Alex Doyle

Reflecting on my time at LIS, three key aspects of the curriculum and learning approach stand out as having the most significant impact on my personal and professional growth.

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First, the integration of real-world experience has been invaluable. Whether working on projects with actual company briefs or interning each summer, the opportunity to collaborate with real stakeholders has allowed me to seamlessly transition from an academic environment to the professional world. At LIS, I not only developed technical knowledge but also honed essential skills often overlooked in traditional curricula — such as effective communication, managing stakeholder expectations, creative problem-solving, and synthesising knowledge from diverse, sometimes conflicting, disciplines. The emphasis on design thinking and systems thinking has also deepened my understanding of the context in which I operate, enabling me to approach problems from a holistic perspective.

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Second, the close-knit contact with faculty and staff has been an exceptional part of my experience. The coaching and mentoring I received every week played a pivotal role in my academic and personal development. The staff at LIS go above and beyond to ensure that each student feels seen and supported. Student support is a top priority at the university, and it is an area in which they truly excel. Their genuine commitment to our success, both as individuals and as professionals, made a huge difference in my growth.

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Finally, the flexibility and breadth of the curriculum, particularly the individual projects in the third term of each academic year and the capstone project in the final year, allowed me to take ownership of my studies. This approach gave me the freedom to explore my specific areas of interest while also developing skills in disciplines I might not have encountered otherwise. For example, I was able to combine insights from neuroscience and contemporary art with skills from coding modules and ethnographic research methods. This interdisciplinary approach has been crucial in expanding my intellectual horizons and preparing me for a wide range of professional challenges.

Learn as much as you can not only from the faculty and staff around you but also from the students that accompany you throughout your time at the university. The nature of an interdisciplinary degree meant that our cohort, and those that followed, were made up of students from vastly different personal and academic backgrounds. That often resulted in incredibly enriching class discussion and group projects. Being exposed to such an array of skills and insights only improved my experience during this degree.

Living in East London was a major factor in my decision when considering university options. The vibrant, diverse community, coupled with the area's rich cultural scene, has provided an ideal backdrop for life both within a university context and social context.Living in East London offers a refreshing contrast to the more traditional, tourist-heavy parts of the city.

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It’s an area that feels constantly in motion — where old warehouses have been transformed into creative studios and cafés, and every street seems to tell its own story of reinvention. The blend of cultures, histories, and subcultures creates an authentic energy that feels both rooted and forward-thinking. There's a sense of community here that's often overlooked, yet deeply felt — whether you're grabbing food from a local café or chatting with someone at a weekend market.