Deena Newaz is an MPhil student at the Faculty of Education and a member of Wolfson College, Cambridge University. Before starting her Masters, Deena worked as an education and international development professional for WISE and the Qatar Foundation. She co-authored the recently published book ''Ed Futures: A Collection of Short Stories on the Future of Education''. In this episode, Deena and I discuss the importance of storytelling as a practice that helps us envision and shape possible futures to come. In her book, she used speculative fiction as a method to imagine what education might look like in a world increasingly impacted by migration, climate change and technological advancement. In the light of the Covid-19 pandemic, Deena argues that now more than ever, we should return to the ancient tradition of storytelling in order to prepare for the post-pandemic future. Rather than the future being fixed or pre-determined, stories can help us change trajectory and collectively imagine new pathways forward, including for institutions like Cambridge University. Deena also offers insights into how she has used this time of lockdown to explore her spiritual life more in-depth, and how she has found ways to cope with experiences of loss and grief. Whilst we mourn the loss of lives and of time, and even of the 'Cambridge Experience', creative space simultaneously opens up for new opportunities, new ideas and new stories to emerge. Follow Cambridge Quaranchats on Facebook and Twitter @CamQuaranchats.
