LSE Congress is a simulation activity where students are invited to explore how LSE’s research can contribute to the progress towards the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
LSE Congress is designed and delivered by the LSE Eden Centre for Education Enhancement as part of the LSE Student Futures/Educate for Global Impact programmes, with a focus on active learning and innovation & creativity in teaching and learning.
Throughout the first two terms of the year, teams of students have been exploring the research carried out within their departments and making links to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The teams then narrowed their focus onto the two SDGs to which they felt their departments’ research could make the greatest contribution.
Each team produced an ‘advance submission’, which can be accessed below, for the LSE Congress summit, which was held on Tuesday 9 May 2023. These advance submissions articulated the rationale for choosing the particular SDGs and the contribution their department can make to their progress.
Winners of LSE Congress 2023
Following a vote by the LSE public on the prepared position papers, videos and posters (and the outright best Overall group, given all the above), there was also a judging panel consultation during the final LSE Congress event on Tuesday 9 May, to decide the best on-the-day presentation. Here are the results, in each category:
Best positition paper
Management and Gender/Social Policy (tied vote) - read here (Mgmt) and here (G/SP)
Best video
International Development - watch here
Best poster
Gender/Social Policy - view here
Best final presentation
'Team Blue' (Chloe Halsted, Daniela Luque-Medina, Joanne Madridejos, Maud Rinkes, Natalia Sayyad, Megan Sieroka and Yijing Xiao)
Overall prize
Gender/Social Policy
Congratulations to everyone who took part!
The simulation is based around a fictional scenario:
The EASG (Education and Academia Stakeholder Group UN SDG) has urged top universities to contribute to its engagement to the High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) 2025. Participants will be selected based on their capacity to produce research for policy impact. LSE Congress is invited to participate in the stakeholder group with a team of student delegates.
This is an opportunity for LSE to contribute its expertise to the world’s most important social, economic, and environmental issues. This is an opportunity for you to develop your skills and gain experience in evidence-based advocacy for global problems.
LSE Congress will send a team of students from one department, who will closely collaborate with EASG to maximise its impact at the 2025 HLPF. LSE Congress 2022/23 will decide which students will form part of the delegation and to which SDGs LSE’s expertise can make the strongest contribution.
Each department is invited to submit a team of up to 10 students to participate in the simulation. Supported by Eden Centre facilitators and via a series of structured activities the teams will:
- Explore and make links between the research expertise in their departments and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) (Autumn Term)
- Prepare a submission explaining why their department is the best suited to represent LSE at HLPF 2925 and which two SDGs they have chosen to focus on and why (Winter Term).
- Participate in a one-day plenary simulation exercise of an “LSE Congress Summit” in which they will compete to represent LSE at the HLPF 2025 (Spring Term)
LSE Congress offers students opportunities to:
- Deepen connections with researchers and fellow students within the department, with a better understanding of the discipline(s) represented at the department, the innovative research it produces, and how research can help create solutions for pressing global problems
- Meet and learn from students from across the school who are interested in similar problems but bring different knowledge and skills to the table
- Develop an understanding of the opportunities and barriers to research utilisation and research impact when it comes to solving global problem
- Apply and develop their understanding and analysis of the governance and substance of UN SDGs
- Develop analytical, research, communication, advocacy, project management, and group working skills
LSE Congress provides:
- A community-building activity that places few demands on department resources
- An opportunity to engage students in thinking about how research informs policy
- An opportunity to promote the department’s research to students across the School
- A series of templates for activities that could be adapted and used to deliver simulation exercises within the department in the future.
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European Institute
Chloe Halsted, Stelle Jacobson, Soenke Jordan, Isabella Mancini, Sveva Manfredi and Yijing Xiao.
Position paper (pdf)
Poster (pdf)
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International Development
Fatoumata Bah, Arkadeepra Purkayastha and Megan Sieroka
Position paper (pdf)
Poster (pdf)
Pitch video
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Law
Joey Field, Daniela Luque-Medina, Vsevolod Martseniuk, Scarlet Poon, Shayna Sarin and Marta Stepniewska.
Position paper (pdf)
Poster (pdf)
Pitch video
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Management
Zara Hawkins, Roxanne Mariel Roxas and Jingye Tang.
Position paper (pdf)
Poster (pdf)
Pitch video
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Methodology
Nowsha Farha and Joanne Madridejos.
Position paper (pdf)
Poster (pdf)
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Psychological and Behavourial Science
Tsz Huen Cheng, Valeria Dibisceglia, Maud Rinkes, Corin Roberts, Natalia Sayyad and Mohit Sodhani.
Position paper (pdf)
Poster (pdf)
Pitch video
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Gender and Social Policy (joint submission)
Katarina Benkova, Sanika Sawant, Ragamalika Muraleedharan and Ishita Vivek Puri.
Position paper (pdf)
Poster (pdf)
Pitch video
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