ISSUE No 6 2022
YOUR SUPPORT IN ACTION
Westminster Working Cultures International alumni, like Edmilson Angelo, are inspiring students from their home countries
Closing the gap in gaming and tech Sony Interactive Entertainment have partnered with Westminster to create greater diversity in industry
The future is mentoring Our new Group Mentoring sessions allow many more students to benefit from a mentoring relationship
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IMPACT | INTRODUCTION
INTRODUCTION
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elcome to Impact, the magazine for our valued donors and volunteers who are supporting our students and the University of Westminster. Thanks to your support, over the last year, we’ve been able to raise our ambitions and support an increasing number of students from underrepresented backgrounds. As our students emerge from the pandemic and enter a fiercely competitive graduate market, our inclusive programmes are really helping them to stand out. Take our new partnership with Sony Interactive Entertainment, for example. This multinational digital entertainment studio is helping us diversify the talent entering the gaming sector through the development of our games design Saturday Skills Club and Level-Playing Field scholarships. Businesses in the property sector have also been exploring ways to increase their diversity. Our recent commitment from Shaftesbury PLC has provided a BSc Real Estate student from a disadvantaged background with the chance to have his full tuition fees and annual maintenance costs covered for two years. Meanwhile, 26 employees from real estate firm Savills have signed up to support students via our Career Mentoring Programme. Our Future Ready Mentoring Programmes have seen over 1,500 mentors engage with students and recent graduates. We couldn’t be prouder of the response from our alumni and partners in offering their
To donate a gift to the University of Westminster, please visit: donate.westminster.ac.uk
time and expertise to the next cohort of Westminster talent. Furthermore, our Westminster Working Cultures (WWC) programme could have been detrimentally impacted by COVID-19, but instead has adapted in the face of adversity. Almost 1,000 students have attended a virtual WWC event in the last year. And, with the reopening of international travel, we are excited to provide students with the chance to experience these international cultures and the warmth of our global alumni base first-hand once more. Finally, we are delighted to be opening the UK’s most inclusive enterprise centre on 29 Marylebone Road. The project has formally been approved and is accelerating at pace, with a planned opening of early 2024. The building will be the place where students, researchers, alumni and businesses can co-exist, and mutually develop. Your support will be a key part of ensuring the success of all these programmes. The provision of lifechanging financial support for our most vulnerable students, and the opportunities to learn and upskill, can’t be sustained without it. We hope you are as reaffirmed as we are reading this year’s copy of Impact, as to why your support is more important than ever. Thank you again. Jordan Scammell Head of Development and Fundraising Alyssa Martin Head of Alumni Relations (Maternity Cover)
IMPACT Issue No 6 2022 Editor Jenny Stubberfield Contributors Julia Ross, Alexandra Varga and Jules Attanayake Development and Alumni Relations University of Westminster 32-38 Wells St, London W1T 3UW T: +44 (0)20 3506 6245 E: development@westminster.ac.uk
A charity and a company limited by guarantee. Registration number: 977818 Registered office: 309 Regent Street, London W1B 2UW Thank you to all colleagues, students and supporters who have contributed to this issue. 9505/05.22/JT/GP
CONTENTS | IMPACT
CONTENTS Our winning volunteers 2022 3 We are thrilled to announce the winners of this year’s Alumni Volunteering Awards
The future is mentoring 5 Group Mentoring is allowing hundreds more students to reap the benefits of a mentoring relationship at Westminster
An ambition to empower 9 The 125 Fund is making a global impact,
supporting projects such as Life Academy
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Closing the gap in gaming and tech 11 Sony Interactive Entertainment are working with
Westminster to create greater diversity within the gaming, tech and entertainment industries
A place to do business 15 The redevelopment of 29 Marylebone Road is well underway
Soho Poly: arts for all 16 The rebirth of the Soho Poly goes from strength to strength
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“My story has power”
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collaboration to support A global heath
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T hrough Westminster Working Cultures Professional, Edmilson Angelo is helping students transition back to life in Angola
Westminster is supporting international efforts to improve patient care in the face of a global health crisis
20 By supporting Westminster students, local
Making real change in real estate
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property firms are helping to diversify their sector
What Comes Next? 21 Recent graduates are enlightening students
about what to expect after graduation in our new alumni speaker series
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IMPACT | Our Winning Volunteers 2022
2,483
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ALUMNI ACTIVELY VOLUNTEER ACROSS OUR PROJECTS
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NATIONALITIES. OUR ALUMNI VOLUNTEER FROM AROUND THE WORLD
CATEGORIES WITHIN THE ALUMNI VOLUNTEERING AWARDS
OUR WINNING VOLUNTEERS 2022 We are thrilled to announce the winners of the Alumni Volunteering Awards 2022.
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estminster is extremely fortunate to have hundreds of dedicated volunteers, selflessly giving their time and expertise to support students at the University. Through taking part in our mentoring schemes, giving careers talks, hosting events and workshops, and representing the University as international ambassadors, our alumni and partners go above and beyond to support the University’s mission and our students’ success. During Volunteers’ Week each year, it is our pleasure to recognise and celebrate the dedication and commitment of these volunteers through our Alumni Volunteering Awards.
COULD YOU BE AN ALUMNI VOLUNTEERING AWARD WINNER? Find out more about the many volunteering opportunities available for our alumni and supporters: westminster.ac.uk/get-involved
The Awards The Awards include five categories, reflecting the breadth of volunteering opportunities at Westminster and the range of ways our alumni get involved. The categories are: •
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Alumni Speaker of the Year Award For alumni who have delivered an outstanding presentation, lecture, workshop or panel discussion. Going the Extra Mile Award For alumni who have provided dedicated support across multiple initiatives or activities. Exceptional Support of Students and Recent Graduates Award For alumni who go above and beyond to provide professional development support to students and recent graduates. Long Serving Volunteer Award For the marathon alumni volunteers who have supported Westminster for at least three years. Volunteer Partner Award For non-alumni partners who, recognising the potential of Westminster students, generously offer specialist knowledge and insights to support their development.
The Winners
Alumni Speaker of the Year Yashraj Jain (Applied Market and Social Research MA, 2011) Since completing his MA on an international scholarship, Yashraj has been working in the research industry, and is currently a Senior Researcher at Fundamental Media and Director at the Research Concierge. Yashraj has demonstrated his commitment to students’ employability as a member of Westminster’s Employability Advisory Boards and also by volunteering as a keynote speaker for our What it Takes series. Students found his interactive presentation on ‘What it Takes to Make Better Career Decisions’ so engaging, that there was little time for the Q&A. Unprompted,
Our Winning Volunteers 2022 | IMPACT
Yashraj followed up with considered answers to each of the students’ outstanding questions. Yashraj gave the talk from Mumbai, while India was facing the worst of the pandemic. Despite this extremely challenging situation and added difficulty with the time difference, Yashraj still delivered an outstanding event.
