Welcome to the
Democratic Education Network

WHERE STUDENTS FIND THEIR VOICES
AND BECOME CO-PRODUCERS OF KNOWLEDGE

DEN is a student-led educational model — locally rooted at the University of Westminster, globally connected through partner institutions across five countries. Students collaborate with academics to research, write, debate, and publish.

Our Impact

DEN’s impact is rooted in a model of knowledge exchange that connects students, academics, and global partners. Through co-created research, international collaboration, and public engagement, DEN generates measurable educational, social, and global impact aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals

Since its establishment in 2016, DEN has created opportunities for over 1000+ students, established more than 10 global partnerships, and published 8 + SDG-linked student-led books, conference proceedings, and reports. Our impact extends across Vietnam, Thailand, Turkey, Uzbekistan, Peru, and beyond.

Awards & Recognition

DEN is recognised nationally for its student-centred approach. In 2019, DEN was the runner-up for the Guardian University Award for Student Experience. This award highlighted its unique focus on hands-on learning, global engagement, and student leadership.

In 2025, DEN received a Highly Commended award for Student Engagement at the Green Gown Awards.. This award acknowledges DEN’s commitment to sustainability, inclusivity, and community-based education. These achievements show DEN’s growing reputation as a pioneering initiative that empowers students and redefines higher education.

Student Voices

Student voices are at the heart of DEN. Through blogs, podcasts, long-form articles, creative work and personal reflections, students share their learning journeys — and show how local action connects to global change.

Highlights include:

Field trip reflections — student writing on the people, places, and ideas encountered on DEN trips.
Creative work — poetry, photography, and student-designed posters.
Podcast episodes — student-led conversations on the issues that matter to them.
Alumni reflections — graduates on their DEN experience and where it has taken them.

Our SDG Focus

Every DEN activity maps to one or more Sustainable Development Goals. Our work focuses primarily on four:

SDG 4 — Quality Education. Through co-produced curricula, modules, and student-led publications.
SDG 10 — Reduced Inequalities. Through international partnerships that build access and reciprocity, not extraction.
SDG 16 — Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions. Through DEN’s peacebuilding and democratic-engagement work.
SDG 17 — Partnerships for the Goals. Through a decade of cross-border collaboration with universities in five countries.

Upcoming Events

Conference 2026. In May 2026, the International Student Conference returns to the University of Westminster, with student-led panels, global debates, and the launch of our new book Transforming Education: Innovation for Sustainability in the AI Era.

Around the world. The year ahead also includes workshops in Turkey and Thailand, alongside continuing collaborations with Hanoi University (Vietnam), Westminster International University in Tashkent (Uzbekistan), Kocaeli University (Turkey), and Kasetsart University (Thailand).

Read more about Conference 2026

Meet Director

Dr Farhang Morady is a Reader in International Development at the University of Westminster, with almost 30 years of teaching and research in International Political Economy and Development.

A National Teaching Fellow and recipient of the Westminster Learning and Teaching Award (2022), he founded the Democratic Education Network in 2016 to create a more compassionate, inclusive, and student-led learning environment.

I am a Reader (Associate Professor) in International Development at the University of Westminster, with almost 30 years of teaching and research in International Political Economy and Development.

As a National Teaching Fellow and multiple-time Outstanding Teacher (2013, 2014, 2016, 2019), I was also honoured with the Westminster Learning and Teaching Award (2022).

In 2016, he founded the Democratic Education Network to create a more compassionate, inclusive, and student-led learning environment. My approach champions project-based and student-led research, alongside publishing opportunities for students through magazines, blogs, and books.

Read full bio

Read more about my research and publications here

Watch Farhang explain how DEN empowers student voices worldwide

Our Aims & Vision

Authentic collaboration

DEN is built on a real partnership between students and staff — characterised by mutual support, respect, and shared responsibility. Our aim is to ignite students’ creativity and confidence, so they engage meaningfully with their communities and realise their full potential.

A democratic platform

DEN celebrates the diversity of the University of Westminster’s student body. Through a collective, democratic approach to education, students learn to recognise and communicate their own achievements — and to contribute to wider social and global change.

