Welcome New Faces New Courses Convocation Alumni Events

Message From The Newly MBA, MSc 2020 Alumni Event

the Editor-in-Chief Elected Members & MEd Post COVID-19 Highlights 2020

LSME ALUMNI NEWSLETTER

VOLUME: 1 - ISSUE: 2 - SUMMER 2020

IN THIS ISSUE, FIND OUT MORE ABOUT:

1. MESSAGE FROM PRESIDENT AND VICE-PRESIDENT

2. MESSAGE FROM OUTGOING VICE-PRESIDENT

3. THE FANTASTIC SUCCESS STORIES FROM ALUMNI MEMBERS (SHARE YOUR STORY)

4. HOW LSME IS INVOLVED IN THE COVID-19 RESPONSE AND HOW YOU CAN
SUPPORT THE GOOD COURSE (THE COVID-19: LSME EXPERIENCE)

5. POST COVID-19 CONVOCATION 2020

6. AN ARTICLE ON “FINDING THE PURPOSE OF LIFE – DISCOVERING IKIGAI”

EDITORIAL BOARD:
- Dr Sarita Parhi (Editor-in-Chief)
- Dr Ravi Kumar (Editor) Cambrian House, 509-511 Cranbrook Road
- Hassan Shifau (Editor) Gants Hill, Essex IG2 6EY (United Kingdom)
- Dr Dolly Jackson-Sillah (Editor)
- Aleksandra Mielnikow-Rudnicka T: +44 (0)208 594 8462 E: info@lsme.ac.uk
(Associate Editor)
- Paul Danha (Coordinator) www.lsme.ac.uk
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WELCOME MESSAGE FROM THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Welcome to the first volume of our LSME alumni
newsletter. This updates you on what is going on within
the alumni network and provides unique opportunities to
share testimonies on career progression and future
prospects. Members of the alumni community are also
kept up to date with College news and offers, our existing
student community and how you can support them, as
well as inviting you to reunion events and informing you
about the benefits you will receive as a member of this
dynamic community. This information is disseminated via
the e-newsletter, or as a print publication of the
newsletter.
In the few years LSME has celebrated many great
achievements, including the grand opening of the new
building and obtaining approval for the Masters’
programmes and I am delighted to share these with you.
Sincere thanks to those alumni who have been sharing
their successes with us and have provided support to
inspire our current students through talks and agreeing to
share their profiles on our website.
Don’t forget that your alumni network is a valuable
resource, just waiting to be tapped into via our online
Alumni Network Portal. I would thoroughly recommend
that you all get involved where you can – you never know
what you might be missing out on.
As always, we are available to support you in your time
after graduation and are always keen to hear from you
with news of your career journeys, reunions and successes
following your studies with us.
Thank you for being a member of the Alumni Network.
Dr Sarita Parhi
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MESSAGE FROM THE NEWLY ELECTED
PRESIDENT OF THE LSME ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
I am thrilled and genuinely honoured to be given the
opportunity to serve as the president of LSME Alumni
Association. I am eternally grateful to the leadership and
Alumni members for placing your trust and confidence in me to
serve as the President of the Association.
My stint at LSME was a great reveal of how quality teaching and
learning can be achieved with pleasure and delight. The
tremendous efforts and commitment of the leadership and
staff is highly commendable, and I would like to reiterate that
LSME is one of the best places to study. Keep up the great work
you are doing; your efforts will continue to pay off.
MESSAGE FROM THE NEWLY ELECTED
VICE-PRESIDENT OF THE LSME ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
It is an honour to serve my Alma mater as the Vice President of
LSME Alumni Association. I am committed to playing my role
in establishing a virile Alumni Association, as this institution
remains the very foundation upon which my training as a
