Getting involved at LSHTM: Advice from Emma

21 August 2024

Beyond academics lies a vibrant extracurricular scene. MSc Public Health student Emma's advice explores options for impactful involvement: Student Representative Council, Student Liaison Officer, Student Ambassador roles and more. This blog is a starting point for you to explore or utilise options that align with your interests and schedule!

Hi! My name is Emma, and I’m a Canadian national studying MSc Public Health at LSHTM. I was heavily involved in student life during my undergraduate degree, and was looking forward to doing the same in graduate school. I’ve compiled a list of ways to get involved at LSHTM for those of you who are just as keen as I was.

1. Student Representative Council (SRC)

The Student Representative Council is the voice of the student body at LSHTM. 8 positions on the SRC are elected following campaigns in October:

President
Vice-President for Finance and Operations
Vice-President for Taught Programs
Vice-President for Taught Programme Communication and Activities
Vice-President for EDI and Welfare
Vice-President for Distance Learning
Vice-President for Doctoral Degrees
Vice-President for Doctoral Degree Communication and Activities

The SRC is responsible for coordinating social activities and serving as the medium between LSHTM students and administration. I spoke to Ishant Arora, the 2023-2024 Vice-President for Taught Programme Communication and Activities, about his time on the SRC:

Ishant Arora, the 2023-2024 SRC VP (TPC) — Ishant Arora, the 2023-2024 Vice President for Taught Programme Communication and Activities on the SRC

Emma: What does the average week look like for an SRC member?

Ishant: Pretty relaxed. A week for an SRC member usually comprises some pre-scheduled meetings with other school members and between the SRC team themselves. The meetings are usually about the forthcoming agendas and some catching up on what has been accomplished. The SRC at LSHTM has a strict policy of prioritising course studies and allows its members to have a balanced way of working. Apart from formal meetings, we also have a few coffee catch ups with each other to share our experiences.

Emma: Can you name some of the events and initiatives that the SRC has put on during the school year? What has been your favourite and why?

Ishant: 2023-2024 has been quite an eventful one for the SRC. We have been able to pull off a lot of networking and social evenings for students on demand. The year started off with a "Meet the SRC" event, followed by drinks at the SOAS (School for Oriental and African Studies) pub for students. This was a chance for SRC members to interact informally with the students and get to know their expectations from us. Subsequently, similar networking events were organised at the social space as a breather for students in intensive MSc courses. For example, we organised an "El Susto" movie screening with MSc Nutrition for Global Health to promote public health awareness regarding sugary drinks. Moreover, we planned the "Cultural and Sustainability Potluck" with the Planetary Health Network (PHN). The potluck inculcated a sense of cultural exchange between students through planet friendly cooking initiatives. Finally, we planned a series of pizza socials to mark the end of the final term at the school. Personally, it's very difficult to pick up any favourite from these as each event was tailored as per as per the voiced needs, but I really enjoyed all the pizza socials, as they were quite informal and had a lot of board games to play.

Emma: Was there anything unexpected about being on the SRC that you would like to share?

Ishant: Every day was a new learning [experience] at the school, and it was definitely challenging as Vice-President for Taught Programme Communication and Activities to cater to the needs of the diverse spectrum of students at LSHTM. The journey was a bumpy one initially, but over a period of time, the path paved its own way. I was unexpectedly introduced to the Student Unions of other well-renowned schools, like the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), London Business School and the University of Cambridge, where I was exposed to a variety of perspectives and cultures. Apart from this, I was by default nominated as the Career Representative of the 2023-2024 cohort at the school and have been working closely with the Careers Working Group to improve career services for students.

2. Student Liaison Officers (SLOs)

Student Liaison Officers serve as the student representative for one of LSHTM’s 13 Centres. These Centres are a hub for research and collaboration in their respective fields.

SLOs are recruited by most of the Centres every year, they are responsible for organising and promoting student events for the centres. I spoke to Gladys Octavia, a 2023-2024 SLO for the Centre for Maternal, Adolescent, Reproductive and Child Health (MARCH) about her time with the organisation.

Gladys Octavia, a 2023-2024 SLO at MARCH

Emma: What does the average week look like for an SLO?

Gladys: Within my Centre, the three SLOs usually plan to meet in-person or online to discuss upcoming initiatives in between our classes. As we mostly did different modules, we tried to adjust our meetings as per everyone's availability and didn't have a specific day that we followed. Things may get busier if we have a project happening in that week as we may have more discussions between the three of us and also with the centre's directors. But mostly, all of these can be done online via Zoom and email in between our class schedules.

Emma: Can you name some of the events and initiatives that SLOs have put on during the school year? What has been your favourite and why?

Gladys: For MARCH, we have put on two events so far: the “Christmas Toy Drive” in December and the “Career Panel” in May. Both were exciting, but I can say that the “Christmas Toy Drive” left quite an impression, as that was our first initiative and our first time working together. We also reached out to several external charity bodies to collaborate with. For the rest of this academic year, we plan to hold another event commemorating International Children's Day.

Emma: Was there anything unexpected about being an SLO that you would like to share?

Gladys: At first I was quite worried about whether I would be able to juggle my time between my study and doing SLO tasks, but everything went much better than I thought it would. The MARCH directors are supportive, understanding and helpful with planning our projects. The other two SLOs, Sophie and Winston, are fantastic and it's been a pleasure to work with them! I'm also grateful for the chance to have connected with the MARCH staff, even those currently based outside the UK, and hear their stories on both academic and career and life-related topics.

3. Student and Digital Content Ambassadors

Student and Digital Content Ambassadors are two separate roles but you have the opportunity to become either or both! I’ve been a Student Ambassador since November 2023, and my primary responsibilities include: assisting on Open Days and graduation; answering prospective students’ questions; and contributing to promotional materials for the programme (e.g. photoshoots). I’ve also been working as a Digital Content Ambassador since April, where I’ve been writing blogs for the School’s website and producing reels for the School’s Instagram. I honestly cannot recommend these roles enough, especially if you have a genuine interest in prospective students.

Emma filming an upcoming reel as a Digital Content Ambassador.

4. London International Development Centre (LIDC)

The LIDC is one of the largest global communities of researchers that further research in the field of international development. The LIDC offers 8-week internships to LSHTM students, and I actually had the privilege of completing one between February and April. During my time at the LIDC, I learned more about social media management, and was even able to assist in the planning of debates and other social events. All in all, it was a fantastic experience that taught me numerous transferable skills for my MSc and beyond.

5. SOAS Students’ Union

For 2023/24, LSHTM students are able to join any societies or sports teams funded by the SOAS Students’ Union. A wide range of options is available and LSHTM students can speak to club representatives during the SOAS Freshers’ Fayre in September. Further details for future years will be published for incoming students.

Conclusion

Becoming involved in student life has been one of the most rewarding aspects of my time at LSHTM. I hope you’ve found this list helpful, but if you have any additional questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to me!