Over the mid-year break, we attended The McWhirter Conference, which was held at the University of Melbourne.

The conference took place over two days, and we were fortunate enough to stay at University College overnight. The topic of the conference was ‘Who should set the limits on free speech?’.

Each day, we listened to different guest speakers, who all presented very insightful and diverse opinions and perspectives on the topic. It was incredible to hear the range of views from the other students, as we were all drawn from a wide demographic. Some of the issues we discussed were: the barriers that prevent minorities, especially Indigenous Australians from accessing freedom of speech; where to draw the line on hate speech; and how social media has impacted this issue. We also discussed in detail the case of Israel Folau, who was sacked by Rugby Australia for his comment on Twitter that was based on religious beliefs but offended many.

The conference also opened our minds to new ideas and ways of thinking about issues that have impacted the human race globally for hundreds of years and made us consider the sort of society that we want to help shape Australia’s future. The conversations were intellectually stimulating, and we were able to engage with an amazing group of inspiring young Australians that we otherwise would not have ever had the opportunity to meet.

Through this incredible experience, not only did we walk away with a further understanding of significant world issues, but we also learned the importance of sharing ideas and thoughts with other young people in order to reach solutions to an issue that we will undoubtedly encounter in the future.

We also experienced a taste of college life at Melbourne University – we each had our own room at University College. Expecting to be crammed into little dorms, it was a nice surprise to find we had our own mini hotel room complete with our own ensuite. Communal dinners and socialising with other students provided us with a glimpse into university life.

Whilst we did not come away with a conclusive answer to the central question posed by the conference, it certainly opened our minds to many new opinions and thoughts. It was a very beneficial experience and we feel privileged to have attended the first McWhirter Conference to be held outside Oxford and Cambridge Universities in England.

Students who are interested in attending the conference in 2020 should contact Ms Mary-Anne Keratiotis, as places are limited.