Queen Mary Legal Advice Centre hosts Future Leaders Insight’s Event 2026

10 April 2026

The QMLAC coordinates a university-wide mentoring programme, where undergraduate students from all disciplines undertake 1-2-1 mentorship of 16-18 year old pupils taking part in the Future Leaders UK scheme. This year, we had mentors from a wide range of subjects, able to offer their experiences of their specialist subjects to mentees with an interest in pursuing them, these ranged from Biomedical Science, Business, History, Law, Psychology, Politics and Languages.  

We kicked off this year’s mentoring programme in January 2026, with 50 QMUL students undertaking mentorship of 100 mentees.  

The end-point of the mentoring programme was a wonderful evening at Queen Mary’s Mile End Campus, where we invited Future Leaders UK to attend a talk and panel about the prospect, reality and experience of being at university. We were thrilled to welcome over 120 mentees from the Future Leaders East London Hub to our campus for the event. 

The event consisted of an admissions talk by Professor Alan Dignam (KC), titled ‘Why go to university?’, and looked at the reasons for (and for not!) pursuing a higher education, and the considerations needed for undertaking a university degree.  

The second session was a Student Panel Q&A, where current students from a range of subjects answered the pupils questions on their lived experiences of being a university student at the range of stages and disciplines they are studying, their experiences of getting to university from school, and offered advice for the pupils on how to apply and get to university.  

The panel consisted of: 

• Kalen Harrald, 2nd Year Global Law student 

• Fahmida Nidhi, 3rd Year Politics and International Relations student 

• Kelly Armstrong, 5th Year Medical student 

• Tara Koc, 2nd Year Neuroscience student 

• Tahmid Chowdhury, 1st Year Politics and International Relations student 

Following the two structured sessions, there was a chance for networking over some food, where Professor Alan Dignam and the Panel members continued to offer support and answer questions into the evening.  

The attending pupils fed back that they valued the insights of Professor Alan Dignam on the value and financial benefits of studying a university degree, but also valued the discussion about university not being the only path to success. They valued the Student Panel for its authenticity and honesty, and the diversity of experiences and insights the panel members provided. One attendee undertaking BTEC study noted that they felt grateful for having a prior belief proved wrong, that only A-level students could study at Russell Group universities. 

Thank you to all the Future Leaders UK pupils for attending, our wonderful Student Panel members, Professor Alan Dignam, Halima Shakoor and the Future Leaders UK staff team, and to Eve Haynes and Meghan Mizen from the QMLAC for organising the programme and event. 

A special congratulations to Panel Member, Kelly Armstrong, on recently passing 5th Year exams and becoming a Doctor!