FIRST MINISTER of Wales and HM Queen of Jordan among guests at event in Llantwit Major to mark historical achievement
A college in South Wales, which was responsible for the start of a global education movement, is celebrating its 60th anniversary.
UWC Atlantic, based in Llantwit Major, hosted a special event on Saturday 1st October, with guest speakers including First Minister of Wales Mark Drakeford and HM Queen Noor of Jordan, UWC President.
Atlantic College (as it was then known) opened its doors to 54 pupils from around the world at the height of the Cold War in 1962. Its sole purpose was to educate young people from deliberately diverse backgrounds together to help build a more peaceful and sustainable future.
The college later expanded to form the United World Colleges movement, with schools launching in Canada, Singapore, China and Germany, among others. The movement now educates 11,000 pupils a year in 18 schools and colleges across four continents, with 150 nationalities represented. Nearly 100 nationalities alone are represented at UWC Atlantic.
The college is responsible for a number of historical innovations, including inventing the rigid inflatable rescue boat and developing the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma, which this year saw 174,000 pupils sitting the IB exam.
Naheed Bardai, Principal of UWC Atlantic, said:
“Our 60th anniversary is a reminder of how far we have come as a global movement.
“UWC is proof of what’s possible when you bring young people from different backgrounds together to bring about positive change in the world.
“In such uncertain times, movements like UWC are perhaps needed more than ever before. It is our job to help young people realise that there is more to them than they know, not only for their individual benefit but for the collective too.”
UWC Atlantic will soon be launching plans for a new education prototype with a focus on bringing about systems change to tackle some of the world’s most pressing challenges, including the environment and inequality.
“As the college looks forward to the next decade and beyond, it will continue to transform the lives of young people, empowering them to have a disproportionate positive impact in the world by sparking systems transformations where needed,” said Naheed.