teacher, and career as an educator, was built.
It is my desire to work assiduously, with other members, to
realise our vision of making the Alumni Association a platform
for former students to participate and support the goals and
visions of LSME, and to strengthen the ties between the
students, the alumni, the institution and the community.
It is our cardinal objective, as a Board, to provide a committed
and inclusive leadership to promote the general welfare of
LSME students and staff, and the members of the Alumni.
To current students, and Alumni of the college, I would like to
say well done for all your hard work and contributions which
have enabled the College to reach its current standard. At
some of my meetings with external moderators and quality
assurers, it was a delight to hear them say that LSME is one of
their best rated Higher Education providers. The credit goes to
both students and staff of the institution, and I will continue to
play a part in this great family for as long as I am able.
Jerome Obode
President, Alumni Association
We shall explore innovative opportunities for continuous
personal and professional development of our Alumni
members, while planning activities and events where our
members can network, socialise and develop.
May I humbly request all our Alumni members to work as
partners and stakeholders of the institution, and as a pool of
diverse resources for LSME, including volunteering, promoting
the institution outside its four walls, recruitment of new
students and galvanising support for the institution.
I wish us all an exciting Alumni year ahead.
Seth Hart
Vice-President, Alumni Association
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MESSAGE FROM THE OUTGOING
VICE-PRESIDENT OF THE LSME ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
I would like to thank each and every one of you for giving me
this opportunity of being the LSME Alumni Vice President.
Without wanting to sound too warm and fuzzy, it has been a
very affirming and rewarding experience at the same time.
It is with a deep sense of gratitude that I write to you for the
last time as the LSME Alumni Vice President. Since the
announcement of becoming the Vice President of LSME Alumni
Association, I have discovered new levels of enduring passion
for LSME staff and Alumni, and I wonder what the future holds
for all of us. I say “us” because I look forward to maintaining my
lifelong connection to LSME as a proud Alumnus.
A few events took place during my time in the office: the
College successfully organised several career fair events
including the participation of former students as well as
lectures about how to apply for QTLS status. Furthermore,
there were also opportunities available for those who declared
their interest in mentoring current students and carrying out
internal teaching placement in different departments within
LSME.
Reflecting on this very special past year as an Alumni Board
member, I would like to express my personal gratitude for all
that has been done on behalf of Alumni that means so much
to all of us:
• To the students, I thank you for your continued passion and
love for our alma mater,
• To the staff, I thank you for your wisdom and continued
dedication to our students,
• To the alumni, I thank you for always representing us in
ways that add value to the London School of Management
Education qualifications.
Collectively, you are the heart, mind and soul of this special
College.
I would like to sincerely thank all of you for everything you
have done, and will continue to do in support of a truly
enduring mission of moving the Alumni Association forward.
Paul Danha
LSME Alumni Vice President (Former)
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THE COVID-19: LSME EXPERIENCE

