From connection to conversation: involving alumni in student research projects through AI
Ask an Alum is LSE’S AI-led digital networking tool that enables students and alumni to connect with each other to seek advice. Through smart use of AI, Ask an Alum enables LSE students to receive valuable career insights, creates opportunities for networking amongst our alumni community and facilitates building longer-term connections. Since its launch in October 2022, it has facilitated more than 2,400 connections between students, recent graduates and alumni.
Earlier this year, Ask an Alum was embedded into the curriculum of LSE100, LSE’s flagship interdisciplinary course for all undergraduate students, designed to bring students into the heart of the LSE tradition of engaging with big questions.
As part of the programme, undergraduate students work in groups on an interdisciplinary research project. This year, projects were focused on three topics: how can we transform our climate futures, how can we control AI, and how can we create a fair society? The themes of LSE100 offer rich opportunities for interdisciplinary investigation, as students begin to outline the contours and boundaries of the social sciences, identify the benefits and limitations of disciplinary thinking, and learn from each other as they bring together diverse approaches, methodologies and theoretical perspectives.
By embedding Ask an Alum into the curriculum, we encouraged students to engage alumni as part of their early-stage research, asking them for their insights and expertise into the topics. Course teachers worked this into lessons and supported the groups to draft their thoughts into questions, helping them with their project work while building a foundation of confidence in engaging with alumni and building their networks from year one.
Ask an Alum gave students the opportunity to facilitate wider global connections, opening the doors to new target audiences and insights to stimulate the groups’ thoughts and enrich their projects with the use of smart AI. In January and February, we saw over 80 per cent of the cohort using the tool to engage alumni with their projects, with 249 groups (1,250 students in total), asking questions.
Over 240 alumni responded, answering their questions, hosting virtual and in-person meetings, and sharing their expertise into the project topics. Alumni were excited to learn about the undergraduate research topics and to be asked for their personal insights based on their real-world experience, simultaneously re-connecting them to LSE research and inspiring the next generation of alumni.
The response was incredibly unique and provided a lens that we had not considered prior whatsoever. Also, by providing additional research materials, the response has given us more to think about, and given us a lot of value to be added to our project report.
We know it is important for students to feel confident and empowered to ask questions when they need advice or support – and with LSE100, we are working to break down the barriers to asking for help from alumni to the entire undergraduate cohort.
As we look to the new academic year, we plan to continue to embed the tool into more areas of the curriculum, continuing to help students to connect with alumni, develop confidence, build new networks, and expand their insights through global perspectives.
If you would like to support students in this way, ensure your details are up to date to receive questions relevant to your experience that you can help with.