Going the Extra Mile ‘Lola’ Jianjie Xia (Film and Television MA, 2015) Since completing her degree, Lola has been working as a trilingual TV producer and screenwriter. In partnership with South Korean and Hollywood production teams, she works as a creative producer across borders, regions and languages. Her first volunteering experience at Westminster was as a mentor on our Career Mentoring programme in 2019. Since then, Lola has remotely mentored and helped three students take their first steps into their professional careers, both in the UK and China. In 2021, Lola supported both the Westminster Working Cultures (WWC) UK and WWC Professional programmes, speaking to students about her experience as a producer in China’s creative world and how endurance and her passion has kept her going. Despite being based the other side of the world, Lola has always been willing to support students and inspire them with tales of her endurance.
Exceptional Support of Students and Recent Graduates Rajan Borkhataria (Computer Science BSc, 2020) Rajan is a Software Support Analyst at Innovative Systems. After graduating in 2020, he spent his first graduate year enthusiastically saying ‘yes’ to every alumni volunteering opportunity put to him. As a previous WWC UK participant, Rajan was enthusiastic about speaking on the programme himself and took part in multiple WWC UK sessions last year. He inspired many students with his honest advice as he described his career journey so far – the challenges he has faced, the lessons that he has taken away and the opportunities that he has embraced. As a recent graduate, Rajan has demonstrated admirable commitment and passion for volunteering at Westminster.
Long Serving Volunteer Christian Rodrigues (Business Management BA, 2013) Christian is a highly skilled and successful retail manager with over 19 years’ experience. Throughout his
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career, he has delivered successful strategies and initiatives with businesses in High Street and Luxury Fashion. Christian has been part of the mentoring community at Westminster since 2015, providing exceptional support through our Career Mentoring programme and Ask a Mentor service. He has worked with a number of students, building their confidence, enhancing their vocational prospects and improving their academic outcomes. In addition, he has encouraged mentees to network with his colleagues and given tours of his workplace, so that mentees can learn more about their desired profession. Over the years, Christian has been an excellent example of a mentor whose efforts are impactful and rewarding.
Volunteer Partner of the Year Cognizant Cognizant Outreach is the technology company’s volunteering-led social impact programme. Supporting inclusion in tech is at the heart of Outreach and something they have been able to do further by engaging with Westminster’s mentoring programmes. Cognizant has been one of our key partners, supporting all three branches of Future Ready Mentoring. In addition to their support as mentors, the Cognizant team hosted an Outreach Event specifically for Westminster students and graduates for International Women’s Day. The event was designed to give mentees an opportunity to meet industry leaders and work side-by-side with digital professionals on a project team. The Cognizant team have gone above and beyond to help students and recent graduates understand the options available to them after they graduate, and assist them in navigating the everchanging job market.
EMPOWER
EXPLORE
ELEVATE
THE FUTURE IS MENTORING T Over the past decade, the demand for mentoring at Westminster has driven our mentoring programmes to adapt, transform and expand. This year we launched course-embedded Group Mentoring to allow hundreds more students and recent graduates to reap the benefits of a mentoring relationship.
he benefits of having a mentor are countless. For students who are set on working in a specific industry, being matched with a mentor who has specialist knowledge and real insight into that industry is invaluable. Meanwhile, students who are less sure about their steps after graduation can still enhance their employability by learning the many soft skills our mentors have honed over years of practise. If nothing else, all students benefit from a confidence boost, gaining a clearer vision of what they are capable of and knowing that they are supported by their mentors. And the benefits are felt both ways. By all accounts, mentors discover a new appreciation for their own career journeys. They are encouraged by what they see in Westminster students, and
enjoy the challenge of gaining new skills through becoming mentors. In fact, the numbers speak for themselves: when Westminster first launched its mentoring programme in 2012 there were 12 mentoring relationships. Fast forward to today and we have thousands of mentors willing to volunteer on our programmes, with 1,045 mentoring relationships supported in the last academic year alone. While accommodating the growth of mentoring at Westminster, the Mentoring Team have also worked to diversify the programme by adapting it to the individual needs of students and volunteers. Under the umbrella of Future Ready Mentoring, we now have three distinct branches of mentoring on offer, tailored to suit the varied needs of our students.
The Future is Mentoring | IMPACT
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BRANCHES OF FUTURE READY MENTORING
Career Mentoring programme The original long-term mentoring opportunity at Westminster, the Career Mentoring programme matches a student or recent graduate with a mentor who has professional experience in the student’s area of interest. Over a series of sessions, mentors provide realistic advice, support and opportunities to help students work towards their personal and professional goals. Due to its popularity, the programme now has two cycles or ‘intakes’ per year. While the pandemic caused some disruption to the programme initially, by moving online, the Career Mentoring Programme has become even more accessible. Cycle 1 Runs from November to April (with at least five mentoring sessions) Cycle 2 Runs from May to July (with at least three mentoring sessions)
The option of virtual mentoring means that students can also be matched with more of our international mentors – who are based in over 40 different countries around the world. Gaining this global perspective is an added bonus to students’ mentoring experience. In 2021, we created 749 successful matches between mentors and
1,553
ACTIVE MENTORS ACROSS OUR THREE PROGRAMMES
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749
SUCCESSFUL CAREER MENTORING MATCHES IN 2021
Students from Westminster Business School discussed resilience and leadership with their group mentors
mentees on the programme. But the relationship doesn’t always end when the programme is completed. Having multiple sessions allows mentors and mentees to foster a strong working relationship, and mentors often choose to remain in touch with their mentees, continuing to support them long into their careers.
Queries from mentees can be broad, such as interview or job application advice, or very specific to particular industries. It is thanks to our diverse pool of mentors, each with their own unique experiences and areas of expertise, that all queries – no matter how technical – can be addressed.
Ask a Mentor service Sometimes, the Career Mentoring Programme isn’t the answer. Students who have part-time jobs, for example, may struggle to commit to a long-term mentoring relationship. And sometimes students will just have one specific query they need an answer to. That’s where our Ask a Mentor service comes in, to provide a shortterm, one-off conversation between a student or recent graduate and a mentor.
Ask a Mentor Service FAQs • What skills do I need to progress in my chosen field? • What jobs are accessible to me with limited work experience? • How do I find the postgraduate degree that is right for me? • How can I demonstrate my degree knowledge in applications?
