During the “Confronting Poverty: Uniting Disciplines for Global Impact” (COPO) workshop at UCLouvain, master’s students from across Europe explored how poverty and inequality are understood and addressed through collaborative, cross-disciplinary work.
The programme mixed presentations, group debates and hands-on teamwork. The goal was clear: break disciplinary silos and develop new perspectives on one of the world’s most stubborn problems. The result was a collection of inspirational reflections that connect academic research to real-world change.
Rewriting the crime and poverty narrative
For Juan Andrés Mena V., MA Public Policy student at King’s College London, the workshop provided tools to dig deeper into his research on crime policy in Chile.
“Understanding the narratives and representations about poverty used by those who shape policy is a strong practical tool to bring about change,” he said.
His work links political rhetoric and media coverage to the country’s growing prison population, highlighting how language can entrench inequality.
Measuring well-being, not just GDP
Barbara Gomołka, also from King’s, examined Italy’s Benessere Equo e Sostenibile (BES) framework, which measures poverty through well-being indicators rather than solely focusing on economic growth.
“True, equitable and sustainable progress is possible, and it starts by measuring what matters.”
Her analysis shows how BES exposes regional inequalities and challenges the idea that GDP tells the full story.
Media, migration and stereotypes
Elisa Sorbello, an international relations student at Università di Pisa, analysed how poverty and migration are portrayed in the media. She found that narratives often favour European mobility while portraying migration from the Global South in a negative light.
“African migration is too often reduced to a story of poverty, ignoring the skills and aspirations of those who move,” she explained.
Poverty through an intersectional lens
Ariann Perdersen, a student from Universitetet i Oslo, focused on how class hierarchies and misperceptions of the Global South affect migrant integration and working conditions, showing how cultural attitudes can reinforce exclusion.
Breaking taboos for better policy
For Lisa Quertinmont, public health student at UCLouvain, the workshop exposed the role of language in shaping policy. Analysing coverage of “period poverty,” she noted that affected voices were often missing.
“If we want effective policies, we need to stop treating these issues as taboos and start listening directly to those affected.”
She also drew links between poverty, climate change, migration and health inequalities, emphasising the need for action both locally and globally.
The COPO workshop proved that when students work across borders and disciplines, they bring new perspectives to global challenges. On International Youth Day, the message is clear: tackling poverty is essential to building a sustainable future, and young people can lead the way.
