Welcome, Cohort 2022!

A brief introduction to how you can begin using the Laidlaw Scholars Network to become a successful next-generation leader.
Welcome, Cohort 2022!
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Congratulations and welcome to everyone who just joined the Laidlaw community! We are delighted to see you on the Network and look forward to getting to know all of you.

By becoming a Laidlaw Scholar, you are joining a vibrant community of passionate, diverse, and ethical leaders who are eager to make our world a better place for everyone.

All our scholars are ambitious, brave, curious, determined, extraordinary, fast, and good next-generation leaders who embrace the power of research and ethical leadership to solve the world’s most intractable problems.

➡️ Get to know the Laidlaw Scholar values here

Below I outline 3 ways in which you can use the Laidlaw Scholars Network to become a better scholar and a next-generation leader. I also strongly recommend that you take this short course to familiarise yourself with the site.

Contents

💡 Purpose & Vision

1. Put Yourself Out There
* Fill out your profile
* Get uploading
* Stay up-to-date

2. Network and Collaborate
* Directories
* Direct messaging
* Video panels
* Your subject community
* Alumni society

3. Help Yourself & Influence Others
* Scholars' stories


Purpose & Vision

The Laidlaw Scholars Network is our online platform for everyone in the global Laidlaw community: current scholars like you, alumni, faculty, and our partner organisations. 

It is a space for you to connect, collaborate and flourish. Here, we serve as each other’s inspiration, collaborators, mentors, coaches and sponsors.

The Network enables you to reinvest your skills, knowledge and experience to help others succeed by:

  • Connecting with other members
  • Sharing your research & leadership journeys
  • Staying active contributors of the Laidlaw community, especially after you graduate. 

1

Put Yourself Out There 

The Network is a place for you to dazzle, stand out, and impress others. It is where employers will come to search for leaders with smart ideas and proven track records, and where your peers will look for connections.  

Here is what you need to set yourself up for success as a new scholar: 

Complete your profile

Upload a profile picture, write a short biography, and specify contact details. This makes it easier for other members to find you, get to know you, and connect with you. 

➡️ Edit your profile

Get uploading

Now that you have been accepted to the programme, publish your initial research proposal to get everyone excited about your upcoming work and the final report.  

After your research is complete, don't let it collect dust on your desktop! Share it with the community & the public by uploading it to its appropriate channel and your university room.

Now that it is online, all you have to do is copy the link and add it to your CV, LinkedIn profile, or portfolio. This adds so much credibility to all the hard work & effort that you will have put in.

➡️ Learn how to publish on the Network

Stay up-to-date

To keep up with everything happening in the community, make sure that:

Check-in daily to see content from your peers and the Foundation. Our members post regularly, so there is always something new waiting for you. Here are my favourites:

👉 Leadership Quote of the Week - every Monday you will find an inspirational leadership quote to start your week. You can also suggest a quote of your own!

👉 Scholar Spotlight - we regularly shine the spotlight on one of our fabulous scholars to learn more about their research, the drive behind it, and the lessons they learnt along the way.

👉 Opportunities - here you can find exclusive job/internship/volunteering opportunities from responsible organisations. Watch this room to be among the first ones to apply.


2

Network and Collaborate

Now that you've filled out your profile, published your research, and made sure you are staying up-to-date with the community, it is time to connect with others! The Network is a perfect place for you to find like-minded peers, mentors, exciting opportunities, and collaborators.

Directories

If you are looking for people who are experts in a particular area, study at a certain university, and/or have similar interests to you, directories is a perfect tool for you. 

➡️ Learn how to use directories

Direct Messaging 

Once you find someone you want to connect with, you can contact them directly on the site - just send them a direct message! You can also look at their contact details if you would like to reach out to them somewhere else.

➡️ How to use direct messaging

Video Panels

You can have a video call with someone directly on the Network using the video panels tool. Chat with a group of up to 15 people, share your screen, and record your conversations to share with others later.  

➡️ Learn more about video panels

Alumni Society 

Once you are finished with your 2-year programme, our Scholar-led Alumni society will allow you to stay in touch and pay forward your expertise. Right now, you can get involved by attending their events like Career Panels and Community Conversations. Once you are an alum, you can become a committee member! 


Help Yourself and Influence Others 

Use the Network for personal and professional development. There are already hundreds of research papers, and resources about leadership, such as our very own podcast, The Good Leader. In the News & Events channel, you can also find the latest announcements and opportunities. 

Scholars' Stories Channel

In this channel, you can document your journey and share reflections on a regular basis. 

Self-reflection is a powerful tool of development, so why not blog about how your research is going, and share takeaways/lessons? Your posts will allow others to grow as well. Similarly, you can read other people’s stories to learn from them.

Start by reading our Scholar Spotlights to learn more about extraordinary Laidlaw Scholars around the world!


It may seem that sending someone a DM or publishing a blog post is insignificant, but you have to begin somewhere. And the Network is your perfect somewhere. It is somewhere you can meet your future lab partner, your future co-founder or co-author, or your future employer.

So, write a post. Start a conversation. Share your story. Change someone’s life. Change the world. Make the Laidlaw Scholars Network your somewhere. 

See you at the Global Induction Session. 👋


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