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IMPACT | The Future is Mentoring
I’M VERY ENCOURAGED BY WHAT I’VE SEEN IN THESE STUDENTS. Group Mentoring The latest mentoring venture at Westminster is the pilot of courseembedded Group Mentoring sessions. Having witnessed the success of our established programmes, the Mentoring Team looked for more innovative ways of maximising the number of students who could benefit from a mentoring experience. By bringing mentoring into the classroom, hundreds more students have had that opportunity. Unlike the other programmes, Group Mentoring is subject-specific and integrated into teaching. Over the semester, mentors are welcomed onto campus to lead sessions for groups of students as part of timetabled teaching. The sessions are tailored to suit the course module and the mentors are professionals within industries relevant to the course. Mentor Richard Marsden, for example, is Information Technology Security Manager at IT company Cognizant (one of our dedicated volunteer partner companies). Richard volunteered on our most recent Group Mentoring pilot, which supported final year students in the School of Computer Science and Engineering with the ‘Information Driven Entrepreneurship & Enterprise’ module. As part of the module, students work in small groups to develop a plan for a viable business concept. Our group mentors, who had either an IT or a business background, played a key role in helping students consider and develop their online business proposals. “I’ve got a lifetime of experience to share with people who are just starting out,” says Richard. “The job I’m in now is IT security and so part of the
discussion was about supporting their project in terms of security. But we also talked around the scope of technology. Because it’s a huge area, there’s a mysticism about what IT is, and these sessions help with that.” Mentors met with their group of students three times over the semester and crafted their own sessions in line with a key objective to support each stage of the project:
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EXPLORE Understanding what makes a viable online business. In the early stages of the module, mentors helped the project groups to form a viable online business plan, by brainstorming ideas and challenging the need for the business in the real world.
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EMPOWER Overcoming challenges with product or service development. Mid-way through the project, mentors used their expertise to help students smooth out any issues with their project proposal.
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ELEVATE Applying your knowledge to succeed in your career. After the projects had been submitted, mentors met with their groups for a final time to discuss how they can apply what they have learnt through project work to their careers. “The group I’ve been with I think have been really accommodating and taken everything on board,” says Richard. “Because we’ve stayed with the same group, it’s meant that I’ve been able to foster that engagement. Which has been very rewarding.
“They have also asked to keep in contact with me. One of the students has asked if I can review her CV – which of course I’m happy to do. If they want to carry on the contact beyond this, I think that’s testament to how well they’ve taken on board what I’ve been teaching.” Another of our mentors, Maria Lain Valenzuela, (WBS Exchange Programme, 2008) who is Founder and Director of language course business, Spanish for Executives, has also been impressed at how well students have responded to Group Mentoring. “My impression is that students are super committed. They are really aware of the importance of this opportunity to be connected with professionals. “The key advice I wanted to give them was to stay hungry and be curious about what every professional you meet on your path can bring. You never know who will inspire you. And of course, to work hard and don’t expect immediate rewards.” The project group Maria was supporting developed a business plan for a web application. As one of the students in her group, Vinujan, explains: “It’s a web application for small businesses (less than or equal to 50), where their employees would use our system to order food for the week. “Maria gave suggestions throughout our project, and we discussed what would happen if we implemented them. She helped us to stay on track with our business idea. She also asked about our careers and suggested where the opportunities for us would be. This was really helpful and something that we will continue to put our thought into.” This is not Maria’s first time volunteering at Westminster. Since 2016, she has been supporting our Career
The Future is Mentoring | IMPACT
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Mentor Maria speaks to students about how to apply what they have learnt through mentoring to their future careers
Mentoring programme and has helped many students navigate the transition into the world of work. Beyond seeing students flourish, it is the opportunity for personal reflection and development that encourages Maria to return to the programme. “I think that being part of a mentoring scheme is always rewarding for the professional,” she says. “It is a great opportunity to be in touch with younger people, who are facing certain problems for the first time. You have these fresh insights into problem-solving approaches that can be really inspiring. You also gain more skills in empathy and become a better communicator. “By volunteering, the circle is connected. You don’t leave the university and fly away, but you feed back and bring what you’ve learnt. I think every professional should come back and share their career experiences to support students.” This optimism for mentoring at Westminster is evident in feedback from all of our mentors. Whether they are new to Westminster or a long-term volunteer, the shared experience across all of
our mentoring programmes has been overwhelmingly positive. “I’m not an alumnus – it’s my first time here at Westminster,” says Richard. “But I’m very encouraged by what I’ve seen in these students. By their thought patterns, and also their willingness to ask questions. That is really encouraging. These are the people who are now coming into the job market. It does bode well for the future.” The three Group Mentoring pilots have now concluded. The other modules supported by these pilots were ‘Employability and Leadership’ as part of BA Business Management,
and ‘Mindfulness and Psychotherapist Practice’ for BSc Psychology and Counselling students. Following the success of all three pilots, the Mentoring Team have very ambitious plans to roll the programme out even further across the University. They will continue to work closely with academics to really tailor the sessions and supplement what students are learning on their modules. With the dedication of our mentors and the eagerness of our students, we hope to integrate mentoring into every course so that ultimately, every student will benefit from mentoring at Westminster.
THANK YOU TO OUR MENTORS It is thanks to your commitment that mentoring at Westminster continues to grow, to give all students the best chance of success after graduation. Thank you. As Future Ready Mentoring continues to expand, so does the demand for mentors. To join us on our journey and become a mentor at Westminster, visit: westminster.ac.uk/become-a-mentor We are always keen to partner with organisations. Get in touch with us to find out more: career-mentoring@westminster.ac.uk
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IMPACT | An Ambition to Empower
£124,000 RAISED BY ALUMNI IN OUR LAST TELEPHONE CAMPAIGN
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STUDENTS AWARDED MONEY THROUGH THE 125 FUND IN 2022
1:1
EVERY DONATION MADE TO THE FUND IS MATCHED POUND FOR POUND
AN AMBITION TO EMPOWER
The 125 Fund gives Westminster students the unique opportunity to upskill, or develop a project or business alongside their studies. Now in its seventh year, the Fund continues to make a global, social impact. Few projects are more worthy of the award than Life Academy, the Colombia-based NGO founded by María del Pilar Aristizábal Pineda (Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Enterprise Development MSc, 2021).
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n a sense, María’s passion for helping others is in her DNA. “My family has been, without doubt, my biggest influence,” she says. “My dad raised me with his example of generosity and service to others – especially if they are in need. My mother has an unbeatable willpower, that – mixed with patience – makes her the most perseverant person I have ever known.” Both her parents are also high school teachers, which may explain something about María’s chosen career path. She has worked with younger people since she was 15 – a work and a cause, she says she was always “in love with”. And then, one day, everything changed – a close friend of María’s died by suicide. The experience shook her to the core, and ultimately changed the course of her life. “I felt vulnerable and I was not able to go through that again,” she says. “I have had other friends who have tried to commit suicide before and who have had suicidal thoughts. I couldn’t do this again, so I decided to create something to tackle the problem – a platform for young people to empower themselves.”
From María’s conviction came the birth of Life Academy in 2019 – a social enterprise dedicated to tackling what has become a global epidemic of youth suicide. Suicide is the world’s second highest cause of death among 15 to 29-year-olds, yet despite the scale of the problem, many people really don’t understand it, María tells me. “There is this misconception that the only people who are at risk have mental health issues,” she says. “That is so not true. Of course they are part of it, but that’s not the whole of it. Everyone is susceptible.”
