems with different mindsets according to it . Thank you all experts again !
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The expert I learned most from during Festival 2025 is Dr Shawna Pandya. She taught me about gender equality and how women can also be space explorers and pursue the career they want to. She did this by explaining about space agencies and how only 12% of space explorers and astronauts have been women. And she tells us that even though this may be the case, women can still go out and pursue a career in the space field. And she encourages young kids and people to pursue careers in the space field, and encourages them that women as space explorers and astronauts are completely normal or any field that women want to pursue. So, with this being said. the expert I learned most from during Festival 2025 is Dr Shawna Pandya. she taught and showed me about gender equality and how it is completely normal for women to be space explorers and astronauts and even encourages young girls and people to pursue any field or career they want to, even though they may be a different gender.
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Dr. Shawna Pandya is also the expert I learned most during the Festival 2025. She taught me that girls and women can go space and that as a woman don't allow anyone tell you what you can and can't do. Women can also work in other careers and be a researcher, a doctor, a builder or whatever you set your mind to do. Just go for it, and live up your dreams, follow your instincts. Dr. Shawna Panyda is a good motivator for young girls and women. I believe more platforms should be set up where we can get ladies like her come speak to young girls, schools and other organisations should also work on getting more successful women come speak to young people. The more people hear this kind of message, the more parents, young girls and women will be won over as the way people think will begin to change which will lead to all nations having more girls and women in STEM.
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The expert I learned most during Festival 2025 is Dr Sian Leo Proctor. All the experts were amazing and inspiring but Sian was on a completely different level. Being a woman, Sian has overcome all the gender barriers and stereotypes, becoming the FIRST WOMAN commercial space ship pilot and is the ONLY African - American woman to be a mission pilot! That is a very valuable achievement and she has our respect for this. She also become one of the people who inspire me the most, after I watched her video!
Sian's idea of JEDI space only serves to make her more admirable. "As we strive for JEDI space; this just, equitable, diverse and inclusive space for all the humanity, that means more access for women and people of color in space." These words of hers have affected me deeply and made me understand the importance of how Space industries play a big role in gender inequality. Sian also taught me that how we can convey power messages through simple arts! -
The expert I learned most from during Festival 2025 is Tejas Chopra. He spoke on the topic " Is AI sustainable yet? ". He made strong points about how AI is not yet sustainable and causes harm to our planet due to the excess use of electrical power. He also talked about how people's jobs are going to be lost because they will be replaced with AI. During our lesson we talked about how we can prevent some of these things from happening, one way is to use renewable energies for powering AI and also use recycled hardware to build AI.
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I learnt that there is a company which helps immigrants become though leader which I think is very good as other country can learn from other countries about different thoughts and share ideas. I got this from Tejas Chopra who is a speaker of AI and sustainablilty. This organisation is called GoEB1
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I learned a lot from the AI sustainability Lesson ,Before the lesson I had no idea that AI took so many resources I'm not sure if the helpful things outweigh the bad things about AI .However I believe that AI will eventually grow a mind of it's own but it could find multiple solutions to solve global problems such as Global Warming and Poverty.
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Flora@ Topical talk sorry for the late reply mam...I think it is good because when two companies idea is merged together it could give a great output... That could be useful for the future generation...I didn't think about any risk mam as the company can fix any error with other technologies mam
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Syria:As everyone knows Syria has been intimidated for years by the reign of the Ashad family since they put anyone in prison if they rebelled against them but the rebels have took over and this could maybe be a fresh start for Syria since they might be a better president
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The expert I learned the most from during Festival 2025 is Vynohrad Makysm. By watching his video, I learned that not only soldiers are suffering in Ukraine and Russia, but their families too. Soldiers are dying and there families are suffering mentally and physically, like taking up anorexia (not eating food), sleep loss or specific mental issues. Moving on, he also taught me that soldiers coming out of war are severely injured which affects them physically as long as they live. As Maksym stated in his video, even if this war ends tomorrow it will affect the world for decades maybe centuries! I am glad that he shared this news with us because it is good to tell children what is happening in the world- even if it is negative- because it will shape our world for the next generation. Looking forward to seeing if anyone else agrees. Thank you!
