Higher Ed Ph.D. Student Participates in United Nations Youth Forum

Lovelace Amos, a higher education doctoral student, was recently invited to attend the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Youth Forum 2026, an opportunity inviting youth from around the world to engage with member states and contribute to the global dialogue on key issues with international impacts.

The forum was held April 14-16 in the U.N. headquarters in New York City under the theme "Innovate, Unite and Transform: Youth Shaping the Road to 2030." The event resonated with Amos because of the opportunities it presented to enact meaningful change.

"The more I learned about it, the more it stood out as a space where youth voices are not only included but intentionally positioned to inform conversations on sustainable developments," she said. "It pushed me harder to think critically about what I bring into global spaces, wearing all my hats, as an international doctoral student, someone whose passion is deeply rooted in educational and gender equality advocacy as well as community development."

Amos' doctoral research focuses on advancing access to higher education for underserved communities. Specifically, she is exploring how macro-level systems and micro-level institutional practices interact to shape students' outcomes, particularly international students.

"One project I am currently working on examines how national and institutional policies, everyday practices and student support structures collectively influence whether international students feel a sense of inclusion or marginalization within foreign higher education environments," she said. "A key insight that continues to shape my thinking came during the forum, where a youth speaker noted: 'Access says you can come, but systems say I am going to change the outcome.' This deeply resonated with my research work, as it emphasized both the gap between policy intention and lived experience, as well as refined my understanding of how institutional environments can either reinforce or disrupt inequities, even after access has been granted."

Amos is wrapping up her first-year as a doctoral student, coming to the U of A after earning a master's degree in higher education leadership and administration from Canisius University in Buffalo, New York, and a bachelor's degree in management from University of Cape Coast in Ghana.

She serves as a graduate assistant for the U of A's Seamless Transition for Arkansas (STAR) Grant through the College of Education and Health Professions, where she works to help improve the economic self-sufficiency of Arkansas' 14- to 18-year-old students with disabilities.

This forum marks the second time Amos has participated in such an event at the U.N. In 2025, she served as a youth leader at the organization's 10th annual forum on Science, Technology and Innovation.

She said the April forum directly influenced her research and career.

"The forum expanded how I think about the translation of policy into practice," she said. "Engaging with diverse youth perspectives exposed me to practical approaches used by youth-led organizations to bridge this gap, particularly through advocacy, partnership-building, and localized implementation strategies."

"My goal ultimately remains to contribute to both research and practice as a future professor, while working closely with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and agencies to ensure that findings from research are best translated into strategies that improve access and success across contexts," she continued.