Become an Impartial Chair
In today’s increasingly polarised society, it's important to understand different views. The Impartial Chairs programme trains students to step up as leaders to help navigate difficult conversations on campus. You'll gain confidence and resilience to debate and discuss a range of topics respectfully and sensitively, both at UCL and beyond, because in a world full of heated views and division, good conversations matter.
This programme broadens your horizons, helping you navigate conflict and reflect on your own biases. Through hands-on learning and tailored training, you'll deepen your understanding of division and conflict, develop awareness of the challenges around freedom of speech, build skills to tackle difficult conversations while developing your facilitation and influencing abilities.
What You’ll Do
- Join five in-person training sessions, each crafted to help you guide talks, sort through different opinions, and gain deep listening skills.
- Take part in Upskill 4 Life workshops on facilitation & safety in dialogue.
- Work with professionals (like Debate Mate) who teach you how to communicate in ways that fosters mutual understanding. You'll also gain a more nuanced understanding and recognise bias - all skills vital for navigating contentious conversations.
- Travel to Northern Ireland for a five-day fully funded experiential learning trip - a place with a complex history of conflicting narratives. You’ll challenge your own views, learn empathy, and gain skills in handling tough conversations.
What You’ll Get
Once you finish, you can:
- Chair big debates, panels, and meetings across UCL, such as faculty events and society discussions.
- Build communication, leadership, and listening skills that matter in and out of uni.
- Become someone who helps bridge gaps
Apply below
If you’re ready to take on something new that challenges you, shapes you, and makes a difference. When submitting your application you should consider the following:
- Why you are interested in the opportunity?
- What skills would you like to develop on the programme?
- How would you share your learnings with fellow students and help to shape or promote this programme?
- Are you available during the essential dates below?
Essential dates
The dates you must be available to participate in the programme are:
- Debate Mate - afternoon 22 October
- Up Skill 4 Life - afternoon 5 November and afternoon 12 November
- Northern Ireland trip - either 22-26 November or 7-11 February
- Active Bystander - TBC (Term 2)
- International Centre for Intercultural Studies – TBC (Term 2)
How to apply
To apply for this opportunity, please submit both a maximum 500 word personal statement, outlining your background, skills and experiences and a maximum one-minute video explaining why you would like to be part of the programme by 12 October 2025 .
Your application should demonstrate your enthusiasm for the programme, a desire to develop your skills and confidence in debate and respectful disagreement, and an interest in conflict resolution and facilitating external speaker events on a range of topics.