Right from the beginning of the outbreak, we set
up our COVID-19 homepage by 14th of March
2020 under the directives of the Outbreak
Response Team (a subset of the Senior
Management Committee). This homepage is
regularly updated by to keep you informed
during the period of the pandemic. Many alumni
have asked how they can support our COVID-19
activities through the launching of fundraising for
the front line staff of the NHS. The management
of the institution however considered the fact
that many people had lost their jobs or were
furloughed and made a strategic decision not to
impose an additional financial burden on the
The Covid-19 outbreak has been unnerving for all
Alumni or existing students. A donation was
higher educational institutions in the UK and for
however made to the Queen's Hospital NHS Trust
the whole country as little was known of this
by the Outbreak Response Team, after approval
novel virus and its pathogenesis. While several
by the Board of Directors.
university students returned home and awaited
further instruction on how to progress with their
The most significant turnaround was after school
studies, here at LSME, our staff worked tirelessly
closures. On the 18th of March 2020, Boris
to provide accurate information and introduce
Johnson announced that Schools, Colleges and
measures to prevent the spread of the infection
Nurseries in the UK are to shut from Friday 20th
within its campuses right from the initial
of March until further notice as a response to the
announcement of the COVID-19 infection. Some
coronavirus pandemic. We quickly made a
of the measures undertaken included the
decision and purchased the licence for the online
introduction of hygiene stations, setting up a
platform and conducted a series of training with
website page for COVID- 19 information,
LSME academic staff on the 19th of March. By
changing our mode of working at all operational
the 20th of March, all lessons were conducted
levels and organising a donation for the frontline
online with the newly launched online platform.
staff of the NHS. Further details of how we
Students and staff were able to work from
achieved all these within one week are
home with no disruption to the academic
highlighted below.
provision. Our IT technicians and all other admin
staff were on standby to step in should there be
any serious technical concerns. These activities
occurred alongside the development of the LSME
Covid-19 Contingency Plan by the Outbreak
Response Team for student and staff support,
welfare provision and academic development.
We are proud to say that to date, we have been
very successful with our online teaching and the
platform has been extremely useful in other
contexts. It facilitated the admission and
induction of the April 2020 cohort of students and
has been useful in the provision of seminar series
on Mental Health, Entrepreneurship and Bid
writing. These events were all supported by our
alumni members who promptly responded to
volunteer in the organisation of events, or sharing
their testimonies on LSME’s academic provision
and support mechanisms with the newly inducted
learners.
We have also set up a system to identity any staff
or student is affected by the virus or was
suspected to be having Covid-related symptoms
and was in isolation. This enabled the targeted
provision of welfare and academic support when
required. These individuals were followed up
closely with phone calls and emails to assure
ourselves of their safety and security while in
isolation.
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THE COVID-19: LSME EXPERIENCE

