After finishing first-year exams at university, most students can't wait to sit back and relax - but Brierfield teenager Hamara Arif had other ideas.

The 19-year-old instead flew to Malaysia to discuss global issues with young people from all over the world at an international youth summit.

Hamara, who is studying mathematics at St Martin's College, in Lancaster, first got involved in politics when she became a member of the Lancashire Youth Council three years ago.

In 2003, she was elected to represent Burnley in the UK Youth Parliament (UKYP), a post from which she had to retire when she turned 19.

Hamara, of Sackville Street, joined more than 300 other young people, representing 45 different countries, to discuss how young people can and make a difference on everything, from issues within their local community to international environmental problems.

She said: "Discussions were focused on whether democracy has worked for young people, what the advantages and disadvantages of them having democracy are and the way forward.

"I was asked to talk about the UK Youth Parliament on a panel and argued that the only way to develop internationally was to have a definition of youth that is worldwide.

"In the UK, a youth is someone who is aged between 11 and 25, but in some countries it is between 11 and 40, which I find amazing."

Hamara, who has four brothers and three sisters, including an identical twin sister Hafsa, said the summit was hard work.

She said: "We started at 8am and went through until 8pm - it was very intense. I learnt a lot out there but I also realised how advanced we are in the UK in terms of democracy for young people."

County councillor Terry Burns and the Nelson District Youth Council helped her raise the money she needed to pay for the trip and she was among only four others from the UK to take part.