Ali Glisson, London School of Economics – student membership case study

Ali Glisson, an MSc Local Economic Development student at the London School of Economics (LSE), has been a member of the IED since November 2021. She signed up for student membership, which is for full or part-time students working towards a qualification in a relevant discipline but who are not in employment, soon after arriving at LSE. Under student membership, students gain access to the member-only area of the IED website and will be accepted as Associate Members on starting work at the end of their studies. The annual subscription for student membership is £20.

“The IED team proactively reached out to students on our Local Economic Development programme, and I learned about the opportunity to join as a student member,” Ali said. “The breadth of members is why I signed up. Having members from both the public and private sectors, from business development to academia, was important to me. I have worked on economic development issues prior to returning to university, albeit in the US, but being able to cross those bridges always produces interesting and beneficial discussions. As a graduate student, it gives me the opportunity to learn from and connect with members from the field broadly but also within my chosen discipline.”

Ali highlighted both immediate and expected longer term benefits – and observed the quality compared to others offering student membership. “Many organisations do not offer graduate student membership, and even when they do they fail to generate the content or opportunities for those students to get engaged,” she said. “It is relatively passive experience, but with the IED it is easy to become engaged through a variety of ways that do not compromise my studies. The Jobs Board is outstanding, and that is certainly an important resource. But, looking long-term, for me, it is about developing a wider community and network of resources that allow me to be engaged with the broader field.”

She added: “As a graduate student, I have found the IED events which span a wide range of issues to be most beneficial – from my experience they offer an opportunity to understand the hot topics in the field and to hear multiple perspectives. Being current with what is going on in the field is more than just a nice complement to the university experience; it will be critical as we enter the workforce (or return in my case!).”

Case study developed: June 2022