Fortunately, the few cases and suspected cases

occurred more than a month after the lockdown
when all activities were online and did not pose
any threat to other students and staff.

We have currently planned a gradual phased

return to normality based on future directives
from the government. This has begun with the
return of the staff for records keeping purpose.
Social distancing has been the underpinning
principle behind the reorganisation of
workstations and the introduction of staggered
start and end times in the organisation.

Would you like to help our outbreak response by

virtually volunteering? Why not join our network
of volunteers that devote small amounts of time
to mentor students on our online platform. We
would like to get as many people as possible to
help with the delivery of specialist lecture for the
Business and Health and Social care students on
how other organisations are dealing with health
and wellbeing issues that may be associated with
the Covid-19 outbreak. We also want to share
your stories, your challenges with work and the
overall impact of this virus on your career
development to show that we are all in this
together. You can get involved by writing for our
alumni blog, sending a picture with a caption,
sending a video or being interviewed by our LSME
student engagement team.

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SHARE YOUR STORIES: SUCCESS STORIES
NUR SAID [DET 2019]
Since 2011, I was determined to be a teacher. Touching student’s lives and
making a positive impact is the reason I wanted to be a teacher. The real
journey towards my dreams began in 2019 when I visited LSME to request
for DET Level 5. The moment I walked into LSME’s door; I knew there was
no turning back. The staff were helpful, informative as they provided me
with all the information I needed. They helped me with the application
process and applying for students’ finance.
Even though I started the course a week late, I never felt left behind as the
staff was so encouraging and cooperative. The DET course overall has been
an experience to remember. It was an interesting, fascinating and well-
explained course. The teaching methods were engaging as they helped
each one of us take part in learning and therefore understood the lessons.
The lecturers were very supportive all the time, they gave us prompt
feedback on assignments and were always there for us. I do not think that I
would have got this much support if I did the course somewhere else. The
college was also very supportive as they provided me with placement and
guidance throughout the course.
In light of what I was doing as a supply teacher, the course gave me deep
knowledge and understanding of the practicality of teaching and how I can
be an excellent teacher. I can now tell you that I am very confident and
well equipped for my teaching career. Even though I have finished my
course, I will always feel proud to be associated with the LSME family and I
am forever grateful to the staff for their enthusiasm, positive attitude, and
support. I miss my time at LSME. I will confidently recommend anyone to
join LSME for any course.
SUNDAY SO FASOYIRO [DET APRIL 2018]
I am a graduate in Biological Sciences as well as Business Management and
Information Technology. I have been a private businessman and an
independent travel agent since I have relocated to the United Kingdom. I
have been a very successful businessman until there was a slight meltdown
on world business economy which eventually led me to move further to
study DET and become a teacher. I enrolled in LSME in 2018 and I have
completed the course. I am very happy and satisfied with the learning
experience at LSME. The lecturers not only push students to become
competent but are also a source of good motivation for students to learn
and acquire more knowledge. I gained brilliant exposure to knowledge and
resources and profoundly felt the positive impact of quality education
attributes.
As part of my successful attribute from being a product of LSME, my
confidence as a facilitator has been boosted unlike when I have no better
knowledge of teaching method, but presently, I am engaged in delivering
online teaching to many students. The exposure of rigorous and intensive
learning I went through in LSME opened my concept to apply what I learnt
to support my business and change my old methods in another
dimensional approach. My new improved approach from my experience
from LSME towards the engagement to all my customers practically
changed in a dynamic way that brought about good improvement to my
business. It opened a pathway for me, and I can bring much profitability
and progress to my business for which I will always be thankful to LSME.
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SHARE YOUR STORIES: SUCCESS STORIES
SERENELLE TAMAS [DET 2019]
My learning experience at LSME in two words was fantastic and enjoyable,
allowing me to acquire knowledge and a proper understanding of all the
subjects. Placement is a requirement for DET, as it is a vocational course.
Even if I was not able to secure external placement, the LSME lecturers
were willing to help me do my placement within the college. The
placement allowed me to put theory into practice and to see first-hand
what teaching higher education students is about. I have greatly enjoyed
my placement at LSME, as I was amidst the students, able to support, learn
more and acquire practice at the same time. I honestly miss LSME and I
would love the opportunity of studying again at this college, as everyone is
helpful and the lecturers are very supportive. I have only graduated in
January, but I am sure that I will secure a job in the education field once
the actual situation (Covid-19) will pass. I know that one of the best
decisions taken in my life so far was to study at LSME. Thanks to the staff
and teachers at LSME, I have become a better person, both personally and
professionally.
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SHAH CHOWDHURY
I would like to make a brief statement about my time at LSME and the
outcome of my DET course.
Firstly, I would like to mention that studying at LSME was a valuable and
very enjoyable time. I have gained friends in a professional learning
environment. Teachers were superb and very helpful throughout the
course and the course details were very thorough.
Since I left LSME I have worked in various schools from Special needs to
mainstream school teaching in all manner of subject. I was also put in the
deep end teaching A’ level Economics which is my chosen field. I had to
quickly learn to put theory into practice which did take a lot out of me, but
I enjoyed the pressure. I oversaw the planning, assessing and helping in
mock exam preparations. Students appreciated my passion for teaching,
which was shown from the feedback I had received.
This experience has given me more confidence in my own abilities and how
other professional see me. I am now confident to teach wherever
necessary and LSME has broadened my horizons.
This course not only professionally benefitted me but also in a more
personal manner. I would recommend anyone to do this course who would
like to develop themselves further.
.
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SHARE YOUR STORIES: SUCCESS STORIES