There are many factors which can make young people consider suicide, from the stress of studying and its accompanying financial worries, to relationship “heartbreak”. “We look for our own meaning in other people’s eyes,” María says. “What is so confusing for young people is to understand they have everything they require in themselves.” A huge part of the problem, in María’s eyes, is the unique position young people suddenly find themselves in. “When you’re a child you have all this care and when you’re an adult you have all these opportunities,” she says. “As a youth you’re in limbo – none of the benefits of being a child and none of the benefits of being an adult.” To tackle this problem, Life Academy arranges for professionals to deliver soft skills workshops and mentoring for 12 to 18-year-olds. “We match up employees with student environments,” María explains. “They both commit – that not only helps the child, it helps the adult.” Life Academy has previously assisted the school with the highest suicide in rate Manizales, delivering an intervention progamme for the eighth
An Ambition to Empower | IMPACT
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PART OF THE REASON MARÍA CHOSE WESTMINSTER WAS ITS DIVERSITY AND INTERNATIONAL FOCUS. María's workshops are increasing emotional well-being among 12 to 18-years olds
grade – the year group reporting the highest levels of suicidal thoughts. Following the progamme, in a dramatic turnaround, this year group suddenly reported greater emotional well-being than the rest of the school. Life Academy is supported by the University of Colombia, which has helped the enterprise build its methodology and measure its results. In 2019, Life Academy was selected by the Colombia’s Presidential Council for Youth – a leading national initiative with a powerful global reach. Achieving this recognition and support from both organisations were real “wow moments”, María tells me. A year later, as María was moving to London to begin her MSc at Westminster, she was awarded The 125 Fund award. “It was amazing – it came at a very critical point,” María says of the Award. The 125 Fund, launched in 2016, offers Westminster students up to £1,500 to fund personal or professional development. In 2021, María was one of 65 students to receive a share of the nearly £65,000, generously funded by Westminster alumni via the annual telephone campaign. With its help, Life Academy has launched its services to students in Mexico, China and elsewhere. It has even helped the NGO bring its
personal development workshops to Westminster students. There have been many challenges connected to going international – not least the language barrier. “We are a social business founded in Latin America – we speak Spanish. Only 30 per cent of the people in our team spoke English by that time, so it was a huge challenge to translate all our content,” María says. A deeper challenge was learning to understand all these new student cultures – “What they want, how they feel, who they trust” – and finding new solutions which work for students all over the world. Technology and licenses were also a huge barrier, and The 125 Fund provided game-changing help in this area. As well as significantly developing the enterprise’s digital capabilities, the Fund also provided a huge boost to Life Academy’s human resources. Part of the reason María chose Westminster was its diversity and international focus – factors which helped her take Life Academy to the next level. During her time on the MSc, she was also selected for the Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative (YLAI), which matches budding social and business entrepreneurs from Latin America, the Caribbean and Canada, with US businesses.
Balancing a Masters course with building an international NGO could be intense at times, María acknowledges. “It was chaotic – not easy at all,” she says. “I think it was the first time when I decided not to even try to be a ‘perfect’ student.” The experience forced her to delegate more and put her trust in colleagues at Life Academy – who have not let her down. At the same time, working on Life Academy helped to give her perspective, while she was studying. “Working on Life Academy was a medicine,” she says. “It was my way to maintain the feeling that we were doing something bigger than ourselves.” Since completing her MSc last year, María’s primary focus has been bringing Life Academy to more and more people. “We expect to be the global platform to empower young people – that’s what we dream of,” she says. “Our initial focus is Latin America, but we’re going to build something that is truly international.”
SUPPORT PROJECTS LIKE THESE The Quintin Hogg Trust (QHT) has generously matched every donation made to The 125 Fund, pound for pound, since 2016. Encouraged by ongoing support from our alumni and friends, the QHT has chosen to extend this matched funding offer until 2023. With your support, we can ensure our students are equipped with the life skills and professional experience they need, to continue to make a positive social impact around the globe. To find out how you can support The 125 Fund, visit: donate.westminster.ac.uk/donate/ the-125-fund
Closing the Gap in Gaming and Tech | IMPACT
89%
OF THE GAMING INDUSTRY IN THE UNITED KINGDOM IS WHITE
£500,000 OVER 4 ACADEMIC YEARS PLEDGED BY SONY INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT
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STUDENTS WILL BENEFIT FROM SONY INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT’S SUPPORT FROM 2021-25
CLOSING THE GAP IN GAMING AND TECH Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) and the University of Westminster are working in partnership to create greater diversity within the gaming, tech and entertainment industries.
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’ve had students joining with A Levels in Psychology, Religion and Geography,” says Markos Mentzelopoulos, Senior Lecturer in Computer Science and Engineering at Westminster. “None of these subjects have anything to do with computing. All of them, they had a passion for games. And that’s the most important part for me – the passion.” Markos has been running the Saturday Skills Club, where 16 to 18-year-olds work to produce a publishable game demo, for some time. This course has always been an effective way to introduce students from diverse backgrounds to the world of gaming and computer programming. It is now a central part of Westminster’s new partnership with Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE). SIE’s PlayStation Career Pathways Program aims to bring more Black students and students of colour into tech, entertainment and gaming. Students at the Skills Club can now present their prototype games directly to SIE professionals. “The Saturday Skills Club provides an amazing opportunity for aspiring preuniversity game devs, which is exactly
what the PlayStation Career Pathways Program is about,” says Asia Larkin, DE&I Portfolio & Project Specialist at SIE. At the next stage in these young students’ career paths, SIE and Westminster are offering the LevelPlaying Field Scholarships. These scholarships are open to all students of colour who are UK-based, have a financial need and are studying computer science and engineering courses at Westminster. (Students do not have to have attended the Skills Club). “This collaboration between the University of Westminster and SIE is going to directly support students of colour,” Asia says. “Especially in the form of financial support, which is often the biggest barrier for young people of colour, so they can focus on their studies.” These scholarships can transform students’ university experiences and future prospects. “It meant a lot to me, actually,” says Favour Ekengwu, a BSc Business Information Systems student and Scholarship recipient. “When I got it, I was actually at work. I literally screamed!”