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The expert I learned most from during Festival 2025 is Dr. Shawna Pandya from the "One small step for women, one giant leap for humankind" topic. She taught me that women can do anything that they set their mind to, regardless of the boundaries that people set on them. She helped me further understand the impact that women can have on society even though other people don't want to see it or understand it. She helps me understand that even though men and women get different treatments, that we can make the most of what we have and we can further grow from the situations that we get put into.
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The expert I have learned the most from is Dr. Shawna Pandya, a Canadian astronaut who will be flying to space with the Virgin Galactic Delta class as part of the International Institute of Astronautics Sciences in 2026. This is incredibly exciting and inspiring! She has taught me the importance of perseverance and has accomplished so much in the field of space exploration. As a young woman aspiring to become an astronaut, her journey means a lot to me. It gives me hope that I can succeed and overcome the challenges I will face, and it reassures me that it’s possible to have a family while breaking barriers and achieving my dreams.
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"...Don't let anyone tell you, you can't do it. Pick whatever it is you wanna do. Seek to become the best at it. Work really really hard to get where you wanna be..." was said by Dr Shawna Pandya. She has taught me perseverance, strength, and the true will to follow your dreams because they're NOT out of reach. During this festival we discussed inequality between genders and I was once again reminded about the unfair society we have where women are seen and treated as "less" than men. Through her, I found out that only 12% of space explorers were women and that only 6-7% of women were pilots. An astonishing fact and reminder of our unfair past but Dr Shawna Pandya has also rekindled a spark of hope within me. A spark of hope that one day, we might not have male-dominated industries but instead industries full of EQUALS, and maybe even I could take part in this change like Dr Shawna Pandya. In my eyes, she is an extraordinary person, I'm sure her journey wasn't easy yet she talked to us with hopes of inspiring the new generation to follow in similar footsteps, with a proud smile on her face. She has filled me with hope of a more equal future for women and taught me that my dreams, like many other girls' dreams are possible of becoming more than just dreams: reality. I aspire to be like Dr Shawna Pandya and I thank her as well as topical talk for re-lighting a once diminish flame of passion towards my interests for my future because at the end of the day, after all that hard work "then you actually belong there 'cause I promise you that you do" -Dr Shawna Pandya.
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The expert that motivated me and inspired me is Shawn Pandya. I remember a statement she made which was " Pick whatever it is you want to do, seek to become the best at it. Work really, really, really hard to get to where you want to be and act like you belong there because I promise you that you do." This statement didn't only teach me to believe in myself but it inspired me to do the best I can in any where I find myself. I know she has taught others to believe in themselves but to me, she motivated me to strive for the best and I am sure I will go far in life because of her inspiration. I remember an encouragement she gave to children who's parents are doing jobs that people think are gender based. She said don't be shy to let others know what your parents are doing, but be bold to let it out because you might not know if you are inspiring others to do things that people say they can't. At this rate, when every body is proud of what they are doing, our world will be a stereotype free world.
Thank you!! -
The expert I learned the most from during festival 2025 is Andrew Aldrin. He taught me that women are capable and even more because it tells me that women should not be left out because they can be more capable and that means they should not be cheated because it can lead to a big loss. This statement taught me that we shouldn't think women are not able and capable of doing those jobs men are doing and therefor they should be given more opportunities .
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The expert I learned most from during the festival 2025 is DR Andrew Aldrin. He taught me that we need both hands from the male and female to make space successful and we also need support from both the female and male that is very true. Also the more both genders work in space, the more the rate of success in space exploration increases. I think it is better that male and female work together, I say so because if a particular gender work on their own, space will likely lack a lot of things which could bring a lot of effect on the society and in space. That quote he said taught me other things like the impact women can bring to space and that women are capable of doing any of these space exploration as far as the have the ability in them.
Thank You!!! -
The expert I learn most from during festival 2025 is Anna Touzova . she taught me that more than 1300 school were destroyed she also said that Poland was the first country to support Ukrainians refuges . for the school that were destroyed ,was A negative impact on the children in my own perspective. Ukraine refuges had to flee for their lives because of the war . Anna tuzova helped me to understand better, the effect of the war on the children.