MOHAMMED SEFI [DTLLS 2015]

I completed my DTLLS at LSME in 2015, which proved to be the beginning
of a new life for me after being badly hit by the 2008 recession which had
swallowed my business. The content of this course and the college
environment had greatly transformed me into a ‘new me’ because it
opened a window to a new world of achievements for me. As it was a
coursework-based programme, it helped me develop research, reading
and writing skills which are vital components of my current advice work at
Citizens Advice. The course had triggered my passion for learning.
Currently, along with my full-time employment at Citizens Advice, I am
reading for a law degree as an external student with the University of
London. To achieve my QTLS status, I have completed Functional Skills
English Level 2 and currently working towards achieving Mathematics Level
2. After achieving my QTLS, I aim to teach Law to A-Level Student at a Sixth
Form College.

I am indebted to LSME for the benefits it has added to my life. I will always
cherish the days spent learning at LSME. Just want to thank the wonderful
staff of LSME for making the experience fruitful. Wish you the best.

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POST COVID-19 CONVOCATION 2020

LSME prides itself in the grandeur of its annual Hence, the LSME is giving a serious thought into
Convocation and Prize Giving Ceremony which is organising the event in the best interest of
usually graced by a distinguished Chief Guest, students aiming to give them the experience they
number of Guests of Honour and eminent seek and without compromising the quality and
personalities in addition to participation of the health wellbeing of all stakeholders. The details
families and friends of the Graduates. It also of the format and the arrangements will follow
features, testimonies of the students and a lavish shortly through a direct communication to the
three-course meal at a 5-star hotel in Central students and announcements on the website. So
London. Hence, it is always a grand ceremony for all students awaiting their ‘big day’ should keep
the students, their close ones, the teachers and an eye on LSME webpage for more information.
the whole College to come together, celebrate
the success of the students and treasure the While, we are making every effort to make it the
memories. most memorable Convocation Ceremony, we
wish to make this event a great leap into the
However, due to the Coronavirus Pandemic and future.
the requirements of social distancing rules
announced by the government, sadly some shift
from the norm and redesigning of the event has
become inevitable. LSME in collaboration with
the graduation gowning company, the Graduation
Attire is exploring various options including a
‘hybrid’ model of virtual reality Convocation with
some aspects of real-time experience for the
students and families. However, having listened
to our students, we have been getting the feeling
that the Convocation, being a very intimate
experience for the students, especially the
mature ones, they would like it to be tangible and
a once in a life time event for them cherish
forever.
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NEW MBA, MSc & MEd COURSES
In recognition of the College’s vision to expand on
its academic portfolio, LSME has recently
launched it Masters’ Programmes in Education
and Business Management which represent a
fantastic opportunity for the alumni members
who are considering further progression in these
specialties. These courses are validated by the
University of Chichester and were specifically
chosen to meet the needs of alumni members as
well as students from the international
community.
The MBA programme builds on knowledge and
understanding gained through professional
experience to develop leadership and strategic
management skills. The programme consists of a
combination of generalist and specialist modules.
The generalist modules (Understanding
Workplace Behaviour, Business Finance and the
Macro-economic Environment) cover areas of key
management knowledge. The specialist modules
(Formulating and Planning Organisational
Strategy, Organisational Culture and Leadership
and The Leadership of Strategic Change) provide
in-depth knowledge and practical experience in
formulating and leading the strategic change in
an organisation. Business Consultancy Project
module gives students an opportunity to put their
knowledge, research and problem-solving skills
into practice in a real consulting situation.
The MSc Business Management programme
consists of a combination of generic (e.g.
Managing International Business Operations) and
specialist modules (Intrapreneurship and
Innovation). This programme has been developed
with reference to the Framework for Higher
Education Qualifications (FHEQ) in the UK and the
QAA subject benchmark statement for Master’s
Degree in Business and Management and consist
of 6 modules at level 7 and a research project
module providing a specialist area of knowledge
and skills in business management and business
research.
The Master of Education (MEd) programme is
Further information about these programmes are
current, relevant and caters for the needs of
on the LSME website:
students from diverse backgrounds. Developed
with the Framework for Higher Education
Master of Education (MEd)
Qualifications (FHEQ) and the QAA Master’s
https://lsme.ac.uk/courses/postgraduate-
Degrees in Education benchmark statements, the
courses/master-of-education-med
eighteen-month programme consists of 5
compulsory Level 7 modules and a Research
MSc Business Management
Project module. After successfully achieving this
https://lsme.ac.uk/courses/postgraduate-
programme, you will be able to display mastery
courses/msc-business-management
of a specialised area of knowledge and skills in
education, develop the requisite skills to conduct
Master of Business Administration (MBA)
independent research and the technical or
https://lsme.ac.uk/courses/postgraduate-
professional skills in leading and supervising
courses/master-of-business-administration-mba
others including accepting accountability for
educational leadership decisions.
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ALUMNI EVENT HIGHLIGHTS: GENERAL ALUMNI MEETING

Although former students have moved on, LSME keeps

fond memories of students’ lives and occasionally
engages with them to discuss relevant issues that may
be beneficial for their career growth and development.
For this purpose, an event took place on the 29th of
February 2020 at the College and there was the
prospect of meeting with our former students.

In consultation with some of the members of the LSME

Alumni Network Advisory Council, the event was
specifically tailored to the career and professional
development needs of the alumni members and a
preliminary discussion with a handful of members and
the outgoing executive was necessary.

The event presented the opportunity to hold

discussions on how to improve engagement with the
LSME Alumni, what was expected from LSME Alumni
members and how they can get involved in the planning
of the LSME Alumni Annual meet up event. This event
also provided an opportunity to discuss the importance
of the nationwide Graduate Outcome Survey which is
conducted by the Higher Education Statistical Agency
(HESA), 18 months after graduation from a UK higher
education institution. Future plans for keeping our
Alumni Network closer together through many different
initiatives were also discussed. There was also a special
lecture on QTLS conducted by DET Programme Leader,
Ms Lydia Mireku.

