Spring Public Policy Conference including North Korean defector Yeonmi Park

For the third year in a row, Liberty University’s Helms School of Government invited a wide range of guest speakers to present at the Spring Public Policy Conference April 12-14. 

The conference covered more than 25 topics, ranging from foreign affairs, such as global powers and national security, to issues closer to home like education policy and human trafficking. The event hosted seven large panels in the Montview Ballroom and many breakout sessions to cover even more topics. 

“This is a great experience for the students, and it’s a great opportunity to showcase our faculty and (these) great guests that come and share with the students,” Robert Hurt, dean of the Helms School of Government, said. “At the School of Government, our overall mission is to train students, to equip them to be able to go out into the arena of public policy. … I (also) think of our overall mission at Liberty University, which is to train Champions for Christ, regardless of what your platform is.” 

Students had the opportunity to submit papers and potentially be featured on a panel to discuss their ideas. Some panels were composed of undergraduates, some were led by professors and others were panels of discussion with political figures from Washington, D.C., and other areas. 

On Friday evening, the plenary session featured Yeonmi Park, one of 209 North Korean defectors living in America. Park shared parts of her powerful story to the packed Montview Ballroom. More seats had to be added midway through her presentation because there were so many listeners eager to hear about her life and journey. 

“North Korea is the darkest place in the world,” Park said. “They don’t even have a concept of love.”

She implored the audience to stand strong in American democracy and to elect officials who will fight for the freedom of
North Koreans. 

Dr. Mary Prentice and Dr. Kahlib Fischer, professors in the School of Government, were the first ones to bring the idea of the Public Policy Conference to Hurt. 

“We wanted to give the students an opportunity to present their ideas, to do research and writing. We know that in any job that students ever get, they have to be good communicators,” Prentice said. “There’s a lot of Christians — we bring a lot to campus — that have been very successful in the political career that have led our nation with God’s light. We’re trying to show these students that you can achieve great things … and yet believe in Jesus and believe that he will shine his light in whatever job he has for you to fulfill your calling to be a Champion for Christ.” 

Taygen Henry, a sophomore at Liberty majoring in government policy and politics, attended Thursday morning’s panel on the Defense of the Family in Education Policy.

“I love that this event is interdisciplinary,” Henry said. “It shows that everyone can affect positive change in the political arena, not just people who work in government.” 

Henry enjoyed the variety of topics and looked forward to bringing that kind of conversation to the classroom and participating in the conference in the future. 

The final event of the Public Policy Conference was Convocation with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in the Vines Center. 

See related story, page A7. 

Johnson is a news reporter for the Liberty Champion. Follow her on Twitter