Favour has worked since she was 16. During this period, she became estranged from her family and had a period of homelessness. In her first year at Westminster, she was fighting a legal battle for guardianship of her two younger brothers, who now both live with her in London. “The first year was really hard actually, because the student finance wasn’t enough for me,” she says. Favour was often forced to miss classes simply to go to work and pay for her studies. Even with the Scholarship she still struggles, but it has allowed her to take a break from work, to concentrate on her course and take care of her brothers. She has seen her marks going up as a result, she says. “I was over the moon. I was sort of jumping up and down,” says Abdul Ibrahim, an MSc Cyber Security and Forensics student, who was awarded the postgraduate Level-Playing Field Scholarship. “I think it relieves a lot of stress.” Before he got the scholarship, Abdul was weighing up postgraduate loan repayments against graduate salaries and wondering whether he could afford to do a Masters at all. Now, not only is
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IMPACT | Closing the Gap in Gaming and Tech
WE COULDN’T BE PROUDER TO WORK ALONGSIDE THE UNIVERSITY OF WESTMINSTER TO ACHIEVE THIS SHARED MISSION he free from this financial pressure, he is also working fewer hours, allowing him to focus more on his course. He has also managed to secure a job for September – something he says may not have been possible, without the time the scholarship has given him back. “I have seen both sides,” he says. “Because I was applying for internships when I was in my undergrad, I was working a lot more hours and I wasn’t able to fully focus on getting an internship. I’d be up until 1 or 2am to do an assessment for these internship opportunities and by doing that you’re feeling tired and you’re not feeling 100 per cent focused.” In the end, Abdul was unable to secure an internship during his undergraduate degree – something which was frustrating at the time. And it is sometimes hidden pressures like this which can hold some students back, regardless of their ability. This, amid a whole mesh of other issues, means people from certain backgrounds and ethnic groups remain worryingly
underrepresented in certain industries. “As beautiful as the gaming industry is, when it comes to diversity, there is a lot of work to be done,” Asia says. In Asia’s view, 2020 was a turning point. “The world witnessed the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery. What would have previously been rationalised as general bias, was highlighted truthfully as structural and institutional racism and social injustice in our society. In this moment, SIE and the wider Sony Group chose to take action. Sony Group launched a $100m Global Social Justice Fund, and SIE began establishing strategic partnerships to help more people of colour break into tech and gaming. To achieve this, a central priority has been improving access to education for Black talent, at an early stage,” Asia says. It was no accident SIE chose to partner with Westminster to do this. “We couldn’t be prouder to work alongside the University of Westminster to achieve this shared mission,” Asia says.
The Saturday Skills Club introduces students from diverse backgrounds to the world of gaming
Westminster’s mission and values are “strongly aligned with SIE’s commitment to creating meaningful opportunities for talent from underrepresented communities,” Asia explains. As well as being a moral imperative, Asia is quick to point out diversity’s potential as an energising force for gaming, and the content it produces. “A team from diverse backgrounds will allow for different thoughts which means that the diversity and authenticity of stories and characters in the games that are being developed will increase,” Asia says. “This is an exciting opportunity for the gaming industry, if you ask me.” But gaming is more than just gaming, for the teenagers attending Saturday Skills Club. Over a period of 10 weeks, participants learn, not just technical, but also entrepreneurial and communication skills. They work as a team with people they’ve just met and have the opportunity to network with established industry professionals. Creating a game demo is also an excellent introduction to broader computer programming, Markos says. It is therefore a great introduction to a range of tech career options, which it is often harder for young Black Britons to break into. “I think the big challenges come from your childhood,” says Abdul. “At younger ages, you haven’t been given a lot of the same opportunities. In my local area, for example, my high school didn’t prioritise tech and the modernisation of technology. We had ITC classes, but nothing for people who wanted to go further.” After going to university, Abdul found other students had had these opportunities at school, and found himself playing catch up, as a result. To some extent, Favour is currently having a similar experience. She was focused on business when she first discovered IT at college. “I fell in love with it and just got intrigued by it,” she says. Studying IT at degree level has only confirmed Favour’s passion for the subject and she plans to move away from business to study pure computer science. Like Abdul before her, she
Closing the Gap in Gaming and Tech | IMPACT
knows she has an uphill climb, however. Her coding grades are lower than her overall average, she says, and she can see how much easier more experienced classmates find coding. None of this is going to stop her, however. “I’m a hard worker, so I know I can make up for it and be on their level in no time.”
Are they all in a foundation role?” “Companies need to stand up actually,” she adds. This is a viewpoint Asia concurs with. “Recent data from the 2022 census conducted by Ukie found that the ethnic makeup of the gaming industry in the UK remains the same as in 2020 – 89 per cent White,” Asia says. “With
16 to 18-year-olds work to produce a game demo at the Saturday Skills Club
As a Black woman, Favour represents a uniquely underrepresented group in tech. Men outnumber women around three to one, in her IT modules, she estimates. She agrees lack of education opportunities are a part of the problem – but far from the whole problem. “There are a lot of barriers for Black women in everything, to be fair.” Favour is particularly concerned by the fact that while Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) workers often feature lower down the chain in tech companies they are notably absent from senior roles. She even knows another woman of colour who changed careers, because she felt she could not progress, she tells me. “It’s very rare to find a company that has management including somebody who’s of colour – Asian or Black – and that’s big,” she says. “A company says that it has a lot of people of colour, then if you look at management there are none to be seen, so where are they?
data also showing Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic groups are less likely to be directly promoted in their role. According to the 2021 International Game Developers Association (IDGA) Developer Satisfaction Survey, in the gaming industry overall, Black people represent about 4 percent of the workforce, a small increase from 2 percent in 2019.” All of this demonstrates just how much work needs to be done, for the industry to achieve true diversity at senior levels. Westminster has always had a strong commitment to diversity, reflected in its
PARTNER WITH US
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student body – and its tech courses are no exception. “We have 40 to 45 per cent BAME students,” Markos says. “That’s quite a big number.” The problem, he says, lies not in admissions, but in course completion rates. And this, once again, comes back to many BAME students not having the same opportunities to gain the right skills earlier on. “The degrees are very technical,” he says. “A lot of students struggle – especially in the second year.” Markos says maths teaching is a serious problem across UK schools. He believes this issue is only exacerbated for students from more deprived areas. He also feels many students – particularly those from BAME backgrounds – are not getting the right advice about what modules to take in A Level and BTEC courses. From both a university’s and a company’s perspective, Markos says, the best way to tackle this problem head-on is to engage in more initiatives like the Skills Club – where students are made to understand these things at an earlier stage. “There can be smaller academies – like for two, three weeks only, that they can do in Year 11 or something,” he says. “Which means it’s before they even make A Level, BTEC choices. So, students can become more aware of STEM from an even younger age.” SIE’s ambitions go even further. “Our long-term vision is to establish the PlayStation Career Pathways Program as an educational talent pipeline that starts in primary school and extends through to job placement,” Asia says. “Imagine if talent gets the opportunity to develop the required skill set and industry network from an early age.”
A growing number of organisations are choosing to support Westminster’s diverse student demographic, recognising our position as an institution which can truly help to create a level-playing field in today’s graduate market. If you are interested in becoming a corporate partner and making a real difference to society, we would love to hear from you. Get in touch via development@westminster.ac.uk
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IMPACT | A Place to do business
8
2024
STOREYS OF COLLABORATIVE WORKSPACE
IS WHEN 29MR WILL OPEN ITS DOORS TO THE COMMUNITY
100%
OF WESTMINSTER STUDENTS WILL BENEFIT
A PLACE TO DO BUSINESS
The redevelopment of 29 Marylebone Road, to become the Centre for Employability and Enterprise, is well underway.