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ANNUAL ALUMNI GENERAL MEETING 2020: ONLINE EVENT

LSME Annual Alumni Meet 2020 was conducted Dr Dolly Jackson-Sillah delivered the presentation
on the 30th of April 2020 on the online platform on Graduate Outcomes whilst highlighting its
due to the Covid-19 Outbreak. This is the importance, she urged the respective graduates
highlight of the alumni events for the year as to make their voices heard by taking part in the
outgoing executives support the election of new survey. First Issue of LSME Newsletter- Newsflash
executive members for the next year and was launched by the Executive Director in the
strengthen the relationship between LSME and its presence of the Alumni members.
graduates. To fulfil its commitment, LSME
ensured that the Tradition was not broken due to Special remarks were given by Sunday Fasoyiro,
the Covid-19 pandemic and created an enabling Roya Agah, Seth Hart each one highlighting
environment for the Alumni executives to extend LSME’s contribution to their lives and reminisced
their invites to a wider audience from different on the memorable experiences they had at LSME.
countries.
The members present elected the following
Annual Alumni Meet 2020 was altogether vivid members through the process of consensus:
and a different experience of its own, as the
online platform allowed us to come together • President: Jerome Obode
• Vice President: Seth Hart The highly energised newly elected executive
from different parts of the world. In his welcome
• General Secretary: Sylvester Ojobo members have assured the members that they
address the Executive Director, Dr Ravi Kumar
• Joint Secretary: Tolulope Lawal-Solarin would bring new ideas and foster a collaborative
commented, “The Annual Alumni Meet is one of
• Networking & Liaison Officer: Simeon Sunday spirit into the LSME Alumni Association. The Chief
the most important events for LSME. Our Alumni
Fasoyiro Research and Innovations Officer Mr Hassan Shifau,
members are the torch bearers of the
• Treasurer: Darshan Brahambhatt further shed more light on ideas for the Plan of
organisation and have taken the vision and
• Event Planners: Eunice Davies-Ogunanya, Action for the Alumni committee to organise
mission of LSME to the world. It is a proud
Victoria Miroiu, Roya Agah, Serenelle Clara activities. The event concluded with the Alumni
moment for all of us to see you all and I
Tamas expressing their gratitude for the opportunity to
encourage all the Alumni members to actively
connect virtually. The vote of thanks was given by
engage and collaborate successfully together,
Amanda Babalola.
after all your success is our success.” The
Principal Dr Sarita Parhi encouraged the Alumni
members to strengthen the Alumni Association
and continue making the LSME family prouder.

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BRIEF INTRODUCTION OF THE NEWLY ELECTED MEMBERS
Jerome Obode
President
Jerome Obode is a passionate and highly motivated
individual who takes delight in the welfare,
development and success of other people. He has
more than three decades in leading, managing and
training people in various settings and works of
life, mainly in volunteering capacity. Jerome is a
teacher and trainer, with several years of training
experience in business, leadership, customer
service and management at various levels.
He is a conference speaker, personal coach,
publisher and the author of several books. Jerome
has strong interpersonal and rapport building skills;
he enjoys listening to, helping and supporting
people in every way he can.
His qualifications include Masters in Business
Administration, Executive Diploma in Management
(CMI); Level 5 Diploma in Education and Training;
and other teaching and training qualifications.
Seth Hart
Vice President
Seth Hart is a Nigerian-British academic and
environmental management consultant, who has
worked in a variety of teaching, scientific research,
crime prevention policy and environmental
management roles in Nigeria and the United
Kingdom.
He graduated from the teacher training
programme at the London School of Management
Education (LSME), where he obtained the Diploma
in Education and Training. This is in addition to
other higher education and professional
qualifications in his name.
He has at various times volunteered for different
charity organisations and non-profit causes. He is
currently the Vice President of the Alumni
Association of the London School of Management
Education, United Kingdom.
Sylvester Ojobo
General Secretary
Sylvester O. Ojobo is a very lively and exciting
individual, who takes great pleasure in helping,
inspiring and improving others. Over the years
he has been a symbol of service to humanity-
pioneering and facilitating several charitable
local, national and international organisations.
This passion is moved by his unwavering
believe that WE ARE, BECAUSE OF OTHERS.
He holds a National Diploma in Mechanical
Engineering, Nigeria; a first Degree in
Mechanical Engineering (BEng), Nigeria;
Masters in Engineering Management (MSc)
London, and Masters in Business
Administration (MBA) London. Sylvester is also
a teacher and trainer with a Level 5 Diploma in
Education and Training (including professional
qualifications in NCFE LEVEL 3 Certificate in
Assessing Vocational Achievement, IAO LEVEL 3
Award in Education and Training)
He is a Vice-Chair of the Board of Governors in
a Primary School in South East London, and
Chair (Business/budgeting committee) of the
same board. He is an author, motivational
speaker and mentor to young people and adult
groups.
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BRIEF INTRODUCTION OF THE NEWLY ELECTED MEMBERS

