Nineteen-year-old Lukas Seifert is known as “the Maltese guy” among his peers at Oxford University where he is an elected member on the standing committee of the Oxford Union Society, the student-led debating society.
“I feel proud to be representing Malta here but I would like to see more Maltese,” says Lukas.
“I love the Oxford Union since it’s all about freedom of speech and making a difference. I know many people my age in Malta who would be interested in this sort of thing. However, I feel we don’t see a lot of it and it’s about the way ambition is pushed in people.
“While the potential is there in our community, there may not be the right framework in place. Young people are mostly drawn towards more traditional jobs which, while highly important, may result in less opportunity to pursue alternatives.”
The Oxford Union Society was established in 1823 to uphold the principle of free speech. Every term, the society’s committee works to curate a programme of debates and speaker meetings in a forum that promotes critical thinking and encourages debate.
It was at the Oxford Union that Gerry Adams spoke about his campaign for a united Ireland while still banned from appearing on television, Muammar Gaddafi called for a new African Union via a live video stream to the chamber and, in December 1964, Malcolm X delivered his infamous speech on extremism.
More recently, the union hosted Morgan Freeman, Dame Judi Dench, Sir Ian McKellen, Natalie Portman, Stephen Fry, Anna Wintour, Buzz Aldrin, Michael Jackson, Shakira, Senator John McCain, General David Petraeus, Malala Yousafzai, Sepp Blatter, Nancy Pelosi and David Cameron.
Lukas, whose mother is Maltese and father German, lived in Malta all his life.
Throughout his studies he pursued his passion for literature, which originates from his early love of books and writing.
After completing his schooling, including Sixth Form, in Malta, Lukas spent a year at the German military because he wanted to learn to live more independently and experience the discipline of the military in a context that exposed him more to his German roots.
The union offers a way to make your voice heard
Sixth Form was a difficult time for Lukas.
“I have struggled a lot with mental health and this made me aware about its importance, something I’ve brought with me to the Oxford Union,” he says from his room located on the grounds of Christ Church College.
“Back then it was hard but, in a way, my need for perfectionism pushed me to try to do things perfectly, which meant asking the questions to teachers and getting the grades that got me into Oxford.”
Now Lukas is taking all that with him to Oxford: his self-discipline, love for language and literature and his willingness to make a difference.
In 2021, he started his first, of three years, at Oxford University where he is following his passion – English language and literature – in the hope that he will one day be a writer for an international audience.
“I love the way literature offers a new way to look at life and values. It allows you to experience life in different ways,” he says.
“I especially love poetry and I write poetry myself. I find it helps me during those stressful and dark moments.”
Lukas was immediately drawn to the union since it appealed to the part of him that wants to make a difference, instead of keeping his ideas and passions to himself.
In fact, he was involved in co-organising an international poetry symposium and he is planning to tackle the subject of mental health through a panel that he put together.
“The union offers a way to make your voice heard. I always had a passion for freedom of speech,” he says.
“This is about making a change by bringing people together to discuss varying views.”