MSc International Development and Humanitarian Emergencies student Kinza Hanif shares her reflections on the Winter term at LSE and living in London. 

Last term, I wrote a piece on “Things I didn’t expect to learn at LSE”. Turns out, the surprises didn’t stop there. Winter Term has officially ended, taught classes are done, and somehow I’m already two-thirds through this whirlwind of a Master’s. I can barely tell where the time went but let me try to make sense of it.

1. I blinked and the Winter Term ended

This term was fast, full, and very, very cold. After surviving January exams, the first order of business was getting another heater for my room. The second was escaping London, even if just for a bit.

I visited Cambridge on a beautifully sunny day, took a long walk through the lush, green trails of Chess Valley (where the wetlands absolutely ruined my white trainers, but I’ll live), watched the spectacular Lion King musical at the Lyceum, had more iftar potlucks in London than I did back in Karachi, and celebrated my first Eid away from home. During reading week, I found myself—not reading—but hiking up Gamti Mountain in Albania, with a stunning turquoise lake as my backdrop. I’d like to conclude (read: convince myself) that I’m not afraid of heights anymore. However, I’m still scared of getting my phone snatched in London which, as a Karachiite, weirdly makes me feel at home.

2. Following the money trail

Academically, I spent much of this term thinking about the role of money in shaping development. Before starting my masters, I had hoped that a degree in International Development would challenge my business school mindset, maybe even help me believe there’s more to the world than profit. I guess I really wanted a different answer, but it turns out, money still sits at the centre of everything. 

It’s what sustains NGOs in their ‘business’ operations. The absence of it pushes them to sensationalised disaster reporting, often horridly referred to as the ‘flies in their eyes’ approach. Money is what developing countries need, and why weak governments surrender to exploitative loan deals and remain stuck in financial subordination. It funds lobbying efforts and pushes PR campaigns designed to mask corporate disasters in poor economies. As Professor David Keen’s classes often revealed, even conflicts and emergencies are shaped by underlying financial interests.

This term, I took a course outside my department—MG476: Corporate Social Responsibility and International Labour Standards—which felt like stepping back into familiar territory, but through the lens of development. I expected to learn how corporations attempt to do good while protecting their bottom line. What I didn’t expect was to start questioning whether sustainability itself is becoming an exclusive club. In one seminar, we studied a Swedish denim brand that calls itself impact-first: organic cotton, recycled raw materials, fair wages – you get the drift. I looked them up and found jeans priced at £200. My heart sank, but my eyes rolled. That’s almost a week’s rent in student halls. At that price, doing good feels less like a collective responsibility and more like a lifestyle brand for the privileged. It’s hard to get behind sustainable brands if they are only accessible to a select few. 

3. South Asia: More than a case study 

As someone who values the importance of financial inclusion and access, I was intrigued by the concept of impact investing and how much merit it truly holds. Over the last six months, my teammates and I worked as student consultants for Oxfam as part of DV466 Humanitarian Consultancy Project. We examined the flow of the UK’s climate finance contributions through British International Investment (BII), UK’s primary development finance institution.

I focused on South Asia and my research revealed patterns in who gets included, who gets overlooked, and what really drives decisions that claim to serve the greater good. Even when labelled climate-focused, funding often follows markets that feel safe and profitable, not those most vulnerable or most in need. Considering many of these countries are former British colonies, it seems fair to say they deserve more than token aid. The region deserves climate justice that serves people, not just portfolios.

And while we’re on the topic of the subcontinent, it’s worth mentioning that I braved an ICC Champions Trophy screening this term. Watching a cricket match with a room full of Indians and Pakistanis? Canon event unlocked. I stayed till the end of the match (for character development), and while the men in green may not have delivered, the energy in the room absolutely did. 

4. Finding home in halls

Despite its flaws, I still think living at LSE student accommodation is one of the best decisions I made. I’ve come to treasure evenings in the courtyard, dreadful laundry days, and even my flatmate’s not-so-subtle window opening when I cook. On days when homesickness hits, it helps to know I’m just a few steps away from familiar faces. There have been countless fried chicken runs to Morley’s next door, last-minute movie nights in the projector room, and waiting for the best chocolate chip cookies at Sainsbury’s to go on sale. Would I have liked a room bigger than a broom closet? Sure. But would I trade the warmth and occasional chaos of halls life for it? Not a chance.

5. Looking ahead

As I enter the final leg of my postgrad journey and prepare to spend the next few months writing my dissertation (and hunting for employment), I remain curious, even if that curiosity looks a little different from when I first started this degree. This term sharpened my understanding of how financial systems shape the field, and I’m now interested in exploring how transnational corporations influence development outcomes. 

There’s still a lot left to learn and unlearn in the months ahead. But for now, I’d like to step into the London sun and enjoy whatever spring has to offer.

The views expressed in this post are those of the author and in no way reflect those of the International Development LSE blog or the London School of Economics and Political Science.

Featured image credit: Kinza Hanif