From ICP to Vice President at Emergent: an alumnus on how the network opened a career in international development
Leks Olubodun, ICP alumnus, University of Westminster; now Vice President, Funding Governance and Impact, Emergent, United Kingdom
Part of the Inside Westminster anniversary series marking ten years of the Democratic Education Network, and the ICP years before it.
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Editor’s note. The International Community Project (ICP) ran from around 2014 to 2016 in the Department of Politics and International Relations at the University of Westminster. It was DEN’s predecessor: a small, student- and staff-led project of International Food Festivals, community outreach, international visits, and weekly discussions. Everything that became DEN, its weekly meetings, its international conferences, its partnerships, grew directly from ICP. Leks was part of that founding generation. This is his reflection on what ICP gave him and where it took him.
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What aspects of ICP had the biggest impact on you?
The commitment of the staff, especially Farhang, had the biggest impact on me.
How did ICP help you develop personally?
It gave me the confidence to believe in myself.
Did ICP help you with employability or professional development?
Yes. It was the first opportunity that gave me a first-hand experience of what a career in International Development could look like.
What advice would you give to today’s DEN students?
Put yourself out there. Engage in tasks and activities that may not come naturally to you. Take advantage of the opportunities presented to you at university, and make a habit of interacting with your peers. These are valuable skills you will need to gain formal employment.
What would you say to a colleague at another university?
I was given the opportunity to see a world previously closed to me, which expanded my view of career opportunities. I was also motivated to achieve my goals in life.
Anything else you would like us to know?
The opportunities provided by DEN will have a transformative impact on your career opportunities. Take them.
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Photo caption: “A world previously closed to me.” Leks Olubodun, ICP alumnus, now Vice President, Funding Governance and Impact at Emergent.