O
n the corner of Luxborough Street and Marylebone Road is a building full of potential. The eight storeys that make up 29 Marylebone Road are being redeveloped by the University to create a space for collaboration and innovation in the heart of central London. Over the next two years, the building will be transformed into a hub for learning and engagement, welcoming local communities, businesses and alumni to connect with students and enhance their experience at Westminster. It will bring all of Westminster’s employability and enterprise initiatives – including Future Ready Mentoring and Westminster Working Cultures – together under one roof. Meanwhile, innovative workspaces and state-of-theart facilities will nurture creative talent, and encourage budding student and graduate entrepreneurs. For students, this collaboration with the wider Westminster community is invaluable and will set them apart in the graduate job market. The benefits of our new centre are not exclusive to students, however. It will be accessible and inclusive to all, also providing alumni and the wider community with access to inspirational employer-led events and activities, skills training and networking opportunities. Developments The refurbishment – shaped by these objectives – will include unique, purpose-designed areas and a range of high-tech facilities. Over the past year, we have been working with architects and designers to create detailed concept designs for the finished renovation, which include:
Architect’s drawing of 29MR. Credit: APD Architecture
• • • •
Events and exhibition spaces A digital skills training suite A broadcast studio Project spaces for students to collaborate and work alongside employers • An ‘incubation space’ for new student and graduate enterprises • A ‘maker space’ to support our community of student and alumni makers and the wider community In line with Westminster’s values, the redeveloped building will also meet the highest levels of sustainability standards, with triple-glazed windows, a bike store and green roof terraces to encourage biodiversity. Watch this space In the past year, the project has been formally approved by the University’s Court of Governors. Subject to planning permission being granted,
construction is expected to begin early next year. We look forward to welcoming the Westminster community, with their richness of experience and passion for collaborative enterprise, through the doors of 29 Marylebone Road in spring 2024.
GET BEHIND THE VISION To stay up to date with the redevelopment of 29 Marylebone Road and discover how you can support the programmes taking place in this exciting new space, visit: donate.westminster.ac.uk/ appeal/29MR
Soho Poly: Arts for All | IMPACT
50
YEARS SINCE THE SOHO POLY FIRST OPENED ITS DOORS
£39,000
16
90
IS THE FUNDRAISING TARGET FOR BEGINNING RESTORATION WORK
SCHOOL CHILDREN INVOLVED IN DRAMA WORKSHOPS AS PART OF AN OUTREACH PROJECT
SOHO POLY: ARTS FOR ALL
The rebirth of the Soho Poly, our leading London Fringe theatre venue from 1972 to 1990, goes from strength to strength.
Jon Ronson performs at Soho Poly donor event
T
he University’s Soho Poly theatre is being brought back to life. Once the home of pioneering lunchtime theatre, and a leading venue for alternative and underrepresented writers, the historical space was left abandoned until ten years ago. Fundraising efforts are now well underway to restore the space and the spirit of the Soho Poly theatre to its former glory. In 2021, the National Lottery Heritage Fund granted an unprecedented donation of £88,300 for an outreach project, Soho Poly: Inspiring Future Generations. In full spirit of the original Soho Poly, this project has widened participation in and enthusiasm for the arts. The project, which commenced in September, involved historians at the British Library training 30 undergraduates from the University in recording the memories of past practitioners of the theatre, including Simon Callow, Hanif Kureishi and Ann Mitchell. In these moving recordings, actors and directors relive their past experiences of the Soho Poly theatre.
Meanwhile, in another part of the project, 90 schoolchildren at three partner schools received drama workshops led by award-winning director, Helen Eastman. They also co-created a Schools Resources Pack rooted in the importance of learning about equality, diversity and inclusion in the arts. “The workshop the students did was fantastic,” said one drama tutor. “They were able to learn and reflect on their own views regarding theatre and also develop new ones through discovering the history. We have taken the students to the theatre since, and they are still talking about it.” In the third branch of the project, 30 Westminster students were involved in delivering memoir writing workshops with the charity Open Age. While our outreach efforts are already having a positive impact on the community, there is still a way to go to fully restore the structure of the theatre. So far, we have been privileged to receive internal funding from the University, as well as donations from a number of trusts and statutory funding sources. We are just under £40,000
short of the £390,000 required for work to commence this summer. The priority is to make the theatre health and safety compliant and accessible to the public. However, this does not include fixtures and fittings, such as a Box Office and theatre benches, which we will need to continue fundraising for once the space is open. To help us in our fundraising efforts, we held a Soho Poly Donor Event Series in spring this year, to showcase the potential of the space. Notable artistic alumni, such as best-selling author Jon Ronson, musician Emmy the Great and The Strawbs guitarist, Brian Willoughby. The Soho Poly Open Day on 29 March marked exactly 50 years since the Soho Poly opened its doors in 1972. Here we had prospective partners such as Age UK and the Westminster LGBT Forum in attendance, to see how they could make use of the restored space. These organisations will use the theatre for their own activities for free. In return, they will deliver learning back to our students, the University community and our partners.
BE PART OF PERFORMING ARTS HISTORY If you are interested in contributing to the project and making the arts accessible to all, we would love to hear from you. To discuss the funding and recognition opportunities available, please get in touch: sohopoly@westminster.ac.uk or visit donate.westminster.ac.uk/ appeal/soho-poly-theatre
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IMPACT | My Story Has Power
13
WWC PROFESSIONAL EVENTS HAVE TAKEN PLACE SO FAR
43
INTERNATIONAL ALUMNI HAVE VOLUNTEERED AS SPEAKERS
915
STUDENTS HAVE ATTENDED A WWC PROFESSIONAL EVENT
“MY STORY HAS POWER”
Through our Westminster Working Cultures Professional programme, international alumni are preparing students for the transition back to life in their home countries.
I
“
f you think you are too small to make an impact, lock yourself in a room with a mosquito and you’ll see what an impact such a small thing can have.” That’s what Edmilson Angelo (BA Politics and International Relations, 2016) tells people when they suggest one person can’t make significant change in the world. His charity, Change 1’s Life, began as a society at Westminster. “It started small,” he says. “The idea was simply to do something to combat poverty. So we put up posters around the University asking for people to donate things. And every time I travelled back home to Angola, I would pay for extra luggage and take the donations with me.” Eight years later, Edmilson is no longer just helping his neighbours. Now an official charity, Change 1’s Life employs hundreds of staff and volunteers across London, Paris and Angola, and is affecting the lives of over 3 million people in sub-Saharan Africa. Edmilson puts the success of the charity down to its transparency. “I have always been keen on doing something to help others,” he says. “So I started off donating to a charity. But the
more I looked into how charities work, the scandals and how they make a lot of money, I questioned whether I was doing the right thing. So I could either just stop giving to charity, or do it in the way that I thought was right. The purpose of Change 1’s Life is to develop practical, sustainable solutions to combat poverty. This is achieved by a number of projects taking place across the African continent.
