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Where in the World is Miami Wednesday: Malaysia

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By Jingjing Luo, Global Initiatives Communications Specialist

In this week's, Where in the World is Miami Wednesday, we meet Ryan Kiehl Price, a senior double majoring in International Studies and Global & Intercultural Studies, with minors in Political Science, French, and Anthropology. We asked Ryan about this week's humanitarian conference in Malaysia.

Q: What program/conference are you participating in and when/where does it take place?

A: I am currently attending the University Scholars Leadership Symposium which is being held in the beautiful city of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia this week, August 1st through the 7th.

Q: Why did you choose to participate?

A: I chose to participate in this incredible symposium after hearing such wonderful praises from fellow friends and peers. A few of my classmates attended last year’s symposium in Bangkok, Thailand, so after learning of this year’s, I applied and was selected to attend the 10th anniversary of USLS with four other Miami students!

Q: Have you been abroad before this experience?

A: Other than studying abroad here in Malaysia, I have spent time in numerous countries both formally with Miami University’s MUDEC program in Luxembourg and independently while conducting personal research in Paris for projects I have done in the past. I also spent a semester of my high school education studying in Belgium.Students hold Miami flag

Q: What's your favorite part about the program so far?

A: Aside from listening to such incredible speakers, I would have to say that my favorite part of the conference was being able to meet and collaborate with so many intelligent and passionate young students like myself. Over the last week, I found myself in such an incredibly diverse group of friends consisting of a woman from India who is doing her Ph.D. in Singapore, a Bengali Australian, a Chinese Australian, and two familiar faces from Miami who ended up becoming some of my best friends. Attending a conference like this enables us to meet people from different cultures and backgrounds and allows us to come together and form meaningful relationships that will certainly last for years to come.

Q: How will this experience help you reach your future goals?

A: The conference provided me the perfect platform to network with young students from across the world with backgrounds in almost every field you could think of, from engineering and computer science to marketing and foreign relations. Having this vast network of valuable people will allow me the opportunity to have connections in which I can reach out in regard to professional and personal endeavors had in the near future.

Q: Would you encourage other Miami students to pursue this symposium or similar conferences?

A: Absolutely! Miami does a great job in providing us with global opportunities that are not only beneficial for personal growth, but that also aid in the preparation of our futures. In my three years here at Miami, I have experienced so many different things that I never thought possible and each one has undoubtedly helped prepare me for my future career in foreign affairs.

Q: If you could describe the experience in one word, what would it be?

A: If I could describe the conference in one word, it would certainly have to be impactful. All of the speakers heard, the friends made, and the service work completed created such an impact on my life and on me as a person overall. I have had the opportunity to speak with many people and hear countless stories of perseverance and triumph, I am certainly leaving this conference with an entirely different outlook on humanity as a whole.


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