THANK YOU🙏🙏🙏 -
The expert I learned most from during festival 2025 is Shawna Pandya, she taught me that I should not let anyone tell me I can't do it. All I need to do is put my mind to it no matter what people are saying or think about my career. I should remain focused and who knows I will achieve my goal. Also, Shawna Pandya being a female and being capable of doing a whole lot of things in her career and beyond shows that I can achieve anything I set my mind on no matter the gender I belong to.
Thank you! -
The expert I learned most from during Festival 2025 Dr. Shawna Pandya she taught me that it is very important that kids think that it is not strange that their mums are astronauts. this means children ( both male and female) should be informed early enough about the possibility of having women as astronaut in space. This could desire kids to be astronauts as they are growing up.
THANKS! -
The expert I learned most from during Festival 2025 is Dr. Shawna Pandya. She taught me that space exploration is not just about rockets and astronauts; it’s about how we, as humans, adapt and grow in environments that are totally different from Earth. She said something that stuck with me: “In space, you are constantly learning to survive in an environment that wants to kill you.” It felt like she was telling me that space is a giant classroom where every challenge is a lesson. This made me think about how amazing humans are at figuring out ways to live in places that are as cold and empty as the moon or Mars. Dr. Pandya’s words made me feel like I could do anything if I put my mind to it—like how astronauts train to live in space, we can train ourselves to face difficult things in life! It’s almost like she was a wizard, teaching us magic tricks to survive in the harshest conditions of all. It made me realize how small challenges on Earth are nothing compared to what astronauts face every day. It was like opening a door to a world full of possibilities and I couldn't help but feel excited about the future. I wonder, will we ever send people to Mars? What do you think it will be like there?
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The expert I learned the most from during festival 2025 is Dr Andrew Aldrin . He taught me that women are as capable as men . If you look around now women are leaders in companies and organisations . An example of one of these women is Gwynne ShotWell ,Gwynne Shotwell is SpaceX's president and COO(Chief Operating Officer), and she manages the operations of the space exploration company founded by Elon Musk. Gwynne is an example of a female leader in our current society and how women are as capable as men.
Another thing he said was that they are running space programs with half of one arm , meaning that they need and want more women in the space programs and industries.
Andrew also said let's recognise the organisations like Women in space. Let's keep doing the things we are doing, and regularise women being in the space industry. -
The expert I learned the most during the festival is Eva @ Topical Talk as she motivated all the students a lot by asking about their thoughts and what they think, by commenting on as many posts as possible. It was very heartwarming that she tried to comment on many comments.
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The expert I learned most from during Festival 2025 is Dr. Sian Leo Proctor. She taught me how to travel to space without going the traditional way, how to become an astronaut, and how to use your talents to have a positive impact on others, and how this has a positive impact on JEDI. She is the best female astronaut I have ever met who was steadfast in her pursuit of her dreams. Through her poetry, we learn a lot about space and arouse interest. Her poem "Space2inspire" reflects her vision of promoting a Just, Equitable, Diverse, and Inclusive (J.E.D.I.) space for humanity. I learned from her how to use my talents. Every line of her poem moved me deeply. Every line of her poem was in favor of JDEI and gender equality. Her words played an important role in shaping my dream to be an astronaut.
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The expert I learned most from during Festival 2025 is Dr. Andrew Aldrin
"Without women in space it's like half an arm" this was said by Dr. Andrew Aldrin
This taught me that around 83.4% of men have studied astronomy while 16.6% of women have studied astronomy, that's very few. Many women are not given the chance because; people think women are not capable or will mess things up and thereby are not given respect compared to men which is not true. If women are giving a chance to prove they can do what man can do we would have found things to be more interesting. If we give women a chance they are capable of, it will encourage women and girls to take jobs that are male dominated. Many discoveries could be made if women are included in space explorations. Also many astronauts have been men which has turned astronomy to a male dominated career hence a need for inclusiveness of women in the field.