WWC Professional is an online event series, which offers international students and recent graduates an opportunity to learn about the professional landscape and career opportunities in the global labour market. In particular, the events prepare international students for what to expect of the working culture in their home countries, when they return after graduation.
I AM WHO I AM BECAUSE OF WHAT I DID AT WESTMINSTER. “The idea is to be the change we want to see in the world, through inspiring young people to stand up for something bigger than themselves and be part of the solution for the many global problems that we have.” These words of inspiration are not going to waste. Despite his busy schedule – complete with running the charity, lecturing and completing his PhD – Edmilson has volunteered as a speaker on our Westminster Working Cultures (WWC) Professional programme.
Edmilson volunteered on our WWC Professional, Career Insights: Africa event, sharing his advice on how students can be a success in Angola and beyond. “Angola is a country that has been neglected in terms of social impact,” says Edmilson. Historically, he says, the working culture was very dependent on the state – but things are changing. “More and more, the working culture in Angola and the majority of Africa is about building. People are willing
My Story Has Power | IMPACT
to build and look for local solutions to local problems, without having to rely on the government or an international body to help. It’s a country where there is a big challenge, but a huge opportunity.” As well as speaking to students about what to expect of Africa’s working culture, Edmilson also wanted to use the opportunity of WWC Professional to express the importance of these students’ purposes. “My specific advice to the African students was that: we come from places where we wish many people our ages could have the same chances as us. So in a way, we are representing other people. “If you are here, it is because you have a purpose and that is connected to where you come from. And if you realise that, you realise that you are not just here for yourself. You are here for a whole nation.” Since we launched WWC Professional in 2020, we have hosted 13 events, focusing on regions across the world: from Latin America to the
Middle East, from Europe to Central Asia. Each of our alumni volunteers bring something different. Their knowledge of specific industries and local insights help students with the transition to being back in their home countries, and establishing themselves professionally. Meanwhile, the stories and unique experiences they share, offer a preview of what can be achieved with a Westminster degree, and encourage international students to consider the impact they can have around the globe. “I strongly believe that my story has power,” says Edmilson. “Just the fact that I come from where I come from – somewhere that is not well represented. And the fact that I am 29 and have achieved all of this. So my story has the power to motivate people to see themselves as someone who can do more and should explore their horizons while they are students. “University is more than just three years of coming to class and getting a certificate,” he adds. “I am who I am because of what I did at Westminster.
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I did a Masters at the University of Oxford, I’m finishing my PhD, I have worked for the UN. But it was Westminster that created a solid ground for everything that would come after. “So my experience at Westminster was great and it’s still great because I’m still part of the community. I will continue to use my journey and my stories to inspire students and show them just how much they can do.”
THANK YOU There are three strands of Westminster Working Cultures programmes: UK, International and Professional. None of these would be possible without the dedication of our amazing volunteers. If you would like to share your experience with our students and take part in WWC, visit: westminster.ac.uk/get-involved
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IMPACT | A Collaboration to Support Global Health
£14,000
SCHOLARSHIP TO COVER HAMC GRADUATE TRAINEES’ COURSE FEES
2
YEARS SPENT STUDYING AT WESTMINSTER DURING THE PROJECT
2022
THE FIRST TRAINEES WILL ENROL THIS SEPTEMBER
A COLLABORATION TO SUPPORT GLOBAL HEATH
Working in collaboration with Real Capital London, Westminster is supporting international efforts to improve patient care in the face of a global health crisis.
V
ietnam has a serious shortage of qualified professionals working in healthcare. This is perhaps why, despite continuous improvements in facilities and services in the country, the Vietnamese spend $2bn a year travelling abroad for medical treatment. To combat this scarcity of human resource in the sector, a state-of-theart healthcare eco-system is being developed in Ho Chi Minh City. A project to develop the Hong Anh Medical Campus (HAMC) has been launched by Real Capital London – a family investment company headquartered in London, that focuses on financial assets, infrastructure, healthcare and education. HAMC is a healthcare ecosystem that comprises a medical training and research centre, a rehabilitation centre, nursing homes, a world-class hospital, and a network of GP clinics and pharmacies to be established in Vietnam to serve the Vietnamese. All facilities are being
developed under British standards, and the training of professionals is no exception. This is where Westminster comes in. Working in collaboration with Real Capital London, we have launched a scholarship programme that provides funding for Vietnamese medical professionals to study in London. The training programme is based on a ‘learn, earn and return’ model. Once recruited, graduate trainees will be trained partly in Vietnam then further trained at Westminster (learn) and experience working in UK healthcare facilities where they will be paid (earn), then travel back to Vietnam to work at the HAMC’s eco-system or other healthcare facilities (return). “Across the globe, so few health and social care workers, including doctors, dentists, nurses and allied health professionals are given an opportunity to learn the skills to research and evaluate the systems they work in,” says Professor Brendon Noble, Head of the School of Life Sciences at Westminster. “We are
delighted to be partnering with HAMC to train students to do exactly this. To be able to improve systems and to become healthcare leaders of the future.” Commencing in September, trainees will study on the MSc Integrative Health and Wellbeing (Professional Practice) course. They will learn to evaluate global health and social care systems, and to use research and evidence to identify best practice and routes to improvement. “We appreciate the effort that Westminster has put in to design this excellent MSc programme for our Vietnamese healthcare trainees,” says Mrs Juliette Waterhouse, Managing Director of Real Capital London. “We believe this partnership will create a strong platform for the trainees to obtain the necessary knowledge and qualifications for their professional and personal development.” Our international collaboration with HAMC will support the growth of health professionals in Vietnam, and will ultimately contribute to improved health and well-being in communities across the globe.
MAKE A DIFFERENCE We offer opportunities to those who have the aspirations and ability to learn, whatever their background. To find out how you can make a difference, visit: westminster.ac.uk/support-us
Making Real Change in Real Estate | IMPACT
26
SAVILLS EMPLOYEES VOLUNTEER AS MENTORS AT WESTMINSTER
£40,000
SCHOLARSHIP OFFERED BY SHAFTESBURY TO IMPROVE DIVERSITY IN REAL ESTATE
20
64.5%
OF WESTMINSTER STUDENTS ARE FROM A BAME BACKGROUND
MAKING REAL CHANGE IN REAL ESTATE By supporting Westminster students, local property firms are helping to diversify their sector.
