LSESU Education Officer Jon Foster talked to Jane Hindle about two exciting projects that aim to engage students in the big questions about their education

First of all, Jon, what motivated you to stand for the LSESU Education Officer post?

Overall, I loved my time at LSE. I met some incredible people, was involved in some wonderful societies and was taught by some unbelievable teachers. Having said that, that were quite a few things I was disappointed with – I think the school is an incredible place and can offer students some amazing opportunities, but on some really basic stuff the school isn’t as good as it could be. Running to be Education Officer seemed like a great way to take action on some of those frustrations, and to work with the school to improve students’ experiences.

You’ve just launched a series of events and activities called Re-Imagining Your Education. Can you tell us about that and what you’re hoping it will achieve?

The Re-Imagining series is something I’m really excited about. It was launched by my predecessor Tom Maksymiw last year and is something we are hoping to expand and grow this year. As Education Officer, my job is to represent students and on a daily basis to question what students want from their LSE education. With Re-Imagining, through a number of events and online consultation we are aiming to hold one of the biggest, most engaging discussions with students in LSE’s history and to answer those fundamental questions. Ultimately we are giving students the opportunity to lead conversations, interact with academics and to help shape the future direction of the School and its offer to students. For LSE to deliver on its world leading education, it is vital that students are at the heart of those conversations.

You’re also developing a Beyond the Classroom programme that it would be good to hear about.

Beyond the Classroom is a new initiative, expanding on the Employability and Development sessions we started last year which were possible through the generosity of the LSE Annual Fund. It is a series of events, training, volunteering opportunities and public lectures to help the personal and professional development of students. LSE was founded ‘to know the causes of things’. In this sense the LSE has always been about more than essays, problems sets, reading lists and exams – that is what Beyond the Classroom is trying to address.

Finally, having been a student here yourself, what do you think makes for a distinctive LSE education?

LSE is unique. Although that’s a cliche it is a cliche for a reason – it is an incredibly intense and vibrant place. Nowhere else has such a distinctive mix of people, not only in terms of nationality but also in terms of political opinion and perspective. That diversity is compounded by LSE’s incredible location – the public events, guest lecturers and the fact we are on London’s doorstep only add to that intensity of debate. To say there is something happening on campus at all times is a literal fact – that vibrancy of activity is what makes LSE distinctive.

Our thanks to Jon Foster for this interview and for these links to more information about Re-Imagining Your Education and Beyond the Classroom.