Tolu Lawal-Solarin Sunday Fasoyiro Eunice Davies-

General Secretary Liaison Officer Ogunsanya
Event Planner

Tolu Lawal-Solarin, LSME (DET) class of January
2019, currently holding a Bachelor of Science in
Economics, as well as a Bachelor degree in Laws.
He is a dual professional in law and education with
several years of teaching experience in Nigeria.
Currently studying for a masters in Law at the
University of East London. He loves music, sports
and reading. Tolu serves on the Alumni Board of
LSME.
Sunday is an experienced, energetic, disciplined,
friendly, highly trained, and effective teacher with
several years of teaching experience in Nigeria,
passionate and extremely motivated about
teaching, putting learners` interest and their
engagement as a Mathematics and Biology teacher
to find their purpose with passion and to maintain
a positive outcome. A dedicated teacher to the
support and promotion of wellbeing of all
students` needs and other required interests by
the controlling bodies.
Eunice Davies-Ogunsanya is an entrepreneur with
a background in event planning, decorating, and
special events clothing. She is Bsc -graduate in
Event Management from University of Plymouth
2017 2.1 Upper Division, and also studied Diploma
in Education and Training (DET) April 2018 Cohort
at the London School of Management Education.
Eunice is a mother of four, based in London, and
enjoys cooking and singing karaoke.

Sunday Fasoyiro in his younger days was a prolific

footballer and a sport man, he is a father and
grandfather. He is a self-independent business
director: Travel and Tourism industry and a
member of London Tourist Board. Sunday holds
HND Biological Science; Msc Biological Science;
Diploma MS Dos Computer (Germany); Diploma
Travel and Tourism (UK); Bsc Business
Management and Information Technology.