I
n the heart of London, the University of Westminster is neighbour to the headquarters of many major property firms. This is beneficial in several ways – it means good industry links and prospects for students studying real estate courses. It also gives local real estate organisations an opportunity to do their bit to help diversify the sector. The property sector is not the most diverse industry. In fact, a 2019 report by consultancy firm Green Park found that the construction and property sector had the lowest Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) representation of the labour market, at 5.1 per cent. Meanwhile, senior management and boards are, for the most part, dominated by men. But it is making strides. And over the past year, real estate firms have partnered with the University, offering scholarships, events and mentoring to students, to make the industry more inclusive. In 2021, real estate investment trust Shaftesbury PLC began its partnership with Westminster to offer a life-changing opportunity to a student on the BSc Real Estate course. The Shaftesbury Scholarship, worth up to £40,000, covers full tuition fees for two years of study and annual maintenance so that the scholar can fully dedicate themselves to their studies. In support of creating opportunities for marginalised young people to advance in the property sector, the scholarship is open to students from disadvantaged
backgrounds and priority is given to BAME students. The first scholar, Nathan, began in September. “Being selected as the first Shaftesbury scholar is a truly lifechanging moment,” he says. “I am still in complete shock and disbelief that this has happened to me. The significant economic support that is provided as part of the programme will alleviate financial pressures and allow me to fully dedicate myself to my degree.”
Above: Real Estate BSc student, Nathan, is the first Shaftesbury scholar.
Nathan will also benefit from a summer placement at Shaftesbury this year, giving him experience within industry to really set him apart in the graduate
market. The second scholar will enrol in September. Meanwhile, real estate company Savills are supporting Westminster students in other ways. This year, 26 Savills employees signed up as mentors on our Career Mentoring programme. Through these relationships, students can expand their professional networks and gain realistic advice about how to succeed in the property sector. Furthermore, Savills welcomed BSc Real Estate and MSc Real Estate Development students to their offices, to give them an insight into the UK property markets and emphasise the company’s dedication to diversity and inclusion. During the visit, students were given a tour of Savills’ Headquarters and took part in a networking session where they had the opportunity to meet directors, associates and wider Savills colleagues. Through the engagement and opportunities given to Real Estate students, Shaftesbury and Savills are demonstrating their dedication to making the property sector more accessible to people from all backgrounds. Their generous support is enriching the learning experience of Westminster students and contributing to positive social change.
PARTNER WITH US To find out how your organisation can work with Westminster to achieve positive social change, visit: westminster.ac.uk/corporate-giving
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IMPACT | What Comes Next
200
STUDENTS ATTENDED WHAT COMES NEXT EVENTS THIS YEAR
92.9%
STUDENTS SAID THEY FOUND IT USEFUL HEARING FROM GRADUATES
11
RECENT GRADUATES HAVE VOLUNTEERED AT WHAT COMES NEXT EVENTS
WHAT COMES NEXT? Graduate volunteers are advising students about what to expect after graduation in our new alumni speaker series.
R
ecent graduates in 2022 are the most resilient. These are the alumni who have completed their degrees and commenced their careers during the pandemic, when the job market was at its most competitive. In our new event series, What Comes Next, recent graduate panels are sharing the valuable lessons they have learnt transitioning from student to working life. Having recently been through the process themselves, their experience is relatable to current students, who are curious and apprehensive about the next steps after graduation. The events are course aligned, so that students can hear from alumni who were in their very position a few years prior, and be inspired by the varying routes they took with that degree. “You need to have patience,” says Georgiana Mariut (BA International Relations and Development, 2018), who spoke to Politics and International
Relations (IR) students at the first What Comes Next event in November. “In my first six months after graduation, I wasn’t sure whether I should stick around or change my career direction. At the beginning I did face a lot of challenges. In total, it took me about a year to get my head around all of it.” Georgiana now works in cyber security, but as a student, aspired to work in government. “Most people who study IR want to go into something like diplomacy,
Joining Georgiana on the panel was Bertany Berty Mounkela (BA International Relations and Development, 2019). Bertany also planned to go into diplomacy, but during his degree, discovered a passion for development and now works in investor relations. “There will always be something that comes up to trigger a different interest. I ended up focusing on economic development and global economy, specifically on the African continent,” he explains.
WITH COURAGE YOU ARE BUILDING CONFIDENCE AND INEVITABLY BUILDING A SENSE OF PURPOSE. which is pretty difficult to get into. There’s lots of competition. So I went for the opportunity that was available, which back then was recruitment. “So this is where I am today. I’m a recruiter, but I work specifically with cyber security firms. It’s very niche, but very international. I’m happy because I learnt a lot about international markets.”
“I think the challenge for me after graduating, was how do you go to an employer and tell them I studied IR, but I want to get into the investment sector? I had to do some extra learning on the side, just to show some type of background of the field itself. But every time I went to an interview, I would remind them how you can cross the bridges between IR and investment.”
What Comes Next | IMPACT
22
A panel of recent Politics and International Relations graduates shared their insights at our first What Comes Next event
These stories of unconventional career paths and alternative roles is integral to the What Comes Next series. It reassures students of the vast number of employment options, and opens their minds to the possibilities which await them after graduation. “A lot of students think there’s only one way into a specific sector. They forget there is a million,” says Bertany. “All routes lead to Rome. That’s why it’s important to have these types of events, so that students are exposed to all the things possible for them. “It takes courage to do what I did and be an unconventional career seeker. So that was my main message. Because with courage you are building confidence and inevitably building a sense of purpose. It will open doors for you.” There have been four events in the What Comes Next series so far. Following the first event in Politics and International Relations, our second event was for students studying Psychology or Cognitive and Clinical Neuroscience. The third event focused on Criminology and Sociology and the fourth, Biological Sciences. “I think I’m one of those people that kind of always had an idea of what they wanted to do in the long run,”
says Rania Joudi (BA Sociology and Criminology, 2019), who joined us for the third event in the series. “But I wasn’t sure how I was going to get there.” Unlike the other panellists, Rania has had a clearer career trajectory. While studying at Westminster, certain modules lead her towards conflict studies and security. She went on to study an MA in Security at UCL and now works as a Security Specialist at International SOS, mitigating risks for doing business across borders. “My third year was very decisive,” she says. “I had the ability to be more independent in the topics that I chose and had the confidence to feel like this is what I want to do. If you had asked me three years ago if I want to get into security, I would have told you that I don’t really know what that is. I didn’t know it was one of the coolest jobs ever.” So as someone who knew what she wanted to do, Rania’s advice to students was to stay determined and focused on their goal. “What helped me overcome challenges was how much I wanted to do it. The biggest thing is to always remain confident in what you want to do and the fact that you’ll get there.
Every obstacle is a learning curve, and you’ll grow from it. It’s part of the process.” Thanks to the insights from our recent graduate volunteers, students are gaining a much better understanding of what they can do with their degrees. The series will return in the next academic year, so that more students can learn where their Westminster education can take them. “I remember attending these events at university,” says Georgiana. “You look up to these people and think ‘they’ve done so well for themselves. Maybe one day I’ll be up there speaking’. So it feels good. Almost three years, and now I’m giving advice to students.”
COULD YOU INSPIRE A STUDENT? Your experiences could be the inspiration students are looking for. If you are interested in volunteering as a recent graduate, visit: westminster.ac.uk/get-involved
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IMPACT | What Comes Next
MAKE A DIFFERENCE TODAY
Our new website is a one-stop shop for seeing the latest development news from the University. To find out about the many ways you can support Westminster students, visit: donate.westminster.ac.uk