"Women can do what men can do sometimes better" - Dr. Andrew Aldrin -
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The expert I learned most from during the Festival 2025 is Svetlana Tomlin. I was moved by the statement that she made saying "I hoped in the future learning will the priority" because right now the govement is more focused on ideolgy. Listening to her and knowing that first thing that was cut off was educational resources and that the native speakers had to leave made me sad. I imagined myself as a child cut off learning or not even seeing my teachers and friends, it is not really a good place to be. I believe the war really affected the education of children, the school is meant to be a place where children can feel safe and protected, children should be able to express themselves and say how they feel. I believe Svetlana Tomlin is a teacher who loves to impact knowledge and for a passionate teacher, the restriction placed on access to educational materials must have taken a toll on her and other teachers, I loved the fact that they found ways to keep on teaching the children, if I get the opportunity to meet with her, I would say thank you for all your efforts.
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The expert I learned most from during the Festival 2025 is Yulia Starostina. She taught me that the worst punishment for a journalist to be on exile. As I listened to her, I could feel her pain because when a journalist is on exile the person will be cut off from family, friends and most times the place they have always known resulting in them not being able to access resources, information and even the people they serve. They might also lose the ability to practice their profession especially if they go to another country where they might not be able to speak their language, where the system in that country is different and lacking the right network may stop them from doing what they love to do. The fear of the unknown, a forced displacement, joblessness which might make it difficult for them to fend for themselves can lead to severe mental health issues. When journalist are forced into exile they lose their voice, they can no longer report the truth leading to the silencing of their voice. Can you imagine losing your identity? I believe that is what happens to a journalist when they are forced on exile because their identity is tied to their work, they lose the ability to fulfill their purpose.
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I agree with you. Yulia Starostina is one expert I learned most from during the Festival 2025. From listening to her I learned that the ability of a journalist to warn the world of injustice is greatly hindered, this happens when a journalist can no longer report dissenting opinons and no critical reporting done because there is suppression of the voice of the journalist. When journalists are in exile they may be unable to provide for their families because they lack a means of livelihood, sometimes when their families are left behind or are in a different country, it puts a lot of pressure, stress and emotional pain on them, some of them might even have serious mental breakdown because of stress due to anxiety and depression. Going on exile for any journalist is really a worst punishment.
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The expert I learnt most from during festival 2025 is Alexzander Vayour. They taught me that doctors do not have freedom of speech and because the Russian government is in control of what the doctors says regardless of how they feel. Most doctors that have collaborated internationally have already left the country and Russia has cut off from the International body which makes it hard for doctors to get recent medical research reports or medication. War is really a bad thing as it affects everyone, the young, the old, the professionals and even the non professionals. War might make you support something even if you don't believe in what is happening because people might be pressured leading to the deterioration of the system, in this case the medical arm of the country.
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The expert i learned most from during the Festival 2025 is Dr. Andrew Aldrin. He taught me that more women are needed in the space industry. He also said that women are more capable than men, he said men shouldn't be the only humans to go to space. I think Mr. Andrew is right, more women should come onboard so that both arms will be fully become operative which will lead to an impact that will be profoundly positive and transformative. I believe this impact will be seen in inproved design and technology.
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The expert I learned the most from during Festival 2025 is Dr Sian Proctor. She taught me that space exploration is not only about technology, but also about inclusion, creativity, and breaking barriers. Her concept of JEDY space (Just, Equitable, Diverse, and Inclusive) inspired me to believe that the future of space belongs to everyone, regardless of gender, race, or background. Her journey as the first African-American woman to pilot a commercial spacecraft showed me that representation matters and with passion and perseverance, we can redefine history.
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The expert I learned most from during Festival 2025 is Dr. Shawna Pandya. She taught me that women and girls can go to space too so it is important to have more girls and women in space, technology, math, engineering and medicine. Having a woman's perspective can make designs alot better for example spacesuit. I also learned that women can make decisions at being mums or singles, it is up to them. She made me to understand that if you really work hard on whatever you do or want to become, it can happen that is to say it is possible. Some people think women with children can't go to space because women mostly stay at home to take care of their kids, cook, clean etc. But I believe that women are capable of a lot of things like being a politician, a construction worker and even an astronaut. I want to thank Dr. Shawna for opening my eyes to this and for making me believe I can be anything I want to be. I also want thank Economist Foundation for giving my school this platfrom to learn these things. Thank you so much.
