At La Sorbonne, I was taught to have an opinion and defend it. At Warwick, I was
By Priscillia Mudiaki · October 20, 2026 · Curated by George's Blog
At La Sorbonne, I was taught to have an opinion and defend it. At Warwick, I was taught to build one from everyone else's. 🇫🇷🇬🇧
Last weekend, at a women-in-tech gathering at the NLC, a few of us from three different countries compared notes on education. I've studied in both countries, and the difference felt huge. I’ve told Hazel Oppong and Meghna Lal that France felt rigid and professor-led. The UK felt more relaxed, with book-club classes where we built our view from what other scholars had said.
I don't think one is better. France taught me to take a stand out loud. The UK taught me to ground it. Read widely, then say what you think.
And on LinkedIn, I see leaders and creators with only one:
➡️ A stance with no grounding: attention, but not trust. Try: back every opinion with one example, one number, or one lived moment.
➡️ Grounding with no stance: accurate, but forgettable. Try: end your next post with "Here's what I think" and say it.
Before you post, ask yourself: can someone tell what you believe, and why? If it's only the first, add proof. If it's only the second, add a point of view.
Thank you to our host Miriam Fearon for a really inspiring evening. 💙