Engineering The Effect: My Odyssey as a Student Ambassador of Purpose Lab
This is a guest blog by Gursimran Kaur, Purpose Lab Student Ambassador and Teesside University student.
As a Student Ambassador of Purpose Lab, I had the marvellous opportunity to directly engage with exceptional leaders who are driving change across AI governance, student wellbeing, public health, and political reform. With each session, my determination has strengthened for building infrastructure that is not only resilient but also socially conscious and human-centred.
The first session was with Kent and Medway NHS Trust, which made me realise about how healthcare is an inclusive employer. In this session, I learned from Fiona Anderson about the non-clinical as well as clinical pathways, which are evolving to support mental health through value-led and compassionate systems, that had reframed the NHS in my eyes, not just like a care provider but instead like a purpose-driven employer.
Colt Technology Services talked about how operational strategy is redefined by AI, where James Winter shared insights into AI governance around compliance, ethical deployment, and fairness, which aligned with my ambitions of integrating AI in sustainable infrastructure design.
The session with Rt. Hon Justine Greening was really perfect and deeply personal, about her leadership and journey with the Purpose Coalition, which helped understand that social mobility is not only a policy, instead it’s a performance. Accountable, measurable, and it must be derived by every emerging leader.
Finally, everyday experiences like support, space, and food that shape educational outcomes were highlighted by Sodexo’s student living strategies. My civil engineering background in building ecosystems resonated with their holistic approach that enables people to thrive.
These sessions and conversations were not just educational but were foundational, which reinforced my vision for pursuing an innovation in infrastructure which could uplift communities across Earth and beyond, and have also empowered me to lead with both skills and purpose.