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Dr. Shawna Pandya is one expert I learned the most from during the Festival 2025. She said in the future men will not only be the ones to go to space but rather more women will have the opportunity to go to space. This shows me that anyone no matter your gender can go to space. Because of her encouragement, she has inspired me to want to be an astronaut in future. I want to follow in her footsteps. I would like to inspire and also encourage other people to dream big just like Dr. Shawna Pandya has done.
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The expert I learned the most from is Dr. Shawna Pandya. She taught me that 12% of women are astronaut and that it has to change. This means that there are more men than women in space, I like the drive that she has in speaking and trying to get more women into space. I also liked that she said having a woman's perspective will change a lot of things. I believe that more teachers, parents and everyone in the society need to hear this so that more girls and women can be encouraged to go into STEM classes. If we can get more people sharing this belief, get more families encouraging young girls to get into STEM courses, then the population of girls and women in math, engineering, space will be on the increase. I'm especially happy that she is voice that young girls can listen to and become encouraged. Yes we can be anything we want to be, all we need to do is set our minds to it and give it our very best shot. Thank Dr. Shawna Pandya for speaking out for girls and women.
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The expert I learned the most from during Festival 2025 is Dr. Shawna Pandya. She taught me that women in space whether they are astronauts, flight control, flight surgeon, ground support are doing a lot to break down sterotypes and show girls and women that it is okay break barriers and do what it is they want to do. I like the fact that she said that women have the right to do whatever they want to do be a single or a mum, what ever career you choose is absolutely okay, she didn't just stop there, she also gave us examples of space mums and women who are single like her colleagues Kelly and Nora who have children age 3 and 7 and herself. It is absoluetly okay to follow your dreams. Girls and women should not let anyone look down on them and tell them that they can't do it. I like her courage and encouragement and this is one thing I am taking into class daily, no matter the subject or how difficult it is especially math, I believe I can make it so i am going to always give it my best. Thank you Dr. Shawna for inspiring and motivating not just the girls in my class but girls worldwide especially girls who have had the opportunity to listen to you in this Topical Talk Festival.
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The expert I learned the most from during Festival 2025 is Dr. Shawna Pandya. She taught me that women can be encouraged to chase their dreams and that women are capable of becoming astronuats. I learned that if more girls and women can be reached, the number of women astronauts will be on the increase. She has also taught me that I can be anything that I want to be if I put my mind to it. She has also taught me that there are no jobs reserved for men alone and that women can aspire to become what ever they want to be, and that as we set our goals we can achieve them if we only believe we can. The most important thing to me is that all women have dreams and that these dreams are achieveable. Thank you.
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Hello !
The expert I learnt the most from was Yulia Starostina. She taught me about the importance of independant media. If the journalist is not independant then their reports will be mere texts released by the govt. And nobody will know whats happening in the country, even the people living it. The struggles of journalists during crisis. The worst punishment for a journalist is to be on exile. She also explained us about the fear of journalists even on exile. They could anytime be poisioned or their parents could be captured. This would also unable them to do their work properly. If they live in the same country their speech will be controlled by the govt. and they can't get accurate reports if they live outside. They can become jobless which will be a curse as countries loose their economy in wars. They might even be put in jail and miss their loved ones. She also taught me to do what we love and honestly. As she did not start reporting falsely like most and chose to flee the country yet report truly even if to students.
But what truly makes her different from others is she is never afraid. Even on exile and the dangers that come with it she never hesitates to report the truth. She even got arrested for discrediting when she stated "love is stronger than war" Still her courage remains which honestly is life changing. I always wanted to be a journalist. She has become my role-model inspiring me to do my work truthfully. As now I know whole world depends on the news around us. I hope one day I would be as great as her.
