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LIDC is proud to announce that we have reached 6,000 members. We are delighted that so many have signed up to become a part of our diverse, dynamic and ever-growing community of students, development professionals and researchers.

 

In April 2022, we went to UCL’s Institute of Education’s Careers Festival to meet with students that aspire to work in international development after they graduate. One of them was Hongjie Li, who signed up for LIDC student membership and became the 6,000th member of our community.

 

Following an obsession, finding IOE

Hongjie is currently working on her Master’s degree in Applied Linguistics at the Institute of Education and hopes to use her communication skills and strong problem-solving ability to help communities once she has graduated.

In Hongjie’s home country, China, she completed a BA in English. It was there she found her passion:

‘Ever since I started learning about Linguistics during my undergraduate study, I have been obsessed with the use of language’, Hongjie says.

She thinks language is often taken for granted, and deserves more academic attention. That is why she decided to apply for the Institute of Education at UCL, which she describes as a collaborative and insightful place to explore society, language and education.

 

A supporter of interdisciplinary

Hongjie was in the front row when LIDC spoke at IOE’s Careers Festival in April 2022. Like many others that are a few months from graduation, she had a clear goal:

‘I have been looking at UCL Career’s events for a while since I am hoping to secure an internship here in London’, she says.

‘LIDC’s event first drew my attention because of its focus on international development. I strongly support using interdisciplinary knowledge to make changes in the world, especially to help vulnerable and disadvantaged communities.’, Hongjie says.

 

Language, the media and influence

Through her studies, Hongjie has had the opportunity to explore her interests.

‘I am curious about how the media plays a role in influencing the public’s insights into social issues,’ she says.

Hongjie’s dissertation topic reflects her interest in media and linguistics. In the coming months, Hongjie will do a deep-dive into the media. She’s fascinated by Eileen Gu, an American-born Olympic winner who came under great controversy when she started competing for China.

‘The analysis of the representation and narrative about her by local and state media will allow me to explore the power and ideology behind different media. I would also like to examine how these media use discursive strategies in their reports to serve their interests and ideology. This study will deeper my idea of language use in media’, says LIDC’s member number 6,000.