He holds a Diploma in Education and Training. He is

a qualified Molecular Biologist, and a graduate of
Business Management and Information
Technology. Has influence in German language as
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an additional language to both his mother tongue
and English language.
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BRIEF INTRODUCTION OF THE NEWLY ELECTED MEMBERS
Victoria Miroiu
Event Planner
With more than 18 years’ experience as a primary
school teacher in Romania and 2 years and five
months experience as a Study Skills Lecturer at a
Higher Education Centre in London, Victoria has a
general interest in education and academic
excellence. This is the central reason that she
decided to study Diploma in Education and Training
at LSME from 2019-2020. Another interest of mine
is the Health and Social Care sector, having a BSc in
Health and Social Care and more than 5 years’
experience as a Family Support Worker Volunteer
at Home-Start Havering, London. In the future she
would like to teach Health and Social Care courses
at the Higher Education level.
As an academic, she is accustomed to reading and
writing quickly and efficiently, in addition to
delivering presentations to students and
colleagues. She is also practiced at motivating
herself and others and ensuring that she is well
organised. She is honoured to be one of the LSME
Alumni Board members and she will support the
LSME Alumni Association through continued
engagement and effort to connect people with
current and former students.
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Serenelle-Clara
Tamas
Event Planner
Serenelle-Clara is a newly qualified teacher.
She is a hard-working person, who likes to get
involved in helping others, either individually
or as part of a group. Even as a mature student,
during her academic years and especially
during her time at LSME, she has improved
both personally and professionally, and she
wants to support others in developing
themselves.
She enjoys immensely learning new things and
her time as a DET student enabled her to
become a better person and even more
passionate about teaching. She obtained a
Higher National Diploma in Travel and Tourism
Management and in 2017-2018 she has
continued her studies and obtained BA (Hons)
Business and Management (Tourism
Management). As during these years she had
become interested in teaching, in 2019 she has
decided to join LSME and enrol in the DET
course. Even if she has successfully achieved
her Diploma in January 2020, she still wants to
be part of LSME, as a member of the Alumni
Committee, as she strongly feels that our
institution deserves continuous support from
its alumni.
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FINDING THE PURPOSE OF LIFE – DISCOVERING IKIGAI
There are few things in life we all commonly struggle with – one major
question is contemplating the purpose of life. Life offers multiple
dimensions and chances to understand our purpose, but often we fail to
look beyond our circle of thoughts because we are satisfied with our
choices and beliefs. But what happens when we no longer find meaning
in those things we once believed? To find life’s lost charm and yourself
along, you must get on the journey of Ikigai.
Before we dive into the world of Ikigai, please reassure yourself that it’s
not you alone who keeps pondering about what are you meant to be
doing on the planet. It is quite natural while going through life
wondering what we are supposed to do. What is the purpose of our
existence?
Ikigai is what gets you up every morning and keeps you get going. The
origin of the word ‘Ikigai’ dates to 790s, and stems from iki, which means
life, and kai, which means shell. Since shells were highly valuable at that
time, ikigai means finding the value of your life (Team, 2020). In
Japanese culture this translates roughly to a reason for being,
encompassing joy, a sense of purpose and meaning and a feeling of well-
being.
So, the question is how to find your Ikigai? It may seem to be a big
question to answer in one go- “what is the purpose of my life?” So, to
arrive on at the answer, start with asking some reflective questions to
yourself, as the answer to finding the purpose depends on many factors
of your life. Here are few reflective questions to start with:
1. When I feel I do not have enough time in life to do the things I
actually want to do, what are those activities I wish I had more time
to enjoy?
2. What am I doing when I feel most motivated?
3. What values are most important to me? What activities do I do which
make me feel in alignment with those values?
4. What are my natural talents? What do people come to me for advice
or assistance with?
5. What type of work do I like to do easily?
6. What have I always wanted to learn about but never got around to
doing it?
7. If I could do anything at all and money and time were no object, how
would I spend my days?
8. When do I feel most at contented and at peace?
9. When do I feel most alive?
10. If I knew I had limited time, what would I actually want to do with my
time for myself, and for the world?
Some of these questions to ask a similar thing but from different
perspectives it pushes you to think. The answer to these questions could
be taken as the starting point to finding your purpose.
Components of Ikigai: Ikigai consists of 4 components and the intersection
of these 4 components:
• What you love?
• What the world needs?
• What can you be paid for?
• What you’re good at?
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FINDING THE PURPOSE OF LIFE – DISCOVERING IKIGAI

When you do something that covers the 4 components that is when you
are considered to be meeting your Ikigai. There are 5 pillars of Ikigai and
these have greater substance and meaning than the 4 criteria (Mogi,
2017). Within his book, Mogi describes the 5 pillars as a description to
understand what life’s purpose actually looks like.
1. The joy of little things: Accepting that it is the smallest things we do
that brings happiness to life and it is all about appreciating and
enjoying the journey rather than just focussing on the destination.
2. Harmony and Sustainability: Being mindful of our actions and
remembering that our actions have an impact on people close by. As
much as satisfying you is important, it is equally important about
nurturing and adding value to others lives. Mogi urges us to think of
ourselves as a tree in a forest – we are all independent individuals yet
connected to each other for the collective growth.
3. Releasing yourself: Sometimes the biggest apology we owe is to
ourselves, most of us struggle accepting ourselves the way we are.
The focus should be on creating a meaningful life for yourself and not
pleasing the world.
4. Sarting small: This is all about remembering that working towards
life’s purpose may not result in immediate wins. Instead, small
consistent efforts and steps over time would be the steppingstones to
a brighter meaningful life.
5. Being in here and now: This pillar reinstates the importance of our
present moments, to value what is right in front of us without
worrying too much about the future. It is about living a mindful life
and being fully aware about our senses. Cherish wabi-sabi (life’s
precious imperfect moments)

Thus, discovering your life’s purpose might seem like a task in itself, but
it’s worth all the brainstorming and self-discover process of finding the
Source: (Team, 2020) intersection between your profession, mission, passion and vocation.

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FINDING THE PURPOSE OF LIFE – DISCOVERING IKIGAI

References

• Mogi, K., 2017. The little book of ikigai, the essential Japanese way to finding your purpose in life. s.l.:s.n.

• Team, B., 2020. How to find your Ikigai and live a life of purpose. [Online]
Available at: https://bestow.com/blog/how-to-find-your-ikigai/
[Accessed 07 May 2020].

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