Thinking Partners
Established in 2018 to support our black student community
The network, led by Alix Hanson, offers our black student cohort the following benefits:
- One-to-one sessions
- Peer-to-peer sessions
- Group sessions with students across courses
- Personalised support between sessions
Thinking Partners empowers students to achieve optimal educational outcomes and enhance their overall student experience. By joining the network, black students can connect with one another, facilitating the development of vital skills such as leadership, creativity, resourcefulness, collaboration, problem-solving and resilience. This has a positive influence on their university life and beyond.
Through supportive sessions that encourage individuals to question, explore, access opportunities, and develop solutions, participants from various courses can collaborate with others at different stages of their journey, learning from their peers while pursuing academic and professional excellence.
The programme is highly specialised, catering to the unique academic and technical needs of this cohort. Within Thinking Partners, students work with qualified coaches who help them achieve their personal best, nurturing their ideas and championing their growth. They also engage with a range of stakeholders who possess the expertise to support them, from the start of university through to graduation.
Below are some interviews and testimonials given by Thinking Partners alum.
Hannah Chiwenda
MA Global Fashion Retailing
Hayden Woodley-Gibson
BA (Hons) Fashion Marketing
The network
Feedback from students, tutors, parents and employers indicates that black students have a better experience when they join Thinking Partners. The network enables participants to engage, learn from and support one another, leading to valuable career-enhancing experiences.
Graduates of Thinking Partners have pursued postgraduate courses at top-ranking universities, secured graduate jobs in fields like buying, marketing, product development and data analytics, established their own businesses, or pursued teaching qualifications for careers in fashion education.
In Thinking Partners, black students are not seen as an 'ethnic minority,' 'BAME', 'non-traditional' or 'hard to reach'. Instead, they are recognised as subject experts with infinite potential for transformative experiences. The network fosters the creation of approaches that can challenge or influence established practices throughout the university, allowing for a more inclusive and supportive environment.
If you are a black student at Fashion Business School, London College of Fashion, and wish to join this coaching network, please reach out to the Programme Lead, Alix Hanson at: a.hanson@fashion.arts.ac.uk. While primarily aimed at undergraduates, eligible postgraduate students are welcome to participate.