Student Think Tank discusses Immigration

Saturday 13th March sees the launch of Warwick Think Tank’s inaugural summit – this year focusing on the sensitive issue of immigration. Not only will the event bring together representatives from leading think tanks and university politics departments, but will also witness the birth of a new franchise of university thinks up and down the country, with ippr@Warwick leading the way.

“Warwick Think Tank is an attempt to tap students’ creativity,” enthuses Tom Parr, President and originator of the policy-making society, “we were conscious that politics can be [a] turn off, but…I think that was more due to an absence of opportunities to discuss policies.” The passion is almost tangible. It’s no wonder that the society has accumulated over eighty members in the first year, which as Tom was at pains to remind me is “the most rapid increase in members ever seen in the union’s history”.

The society is already having its presence felt on campus. Having secured generous funding from Warwick PAIS, WTT are in the final processes of compiling a journal on the topic of narcotics – ranging from the Afghan opium trade to the way in which society consumes alcohol. The journal – which will be published early next term – will comprise the works of both students and professional academics.

The next stage will be the highly anticipated ‘(The) Think Tank Talk’. Discussion points at this year’s T4 include a debate about whether ‘British universities attract too many international students’, which is bound to be “controversial,” chuckles Pooja Darbar, who reassures me that the debate “has a strict academic focus on ideas ranging from multiculturalism to Listian economics”. “It should prove to be a lively discussion,” the events manager continues, “especially with the speakers we’ve secured.” Among the impressive line-up of academic and policy-making leaders include Warwick PAIS’ very own Professor Zig Layton Henry as well as Professor Christine Ennew, Pro-Vice-Chancellor of Nottingham University and director of its internationalisation strategy. Gaining such commanding thinkers in their first year is certainly a testimony to the society’s hard work.

But where Warwick Think Tank has advanced on other political societies is in their affiliation with the Institute for Public Policy Research (ippr). “This isn’t just student politics, this is students doing politics,” emphasises Dimple Patel, the society’s publicity officer, “our affiliation with ippr provides a channel through which students can have their voice heard on something other than tuition fees”. Ippr are ambitious to use WTT as a template for similar organisations to be established at universities, up and down the country. “Ippr have generously offered us guidance in not only conducting our debates but also in helping secure speakers,” continued Dimple, “and we want to extend this opportunity to every student”. Dimple may have got more than she bargained for. Within a week after initial emails were dispatched, more than half a dozen universities – including Oxford, Cambridge and Durham – have expressed an interest in establishing their respective ippr@s. Big things are surely to follow.

Such accomplishments have of course demanded a high concentration of power, but the thirteen-strong executive insists that “every member is kept up to date as we know and moreover are given a chance to raise questions”. “We’re really surprised that most of our members are freshers – including me,” Binita Mehta, the society’s Social Sec, is keen to stress. Rest assured then that WTT will be in safe hands for years to come.

The Think Tank Talk takes place on Saturday 13th March in S0.19 from 11am and will feature speakers from UKIP, Open Europe, ippr as well as representatives from the universities of UCL, Leicester, Nottingham and Warwick. For further information, email the Summit team on su599@sunion.warwick.ac.uk, or alternatively visit their website, www.warwickthinktank.webs.com/t4.htm.