President: Shamitha Yarrabolu
Hi everyone, and welcome to the LSESU United Nations Society! I’m Shamitha, a second-year student studying Politics and International Relations. I’m beyond excited to serve as your President this year.
At UNSOC, we believe in empowering students to fulfil the aims and values of the United Nations through our three core divisions—Outreach, Careers, and Model United Nations (MUN). Each division offers a variety of opportunities, including internship programs, volunteering initiatives, speaker panel events, and MUN conferences across the UK. This year’s dedicated committee has incredible events planned for you to develop transferable skills for future careers in foreign policy, governmental organisations, or even international corporations.
Beyond the learning, my time at UNSOC has been exceptional because of the family it offers. As one of the largest International Relations societies on campus, you are guaranteed to create lifelong friendships and memories with like-minded students focused on diplomacy for a better tomorrow. From overnight MUN trips in Scotland or Bath to a glamorous night of networking at the Diplomacy Ball, UNSOC has made my first year at LSE one for the books.
I hope to see all of you in September! Please feel free to reach out with any questions :)
Vice President: Mihika Chechi
Hi! I’m Mihika, a second-year studying BSc Politics and Philosophy, and I’m so excited to serve as your Vice President of Careers for this year!
The United Nations is all about the convergence of borders, with different nations, cultures, and languages coming together to discuss and preserve shared goals. Similarly, the United Nations Society here at LSE, with its incredibly diverse and international student body, proudly reflects this very idea. Regardless of where you’re coming from, what you’re studying, or what you hope to gain, I can promise you that you’ll find exciting perspectives, opportunities, connections, and most importantly, community here in our society.
The Careers division is a great place to start, especially if you’re generally interested in international relations, foreign policy, international bodies, or even law or economics! We offer frequent speaker events, networking receptions, hands-on workshops, exclusive internship schemes, field office visits, and even an annual overseas trip to a major diplomatic hotspot that won us the LSESU Society Award for Best Excursion last year!
And… even if you just really want to go into investment banking or finance - we can connect you with dozens of UN Society alumni who went into those exact fields and so many more. There truly is something for everyone here, so please don’t hesitate to get in touch to hear more about what we can do specifically for you! (And buy those memberships, they’ll get you so many discounted and free tickets all year!!)
Vice President: Marina Gruzer
Hello, I am Marina, currently studying BSc International Relations and Chinese. It's a pleasure to be serving as your Vice President and leading the Outreach Division, with Liha and Olivia, this academic year.
I joined the LSESU UN Society in my first year and have made incredible memories representing LSE at several conferences and organising events across both the Outreach and Careers divisions as a Junior Officer. In my time at the Society, I have made great friends, developed essential skills and enhanced my awareness of current affairs.
The Outreach Division offers great opportunities for you to pursue your passion for international affairs, enrich your understanding of global challenges and support meaningful causes. We look forward raise awareness on key global issues and bring you more engaging events with distinguished speakers from across the sphere of international affairs and our partner charities.
I look forward to meeting you all in September! Feel free to reach out if you have any questions or suggestions, I'd be happy to help.
Secretary: Aaina Saini
Hi, I’m Aaina Saini and I’m thrilled to be serving as Secretary to the UNSOC this year! I’m from New Delhi, India and am studying Economics and Economic History.
My journey with UNSOC started when I joined as a Junior Officer in the first year and needless to say, since then I never left. The vibrant, diverse and kind people that you come across here are probably what makes UNSOC so special.
The society offers you a warm and welcoming community which does not only make your own academic journey so much better but also forms some of the closest knit friendships you could hope for at the LSE.
Heartiest welcome to UNSOC and do keep an eye out for newsletters and social media updates to stay updated on our upcoming events and activities :)
Treasurer: Justin Cheng
Hey there, I'm Justin and I will be your Treasurer for the 24-25 year!
With first year at uni, I've done MUN for around six years now since high school back in Hong Kong, which has very much cultivated my interest in international affairs. Even though I don't directly study International Relations, I believe that the unique point of UNSOC is that it's really a hub for nurturing diplomatic talent regardless of subject or personal background - even if you ultimately don't choose to pursue a career in international diplomacy. Be it participating in MUN, Careers or Outreach, UNSOC will be sure to both challenge you intellectually and give you a platform to meet friends, and I wholeheartedly encourage you to come to our events.
If there's any questions, be it related to finances or anything generally related to UNSOC, feel free to let me know. I also hold leadership positions at other committees such as the Alternative Investments Conference and the Green Finance Society, so feel free to drop by and say hi -- looking forward to working with you/ seeing you in the future!
