by Lujia Feng, Programme Director, MSc Human Resource Management (International Development)
At the start of this semester, we kicked off the year with something a little different, a learning session and social event for MSc Human Resource Management (International Development) students on Friday, 17 October 2025.
As a programme that brings together students from across the world, we wanted this session and event to be more than just another induction or careers talk. It was about connection, helping everyone find their feet, meet each other beyond the classroom, and start shaping their own journeys in the Global Development Institute (GDI), School of Environment, Education and Development (SEED) and in the wider University of Manchester community.
A Space to Learn and Belong
The session and event are tied into the Manchester 2035 strategy and the SU Student Priority Report, both of which highlight belonging and inclusivity as core values. Inspired by recent SEED School discussions about ‘belonging barriers’, we wanted to explore how our students experience community, and what we can do to make that sense of belonging genuine rather than something we just talk about.
Together with our brilliant administrative colleagues, we designed a session that gave students a chance to share openly about the challenges of starting postgraduate study, from academic writing to navigating a new culture and career landscape.
Learning, Confidence, and a Spark of Inspiration
Our guest speaker, Samantha Lubanzu, brought an incredible energy to the day. As a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), career strategist, and former CIPD Manchester Chair, Samantha shared her own professional journey, not through a list of achievements, but with a story about self-discovery, resilience, and visibility in a competitive global context.
Her workshop, ‘The Career Breakthrough Formula’, got everyone thinking about who we are as future HR professionals and how we present ourselves to the world. She reminded us that employability isn’t just about CVs or LinkedIn profiles, though we learned plenty of practical tips there too. Instead, it’s about knowing your strengths, your values, and how to communicate them with confidence.
Voices from the Students
Student reps Alicia Reid, Sanjukta Menon, and Jiarui Wang gave us feedback on our session and event:
We discussed our concerns in academic writing. We expressed the challenges such as using the correct referencing style, coming up with the title of the essay, comprehending published research works and analysing them in a critical way instead of a descriptive one. The professors then provided insightful advice and added points on creativity, the marking grid, the preferred use of AI, structure and language, with relatable logical examples, which made us more confident to face the upcoming assignments.
Our guest speaker, Samantha Lubanzu, spoke boldly and confidently, walking through her life journey and inspiring us. HRM is a competitive function, and it is important to be visible in this technologically influenced world. The questions she posed in between made us as the young HR aspirants, reflect on ourselves and understand the importance of knowing ourselves and being seen. We had strong takeaways on how to write our resumes, create unique LinkedIn profiles, build professional networks and position ourselves powerfully in a way that would captivate the listener. The session left us motivated and encouraged to start working on our respective skillsets.
Breaking Bread, Building Bonds
The day ended with a welcome dinner, which provided a perfect chance to chat with colleagues and the guest speaker in a relaxed setting. For many of our students, it was also their first proper taste of British cuisine.
It was a simple but powerful way to round off the day: sharing food, laughter, and stories that made us feel like part of something bigger than just a course.
Looking Ahead
Events like this remind us that learning doesn’t just happen in lectures as it happens in conversation, in connection, and in moments when we open our hearts to communicate with each other.
A huge thank-you to our colleagues in the SEED Student Hub, especially Kerry Jones, and of course, to Samantha Lubanzu for sharing her wisdom and energy with us.
