Student Community

Each year, the Department of International Development selects a group of student organisers who work together to coordinate events and activities and build a sense of community among students (and between students and staff) in ID around three different areas:

Social events 

Social events coordinators will organise a range of social activities throughout the year. These could include quizzes, food themed nights, coffee mornings, game nights, outdoor activities or trips etc.

Academic events

Academic events coordinators will take responsibility for organising academic or educational events for students in the department. Events could include field trips to sites around London related to development, panel discussions with guest speakers or more informal events like coffee mornings with academics in the department.

Careers and professional development

Careers and professional development coordinators will help to organise events related to careers, such as networking events or talks/panel events with recent ID alumni or other professionals working in the International Development sector.

Upcoming events and activities which will be shared via Moodle, email and on the ID Student Organisers webpage.

The ID blog hosts public discussion of issues, research, experiences and free-form thinking about international development issues by staff, students and friends of the Department.

We welcome all students, academics, thinkers, writers and observers of International Development to contribute to the blog. If you would like to write an article for us, please follow the blog’s guidelines and send the written piece with any other media to Dipa Patel, d.patel20@lse.ac.uk.

As well as publishing articles, the ID Blog publishes podcasts created by staff, students and alumni from exploring a diverse range of topics related to International Development. These are streamed on all major platforms, including Spotify, Apple and Amazon.

Each year the department will select a number of student podcast coordinators who will take on responsibility for producing podcasts throughout the year. These student coordinators will receive training in podcasting and develop ideas for one or more podcast series that can showcase student experience, learning and research in the Department, key topics in international development, events and more. With the support of the Communications and Events Officer, the Student Coordinators will create podcasts and recruit other students in the Department to participate in them. Check out a fantastic podcast created by last year's podcast coordinators, Humans of ID.

If you're interested in creating a podcast for us, please email intdev.comms@lse.ac.uk, and read our podcast guidelines here.

Academic or SSLC (Staff Student Liaison Committee Representatives) Reps ensure student concerns are addressed and students have a say in the running of their programme. They raise issues about the quality of the programme and the experience as an LSE student, including the things they love and the things they want improved. SSLC Reps also ensure that the department listens directly to student feedback and that issues are resolved as swiftly as possible to improve the your teaching and learning experience.

SSLC Reps are elected separately for each programme at the start of the Autumn Term. For more information, speak to the leader of your programme, or your programme administrative staff and find out more here.

Every year we recruit ID Student Ambassadors to support the department with offer-holder communications for the incoming cohort. Over recent years, we have found that offer-holders appreciate being able to talk to current students, when deciding whether they would like to accept their offer. Benefits of the position include representing the department as an official Mentorship Ambassador and providing potential to shape the ID community experience for incoming students. A callout for Ambassadors will go out in January 2024. Click here to get an idea of the kind of content you could help to create.

The EDI is all about bringing together individuals who are passionate about promoting critical engagement and ethical awareness in the field of international development. They believe that development discourse should be grounded in ethical considerations and therefore want to encourage their members to develop a critical awareness about the implications of development practices, policies, and discourse. In doing so, they also seek to promote diversity and to engage members in a welcoming space to exchange ideas, collaborate and learn about new or alternative ways of envisioning development. Whether you’re a student, academic, practitioner, or interested in these topics, they would love to see you and hear your voice at their events. Join their LinkedIn Group. 

EDI Board: Penelope Van Der Meer, Thomas Liu, Lara Isabel Cayanan Bautista and Nyashadzashe Mandivenga.

We love hosting student spotlights and story takeovers on Instagram to give an insight into the experience of studying in our department. You can see previous takeovers in our “Day in the life” highlight.

Takeover content can vary from covering a day on campus, showing your favourite spots in London or attending a department event. If you would like to host an Instagram takeover please contact Maya Bullen, m.r.bullen@lse.ac.uk. 

All current students in the Department are on a mailing list to receive the ID bulletin which go out on a weekly basis. The bulletin keeps you informed on all the key ID updates, events and resources. If you have something you'd like to include in the bulletin, please email Maya Bullen, m.r.bullen@lse.ac.uk.

You can also sign up to the ID research newsletter to find out about research events, opportunities and publications in the Department.

Women of Color in Consulting (WoCo) is a diverse group of students at the London School of Economics working together to bring visibility to a highly underrepresented group in consulting. Focusing on the importance of representation and intersectionality, WoCo aims to uplift professional women of color.

WoCo works on projects across multiple sectors, receiving outreach from industry and public groups, and providing unique support to an international community.

For more information, check out the WoCo website: https://lse.ac.uk/womenofcolorinconsulting.

Find spaces on campus for study, recreation and food, as well as a broad range of places to visit and activities to try around London! See the campus and London map here.

LSE Student Futures brings together transformational learning experiences from across our School that take place outside the classroom to empower your academic, personal and professional growth. Find out more about Student Futures here.

The Volunteer Centre LSE students find a volunteering placement at a charity or not-for-profit organisation during their time studying at LSE. Find out more about volunteering opportunities here.

 LSE Generate supports students and alumni to build a socially responsible business, in the UK and beyond, with a year-round programme packed with funding competitions, events and networking opportunities. Find out more about LSE Generate here.

 LSE PhD Academy is a dedicated space and services hub for doctoral candidates studying at LSE. Find out more about the PhD Academy here.

If you would like to get in touch with an LSE ID alumnus, we can connect you via the ID LinkedIn Page: please email intdev.comms@lse.ac.uk.

Find out how to get in touch with a member of the wider LSE alumni community here or use the Ask an Alum service.