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The expert i learned the most from during the Festival 2025 is Anna Tuzova, I learned that during the full scale of invasion, more than 1300 schools in Ukraine was destroyed and most of the children had to get their education online. While online education is not bad, I believe it cannot be a great option for all the children because of accessibility, availability and convenience. Children should have access to quality education which should include play and interaction with other children. The war has deprived the children of one of their basic need which is proper education. I would like the war to end so that the Ukrainian children will have the best education they deserve.
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The expert I learned most from during Festival 2025 is Roman Kuziv. He thought me that even in the face of war, people are still showing kindness just like how they had to build an underground hospital which was moved six meters underground just to be able to treat injured soldiers in a safe space. Roma Kuziv said that the war changed not only the military medicine but also the civilian medical system too. Attacking the hospitals during war can never be good because ordinarily hospital are very important during war. People get injured and can only get the necessary medical attention in the hospital. With the absence of good hospitals more people will die from the injuries gotten from the war.
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The expert I learned the most from during Festival 2025 is Svetlana Tomlin. She taught me that no matter what is happening in Russia children deserve to have quality education. Even though schools have been destroyed, there was still need to teach children because we will all be happier if the children can learn. They found the need for online classes to be organised for the children as they also tried to make connection with the children. The need for quality education cannot be over emphasize since children are the leaders of tomorrow, so no matter the situation children must be educated and given the right perspective and narrative. Since children are curious beings, the challenge of teaching the children the right things and also give answers to whatever questions might come up without offending the parents was also a major thing to combat as the teachers needed to be careful about what say, the mental stress was also something the teacher needed to address. Once the war comes to an end I hope education will be given the priority it deserves.
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My most inspired expert is Dr. san leo proctor because she taught me that, not only compelling people and convincing them, change their minds, attraction plays an important role in capturing people's mind and making them ,understand the importance of women in space and from this their mind set will be changed, and they will definitely contribute towards breaking gender stereotypes. Also, many ways are there to address this issue like creating awareness, but the uneducated people, not have much capacity to understand, they will just nod their head, and from this, there is no use and it is a waste of time. When we alternatively do that same thing attractively in the forms of arts and paintings, even the uneducated people develop a interest and potential to explore more and more about space. So this sot of attraction is making uneducated people to unlock their skills and potentials. This is transforming dull blooms to buds of blossoms by seeding them, a interest in space. At conclusion, I wanna end with a beautiful quote,"ART IS THE ATTRACTION THAT HOLDS THE ATTENTION OF THE SOUL"
Thank you for reading!!! -
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I'm not sure what you meant by saying that uneducated people don't have the capacity to understand. Please could you explain this idea further.
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One expert I learned the most from during Festival 2025 was Roman Kuziv. He gave me valuable advice: serving one's country in any way brings a sense of pride, by engineering solutions to common issues, defending the borders, or treating injured soldiers. He fostered in me a spirit of patriotism for my motherland, which made me think, is serving foreign countries truly worthwhile when your motherland gave you the privilege to live on this earth? This motivates me to pursue my higher education in India and offer my best only to my country.
He taught me to think outside the box, exemplified by his contribution to innovative underground hospitals. There is always a solution to even the biggest problems, and one should have the belief and confidence to face these challenges. He portrayed a strong example of this; instead of leaving the battlefield due to heavy military attacks on their hospitals, he came up with a solution, blending his innovative prowess and love for his country.
He quoted, "Everything will be better than before the war," which shows his relentless effort without worrying about the result. This somewhat links with our sacred texts, which also tell us not to worry about results and to put our best into even the smallest of actions. This indicates that positivity excels over negativity in all scenarios.
From his lesson, I wish to serve my country to the fullest in the future, always look for solutions to the biggest problems, and be hopeful about every outcome. -
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The expert I learned most from during festival 2025 is Dr Shawna Pandya. She taught me that space travel is no longer limited to the government astronauts, it is becoming more accessible through commercial spaceflight. I was amazed to learn that she will be flying with the Virgin Galactic Delta class as early as 2026, proving that dream of reaching space is closer than we think. Dr Pandya's story showed me that dedication, perseverance and a passion for science can open doors to extraordinary opportunities. She also highlighted the importance of preparing both mentally and physically for space travel, which made me realize how much discipline and effort it takes to achieve such a goal. Her journey inspires me to think beyond limits and believe that, with hard work, even the most impossible dreams can come true.
