Xiaohongshu
Impact in action
Universities are places of innovation where world-changing ideas are born and developed. Over the last 200 years UCL has been the home to such innovations, providing a place where great minds grow and develop. Much of the impact that UCL has had on the world has taken place far from Bloomsbury, across the world wherever UCL students have become professionals, entrepreneurs and innovators.
In our 200th birthday year, I have been reflecting on the magnitude of our achievements beyond the walls of UCL, and our longstanding commitment to shaping students into changemakers. This commitment is ongoing, as can be seen through services like UCL Careers, providing resources and 1-to-1 advice to students making their transition into the job market, and UCL Innovation & Enterprise, who are helping students to turn their ideas and skills formed in the classroom into solutions that can tackle worldwide issues. By providing a space for students to become entrepreneurs, alongside other students with the same drive and spirit, we see new ventures and startups grow into flourishing enterprises in the Hatchery incubator.
Driving change that lasts
At Students’ Union UCL we are equally committed to amplifying the impact that students can have on the world as entrepreneurs, innovators and committed professionals. The creation of the Career Supercharger programme has created spaces of learning and connection for students to develop skills like networking, people management and public speaking, and they explore career paths through the first-hand experience of industry experts and alumni.
Our commitment to making a positive impact on the world through students who transform their contexts extends well beyond the UK. Our international students, who come from all the corners of the world, ensure that lessons learned at UCL spread far and wide, and we are committed to helping this happen. Through the Global Alumni Q&A Webinar series, we have created spaces for of alumni across the world to share their experiences in a variety of job markets and sectors, unrestricted by traditional graduate schemes or routes.
Building a future of meaningful change
While UCL is already, and has been for the last 200 years, a place that shapes and grows entrepreneurs and innovators, there is still room for growth. This is especially true in a world that is always demanding more of its professionals, exposing them to fast-evolving and previously unforeseen issues, and as students, we know it and we feel it. The Student Priorities for Education Report shows that students identify careers and employability support as key parts of their university experience. They ask for more tailored careers services, especially for international students who either face specific challenges related to immigration or need to develop skills for professional contexts different from the UK.
As UCL moves into its next 200 years there is no question that preparing students for the world ahead at this precarious point of history is a fundamental obligation. Students will continue to develop skills and networks that will guarantee they thrive beyond the classroom through initiatives like ExtendED Learning, which creates a place for experimenting, learning and earning recognition, but it is crucial that UCL maintains and expands its commitment to fostering an entrepreneurial spirit and career-readiness amongst each cohort of students. This, of course, can only be done by working hand-in-hand with students, and is crucial if UCL is to maintain the level of influence and innovation that has characterised the last 200 years.
