Christian student conference to debate education, faith & justice

The Student Christian Movement (SCM) are inviting students of all denominations to join the debate about education cuts and the rise in tuition fees, and explore the relationship between faith, knowledge and wisdom at their 2012 annual conference. The conference, 'With All Your Mind', will take place at York St John University from 10 to 12 February 2012, following last year's event in Swanwick, Derbyshire, which saw the highest turnout for generations.

 
Students from across the UK will gather in York to explore questions such as: 'What does my degree have to do with my faith?' and the issue of access to education at a time when severe cuts are being made to the funding of Higher Education. Recent UCAS statistics show that the number of applications to degree courses have decreased, especially in England, where students face the highest tuition fees.

Hattie Hodgson, SCM member and student at the University of Leeds said: "With the current funding cuts to Higher Education and higher tuition fees, questions of education, faith and justice are really important to me as a Christian student. 'With All Your Mind' will offer a space in which students can meet to discuss these issues and be inspired by the speakers as well as by each other."

The keynote speaker will be the mathematician and acclaimed author Kester Brewin, whose works include 'The Complex Christ' and 'Other: Loving Self, God and Neighbour in a World of Fractures'. Kester will be reflecting on the value of time spent at university in shaping students' lives, and the threats posed to this by cuts to Higher Education.
 
The programme will also include workshops on 'Christianity and Science', 'Practical Theology', 'Where next on tuition fees?', 'The Arms Trade and your University' and a 'scratch university', where students will have the opportunity to share skills and ideas.

 
The Student Christian Movement is an ecumenical student-led movement passionate about faith and justice. SCM is Britain's oldest national student organisation, bringing students together to explore how to live out the Christian faith in today's world. See: www.movement.org.uk