ABOUT THE MILLENNIUM FELLOWSHIP - CLASS OF 2021
United Nations Academic Impact and MCN are proud to partner on the Millennium Fellowship. In 2021, over 25,000 young leaders on 2,000+ campuses across 153 nations applied to join the Class of 2021. 136 campuses worldwide (just 6%) were selected to host the 2,000+ Millennium Fellows. The Class of 2021 is bold, innovative, and inclusive.
UNITED NATIONS ACADEMIC IMPACT AND MCN PROUDLY PRESENT MARIA DESPOINA PATOUNA, A MILLENNIUM FELLOW FOR THE CLASS OF 2021.
University College London | London, United Kingdom | Advancing SDG 10 & UNAI 4
" I am driven by creativity, resilience and empathy. Being part of the Millennium Fellowship is a great honour and an excellent opportunity to enhance these skills collaboratively. It is a unique way of learning how to be a socially conscious global citizen. It will challenge me into expanding my vision, thinking out of the box and engaging in meaningful actions that will make my social impact more tangible. I am excited to be a member of this international student network, to connect, learn from and learn with fellow future leaders. "
Millennium Fellowship Project: Next Chapter
“Next chapter" is a group project run simultaneously in London and Sicily. We are six undergraduate students whose belief is that having to relocate to another country is not the end of the book but rather, the beginning of a new chapter.
Our aim is to facilitate the integration of young refugees in both the British and Italian communities, by following a double-sided approach. Since Italy acts as a first-arrival country for refugees, it is crucial to recognise the link between here and the UK - which acts as a second or even third-arrival country. In a globalised world, where phenomena such as immigration are global in impact, it’s important to tackle the SDGs from an inclusive perspective, recognising the interconnections between countries.
The Sustainable Development Goals that we are advocating are SDG 4: “Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education” and SDG 10: “Reduce inequality within and among countries”.
About the Millennium Fellow
Maria Despoina Patouna was born in Athens, Greece and is currently studying Politics and International Relations at University College London (UCL) in London. Throughout her school years and currently in college, she has successfully participated in various philanthropic projects and volunteering events, which she plans to continue and advance in the future. A passionate MUNer and skilled debater, Maria has been deeply engaged with topics related to global challenges and sustainability. She is a loving and determined individual, committed to on-going personal and academic development. An empathetic, cooperative and trustworthy person with strong will-power and unyielding focus to the successful completion of any given challenge. Passionate about helping others, she misses no opportunity to have a positive impact on her community. She aspires to be in a professional field that will allow her to boost her social activism in order to leave her own unique mark on the international community.
