It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Kuan Long Lam, Undergraduate student in the Department of International Relations. Kuan Long (also known as Marco) was in the third year of his undergraduate studies. He will be sorely missed by family, friends and staff here in the International Relations Department.
“This is a very sad day for all of us. Words really cannot express the profound sadness that everyone feels. While I did not know Marco well, this past week I have come to appreciate how close Marco was to his parents and sister Tiffany and how caring a friend he was to many here at the LSE and beyond. While we hope to hold a memorial for Marco at a later date, we wanted to take time today to reflect on Marco’s accomplishments here at the LSE and to tell you how much he will be missed as a student and friend.
As Marco’s teachers will tell you, he loved learning and studying, and he was very good at it. This of course was true before he ever set foot here. Indeed, it’s because Marco stood out academically that he gained admission to the LSE. Marco excelled in a wide range of subject areas — from international relations, to geography, to social psychology. He also had a real passion for research and was hard at work on his BSc dissertation. His advisor, Dr. Spyros Economides, tells me that Marco talked a lot about going on to do postgraduate work in the field of international development.
When I was looking back over Marco’s record though the thing that caught my eye was how much he did beyond the classroom: the summer he spent working at the Center for Migration and International Relations in Nepal; the talk he gave last October at the LSE to 1st and 2nd year students about working at an NGO; and his participation in November in our annual postgraduate retreat at Cumberland Lodge near Windsor Palace — one of only two undergraduates who took up the challenge!
We hope these memories of Marco’s achievements at the LSE and the meaningful challenges and relationships he found here will provide some comfort to his family and friends at this time of painful grief and loss. Our hearts go out to Marco’s parents and his sister and the rest of his family.”
Professor Peter Trubowitz
January 2018
Please feel free to leave your condolences, thoughts and memories as comments below which will be of great comfort to the family at this time. (Please note comments are moderated so will not appear immediately).
Marco is one of the most inspiring, kind-hearted and passionate person I have ever met. He will always be remembered for his kind deeds and adventurous side. Marco, thank you for being such a nice senior and I still regret I do not have the chance to tell you how inspiring and motivational you are. You will always be my role model.
Marco’s passion for journalism and traveling was infectious. I regret not getting to know him better. I hope his family knows that Marco was a brilliant man.
You’re sorely missed. So full of life and adventure. The stories you shared have brought me to different parts of the World from the little Chinese factories you visited in Nigeria & Angola to you drinking tea with the elders in Kathmandu to your hometown in Macau where you speak Chinese and Portuguese. I’m so glad we crossed path. We were supposed to meet to catch up on your trip. But you’re gone too soon. Still shocked and saddened by the news. Rest in Peace Marco ?
Rest in peace Marco! My deepest condolences to you and your family during this dark time. Please know that I am keeping you and your family in my prayers and thoughts.
Rest In Peace Marco. It was a pleasure attending classes with you at LSE. I always learned so much more than just the assigned topic for the week. You had great insights and comments, and you were always so passionate and kind. My heart goes out to your family and I hope they find comfort in this commemoration. I will always be keeping them, and you, in my prayers.
Rest in peace Marco. Although we didn’t have that much time to get to know each other, having classes with you was a pleasure – you asked really good questions and raised really interesting points. You had a clear passion and interest in the world. Condolences to your family and loved ones at this time – I hope they can take some solace from the fact that you lived your life to the full. Thinking of you, and them.
Rest in Peace Marco. Marco was a very inspiring person and he was really a role model for me and for all those who are interested in international development. I was often moved by the stories he shared about his adventures and the passion he showed for people around the world. Marco you will be sorely missed.
What stood out for me about Marco was his intelligence, energy and commitment – he had the whole package, and he was the real deal. I loved bumping into him around campus (often literally) and hearing about his latest adventures. It is devastating to learn that he won’t be able to fulfil his outstanding promise. My very best wishes to all his friends and family. He will be deeply missed.
Marco was one of my students on the course HY116 International History Since 1890 (2015-16), when I first started teaching at university after completing my PhD. I remember Marco well – together with other very inspiring students on the course. Marco was such a pleasant participant in my class. In addition to his brilliance, he was eager to share his knowledge with everyone. His presence in my class has made a major contribution towards an unforgettable teaching experience at the LSE. I thank Marco for being such a stimulating participant and a kind-hearted mature young man. My heart goes out to Marco’s family and his friends.
Hi Marco, almost 2 weeks have elapsed and your passing still comes as a shock. To me, to many. Your passion in class was effusive and infectious, to say the least. I had the pleasure to sit with you on the coach from uni to Windsor, where I’m sure you indulged in a splendid weekend at Cumberland Lodge with the IR dept. Your love of learning and exploration is evident on your FB page and runs deep with the tales you share from your varied travels. A life cut short, too young too soon. A week on, you continue to hold a special place in our hearts and minds, for a very long time to come.
“But soon we die… and we ourselves shall be loved for a while and forgotten. But the love will have been enough. All those impulses of love return to the love that made them. Even memory is not necessary for love. There is a land of the living and a land of the dead and the bridge is love, the only survival, the only meaning.” The Bridge of San Luis Rey, Thornton Wilder.
RIP Marco x
We never met/talked but I have known of you for years through some mutual friends. You are incredibly talented and are among one of the peers that I admire and look up to. You lived life to the fullest and your family should be extremely proud of all that you have achieved and experienced. We are complete strangers to each other but I was extremely heartbroken when I learned about this from social media – this is how influential you are! Keep inspiring people no matter where you are! You will be deeply missed but never forgotten! My deepest condolences to the Lam’s family.
I was Marco’s teacher on the Academic Writing programme that he regularly attended during his 3rd year. An engaging and very bright student, he was full of intellectual curiosity and passion for his subject, as well as a desire to hone the craft of his writing. In our conversations after class, he communicated with great confidence and a maturity beyond his years. I still remember my surprise when I checked the register and realised that he was still an undergraduate student! He was a great credit to the Department of International Relations and the School community as a whole, and our deepest condolences are with his family.
Rest in peace Marco
I had the privilege to teach Marco in a second year class on foreign policy analysis. Marco was both very inquisitive and viewed the classes as an opportunity to relate his rich real world experiences within a safe academic space. I will remember his presentation of his trip to Africa in December 2016 and his well curated insights and narratives behind his travels. My last opportunity to speak with him was following a class visit to the Chinese embassy in early 2017 and he also expressed his hope to work in the diplomatic field among others. While his passing will be sorely and sadly missed, his spirit and endeavour to pursue “the causes of things” will always be remembered.