Meet the LSE scholars driving global change
From the mountains of Ecuador to a rural village in western Hungary, this term we were delighted to welcome 181 new scholars to LSE. Overall, they represent 59 nationalities and are studying for a whole range of degrees from Economics, Management and Law to Anthropology, Behavioural Science and Regional and Urban Planning. They epitomise the diversity that is so intrinsic and special to LSE.
While many are undergraduates beginning their academic journey, most are postgraduates bringing professional experience and a shared ambition: to deepen their knowledge, share insights with fellow students from across the globe and equip themselves to make a difference in the world.
Empowering the next generation through scholarships
Meet some of this year’s postgraduate students who have been able to come to LSE to study thanks to the generosity of our donor community:
Auric Mitra, MSc in Innovation Policy, John J Kerr Scholar
Auric became fascinated by how emerging technologies like generative AI are transforming industries and consumer behaviour. His undergraduate research exploring how AI reshapes economic models and consumer interactions within the media sector showed him that truly grasping innovation requires looking beyond the technology to the policy frameworks governing its responsible adoption. This realisation is what led him back to London to do a Master’s in Innovation Policy at LSE where he is mixing with an incredibly diverse and insightful cohort, with classmates from consulting, politics, communications, and data science, representing countries across Asia, Africa, and the Americas.
I want to work at the intersection of technology, policy and real-world implementation. This year at LSE is very much about discovering where I fit in that landscape.
Faith Evans, MSc in International Migration and Public Policy, AKO European Institute Master's Scholar
What drove Faith Evans from Louisville, Kentucky in the USA to apply to LSE is the uniqueness of our Master's in International Migration and Public Policy. She explains that it offers her the support to study migration more practically, by building a curriculum on case studies and projects, and fostering a culture that encourages community engagement and direct service.
While theory serves as a strong foundation, materiality and applicability are the primary drivers of this course, granting her a well-prepared entry to her career.
I plan to return to the US to begin my career in public policy. I hope to work for organisations, like the US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants, that advocate for migrants’ rights and conduct policy research to improve migrants’ legal protections.
Ha-Chi Tran, MSc in Mathematics and Computation, CV Starr Scholar
Scholarships don’t just fund education. As Ha-Chi Tran from Vietnam stresses, her scholarship is strengthening her ability to contribute to the fields she cares about. She is pursuing a Master’s in Mathematics and Computation and her long-term goal is to become a technology policy expert working on frontier technologies such as AI, blockchain, and quantum computing.
LSE has always been one of my top choices because of its strong reputation in applied mathematics, especially within economics, and its unparalleled strengths in the social sciences, which together align perfectly with my interdisciplinary approach to tech policy.
Dr Michael Pasara, MSc in Global Health Policy, Joint Japan World Bank Scholar
As an economist from Zimbabwe, Dr Michael Pasara has 15 years of accumulated experience in economic consultancy, strategic planning, policy advocacy and academia. It was during the Covid pandemic when he was working on national budgets that he realised how health is a critical development issue that all of us must be involved in, and that is why he wanted to come and study for a Master's in Global Health Policy at LSE.
My deepened understanding of the interplay between institutions, politics (including contexts), cross cutting issues such as global health and the application of relevant quantitative and qualitative approaches to decision and policymaking will significantly contribute to my future aspirations.
Réka Gaján, Msc in International Relations, Francesca Swirski Postgraduate Scholar
Réka Gaján is from a small village in Hungary and is now studying for a Master’s in International Relations. Her curiosity about how the world works came from her multinational family background; growing up she and her siblings were always being challenged to dream big, to understand every perspective, and, above all, to keep their integrity while doing so.
Thank you for turning my world upside down, and thank you for letting me prove again that rural young women are worth giving a chance. All I can try to do to repay your trust is keep my end of the bargain of making the world a better place
Sofía Dorié Bustamante, MSc in Behavioural Science, AKO Master's Scholar
Before joining LSE Sofía Dorié Bustamante worked for nearly a decade leading educational and conservation programmes in Ecuador. From designing contextualised and culturally grounded education with and for Indigenous peoples, leading impact assessments for WWF, to working with incarcerated youth, to supporting Indigenous teachers and safeguarding uncontacted peoples in the Amazon, her life has been one long exploration of how people change, and how systems can be redesigned to support that change.
Behavioural science became the missing piece for Sofía. It is "the field that could explain why we are so beautifully human, so bounded and emotional, so shaped by context" but it is also the tool that she needed to advance her work.
Your support is not only financial - it is an act of trust, a catalyst for possibility, and a reminder that equitable access to education can truly change lives. I carry this opportunity with deep gratitude and with a commitment to give back - to ensure that this learning does not stay only with me, but reaches the communities, landscapes, and young people who have shaped my path.
The impact of your philanthropy
We are incredibly grateful to our alumni, friends and partners whose generosity has made it possible for Auric, Faith, Ha-Chi, Michael, Réka, Sofía and their fellow scholars to come to LSE. As we hear again and again from our students, scholarships don’t just change a student’s life, they shape the future of their families, their communities and the world.
Thank you for investing today to support the leaders of tomorrow.