Aligned with Westminster

DEN builds directly on the University of Westminster’s 2023–29 strategy: linking classroom learning to real-world impact, and fostering the skills, values, and experiences students need to become global citizens and leaders for a sustainable future.

Leadership & Support:

DEN is proudly supported by the University of Westminster. Our mission—to empower students through global citizenship, sustainability, and intercultural collaboration—is endorsed by university leaders who recognise DEN’s transformative role in education.

Professor Peter Bonfield

Vice-Chancellor & President, University of Westminster

“You [DEN] are an inspiration to us all—part of a compassionate, progressive and responsible movement of young people helping to overcome injustices and make the world a better place.”

Dr Andy Pitchford

Head of the Centre for Education and Teaching Innovation, University of Westminster

“[Students’] contributions enrich debates on collaboration, co-operation, and sustainability… DEN is moving from strength to strength.”

Professor Dibyesh Anand, Deputy Vice-Chancellor

Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Global Engagement and Employability), University of Westminster

“A good education is about opening doors, exploring ideas, being bold, challenging the status quo, and giving hope for a more just world. DEN Westminster is integral to our institution’s mission in providing inclusive education and improving outcomes for our students from diverse backgrounds, and thus being a place where students can bring their whole selves and feel they belong. Every year, it is an absolute joy to witness students from different disciplines making DEN their home and thus making our university a better place for all.”

Alan Porter

Head of School – Social Sciences, University of Westminster.

“I’ve seen the impact of the Democratic Education Network in the School of Social Sciences first hand, through my own participation in field trips and the subsequent conversations I have had with DEN students when they go on to lead or join other university projects, clearly inspired and empowered by their experience with DEN. Then DEN is an environment where confidence grows and ideas take shape, building a genuine community of partners that bridges Schools, Colleges, Universities and countries. For students who care about sustainability, global citizenship and working together, the DEN is the place to be.”

Dr. Ngamlamai Piolueang

Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences Kasetsart University, Thailand

“Education, in its truest form, transcends textbooks and lectures—DEN embodies this philosophy by encouraging students to challenge boundaries and embrace collaborative innovation.”

Dr Nguyen Thi Minh Tien

Dean, Faculty of International Studies, Hanoi University, Vietnam

“The partnership between Westminster and Hanoi University, led by DEN, has cultivated a learning environment that transcends borders and empowers students with a truly global perspective.”

Prof. Dr. İsmail Şiriner

Batman University, Turkey

“This inspiring collection brings the Sustainable Development Goals to life, fostering change in global development, climate action, education, and the arts…A powerful tribute to leadership, creativity, and innovation in education.”

Dr. Pailin Kittisereechai

Kasetsart University, Thailand

“At the heart of democracy lies the celebration of diversity and the freedom to express one’s opinion… DEN captures this spirit, inspiring vibrant exchanges of ideas among young minds.”

Dr Nick Smith

Assistant Head of School – Social Sciences, University of Westminster.

“DEN is a fantastic initiative that provides students with the opportunity to flourish whilst making a real impact in their education. Through the Democratic Engagement in an International Context module, students are provided with interactive workshops and international field trip opportunities to develop leadership and research skills through cross-cultural collaborations. All spearheaded by Farhang, who delivers a wonderful module. I can’t recommend it highly enough.”

Dr Elisabetta Brighi

Assistant Head of School – Social Sciences, University of Westminster.

“DEN is a remarkable asset, offering a student experience that is truly unique to the University of Westminster. It is rare to see students so alive in a university setting – whether they’re organising a conference, preparing for a field trip, or exchanging ideas in their weekly meetings. What sets DEN apart is the nurturing, inclusive, and vibrant environment it fosters. Students don’t just participate, they bring their whole selves into this, and DEN becomes a multiplier of confidence, capability, and connection. It is a model of engaged learning that speaks directly to our institutional commitment to inclusion, sustainability, and real-world impact”.

Morgan Lirette

Sustainable Development Advisor, University of Westminster

“DEN represents the best of the university experience – finding community, learning about the world around you, and developing career-ready skills. That all of this is happening around sustainable development is a dream. DEN is a jewel, and the world is the better for the students who pass through it.”