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The expert I learn most from during Festival 2025 is Roman Kuziv. He is a medical doctor in Ukraine. During the war they had to work in an underground hospital. This was my first time of hearing about an underground hospital. Why are underground hospitals important? I believe that unground hospitals are important because they they can provide protection from missiles, intense shelling and also ensure that medical care can continue regardless of heavy bombardment, critical medical procedure can continue even when the surface of a place is destroyed thereby providing a safe enviroment for medical treatment. The presence of such underground hospitals can boost the morale of soliders, civilians and even the doctors. Listening to hime also taught me that doctors are hardworking people and that they will go to any length to save the lives of people even in times of war. I want to thank the Economist Foundation for estabilising this platform where students like me can learn new things and get more information about the news.
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I also learned from Roman Kuziv. Listening to him taught me courage , and the need to be open minded and creative, that in the midst of war people can come up with something like an underground hospital. For me that is creativity at work. I salute their courage and the drive to save as many people as they can by treating the sick, the wounded and even children. The doctors there deserve an award. I ask myself what do underground hospitals need to work? I believe they would need power, backup power, ventilation, water supplies and so many other things, so that they can be independent and do their work without any challenge. The picture of the underground hospital we were shown looked so clean and beautiful with some equipment, for everyone who worked on it and brought the hospital to that state, I say a big well done to them.
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The expert I learned most from during Festival 2025 is Svetlana Tomlin. She taught me that teachers need to be careful what they say to the children about the war because they do not know how the parents would react. The impact of the war had also placed so much limitation on education, making the student to take online learning to get proper education. The education of the kids should be taken seriously as this will affect the next generation of doctors, lawyers, military personnels if they are not well taught. I believe education is the bedrock of any nation so it is important that children are educated just like Nelson Mandela said " Education is the most weapon which you can use to change the world." It is so good to know that they tried to continue teaching the children inspite of the war, because I believe we are the ones that will change the world as long as we get the right education.
happy_morning | Choithram School | India 27 Feb 2025
Hello !
The expert I learnt the most from was Yulia Starostina. She taught me about the importance of independant media. If the journalist is not independant then their reports will be mere texts released by the govt. And nobody will know whats happening in the country, even the people living it. The struggles of journalists during crisis. The worst punishment for a journalist is to be on exile. She also explained us about the fear of journalists even on exile. They could anytime be poisioned or their parents could be captured. This would also unable them to do their work properly. If they live in the same country their speech will be controlled by the govt. and they can't get accurate reports if they live outside. They can become jobless which will be a curse as countries loose their economy in wars. They might even be put in jail and miss their loved ones. She also taught me to do what we love and honestly. As she did not start reporting falsely like most and chose to flee the country yet report truly even if to students.
But what truly makes her different from others is she is never afraid. Even on exile and the dangers that come with it she never hesitates to report the truth. She even got arrested for discrediting when she stated "love is stronger than war" Still her courage remains which honestly is life changing. I always wanted to be a journalist. She has become my role-model inspiring me to do my work truthfully. As now I know whole world depends on the news around us. I hope one day I would be as great as her.
Thank you !
eager_clam | Bomas Academy A | Nigeria 28 Feb 2025
Dr. Shawna Pandya is also the expert I learned most during the Festival 2025. She taught me that girls and women can go space and that as a woman don't allow anyone tell you what you can and can't do. Women can also work in other careers and be a researcher, a doctor, a builder or whatever you set your mind to do. Just go for it, and live up your dreams, follow your instincts. Dr. Shawna Panyda is a good motivator for young girls and women. I believe more platforms should be set up where we can get ladies like her come speak to young girls, schools and other organisations should also work on getting more successful women come speak to young people. The more people hear this kind of message, the more parents, young girls and women will be won over as the way people think will begin to change which will lead to all nations having more girls and women in STEM.