Careers Director: Maham Saleem
Hi everyone! I'm Maham, a second year International, Social and Public Policy student, and I'm so excited to be a Careers Director this year! UNSOC is a community of smart, aspirational, and inspirational internationally-minded LSE students and I hope the Careers Division can support your LSE careers journey - whether you hope to work directly in the UN, or a related field. We have a packed programme which involve overseas trip, many opportunities to engage with people working in the UN, and materials to support you in application season. Can't wait to meet you all soon!
Careers Director: Laila Gauhar
Hi, I’m Laila, and I will be one of your Careers Directors this year :)
I’m a 3rd year International Relations and History student from the UK. I love spontaneous travelling, as I enjoy the challenge of being alone in a new place, experiencing new things, and making interesting friends. A few months ago one of those trips coincidentally led to me gatecrashing the UNSOC Vienna trip!
These past few years I’ve been pretty involved in UNSOC (real ones might recognise me as the 2022/23 UNSOC Secretary), and during this time I have become more interested in delving deeper into how the UN operates, and critically examining why it does the things it does. I am thankful for this opportunity to contribute to this society and I hope you all enjoy your time here!
Model United Nations (MUN) Director & Secretary-General of LSEMUN: João Antônio Gomes
Hi everyone! I’m João Antônio, a second-year History and Politics student. This year, I will serve as Secretary-General of LSEMUN and as your MUN Directing alongside Carli!
A bit about myself - I was born and raised in Brazil. I enjoy learning about useless and overly-specific historical facts and playing the classical guitar. I have been doing MUN for the past few years as a delegate, chair, and part of the secretariat, but I never cease to be amazed at how different procedures and conferences can be across the Atlantic.
Anyways, if you want to know anything about MUN at LSE, I'm the one to ask! See you around.
Model United Nations (MUN) Director: Carli Queirazza
Hey, everyone! I’m Carli, a second year Politics and Philosophy student and your MUN Director, with João Antônio!
I was born and raised in Milan, Italy and I moved to London just last year for uni, which has (and still is) revealing itself to be a wonderful experience.
I have always been interested in the dynamic relations between countries that flow through and enliven issues more complicated than borders, which is what originally drove me to MUN. But MUN gives you access to much more than ‘just’ exciting academic approaches to politics, it constitues a rich, welcoming community of interesting and dedicated people where anyone can find a place, even beyond committee.
I can’t wait to meet you and for you all to take part in what we are organising here at the MUN division!
Outreach Director: Bonne Liha Leung
Hello! I’m Liha (lee-ah), and I’m a second year International Relations and History student. Alongside Olivia, I will be serving as your Outreach Director for 2024-2025!
Having grown up in Hong Kong, and having had the opportunity to live in multiple international contexts, my interests have always been aligned with the multifaceted nature of a globalised world. I joined UNSOC during the my first term at LSE, and it has been an outlet for me to explore my interests in inter-state and inter-cultural dynamics, humanitarianism and diplomacy.
This year, the Outreach Division is committed to providing you, the students, with more opportunities to work with our partners and gain hands-on experience in various sectors. Moreover, at the core of our ethos is raising awareness and taking action for the causes we believe in— so look out for our fundraisers, panel events, and opportunities to get involved in student activism and campaigning!
Outreach Director: Olivia Van Overberghe
Hi! My name is Olivia Van Overberghe and I’ll be working as the director of Outreach for UNSOC alongside Liha. I’m an incoming second year Law student here at LSE and I’m super excited to work alongside my wonderful colleagues at UNSOC, and most of all, you guys!
I grew up in an international household and have always profoundly admired multiculturalism, thus my interest in the United Nations came pretty naturally. I also believe in the importance of helping those in need. However, as students it is not always possible to contribute financially to the causes we’re interested in, so I am a big supporter of donating time and service instead. This is why I chose to work in the outreach branch of UNSOC. Beyond fundraising, campaigning and volunteering opportunities I hope to organise panel talks to help students learn about what outreach work can look like.
Outreach is a new direction for me, as I’ve previously been more active in the MUN side of the UN, having started in High School. That being said, I’m looking forward to embarking on this new journey!
We’ve got plenty of exciting ideas for this year’s Outreach committee, and we hope to see you there!
Marketing Director: Oliver Chan
Hi guys! I’m Oliver, a second year Law student from Hong Kong, and I will be acting as your Marketing DIrector next year!
My interest towards MUN since Y9 in secondary school, accompanied with my passion in graphic design and marketing, allows me to have the best of both worlds as UNSOC allows me to pursue what I truly love. Although joining in the middle of autumn term as a Marketing Officer, I am grateful for MUN to foster a place for individuals who might not want to focus on solely delegating or chairing, but also express their interest in MUN in other ways - such as designing or photography (which I do both of)!
I hope to meet all of you next year at our events, and we welcome you with open hands if you wish to join our Marketing division!