Festival of the Professions 2026: connecting students to the world of work

City St George’s, University of London brought careers, industry insight, and professional networking to the forefront through its annual Festival of the Professions.

Designed to highlight the University’s strong alignment with business, practice, and the professions, the festival offered students a dynamic programme of events aimed at preparing them for life after graduation.

Originally established by the School of Policy & Global Affairs, the festival has grown into a university-wide initiative that brings Schools and Professional Services together to deliver a diverse range of employer-led events and activities.

Spanning February and March, the festival showcased opportunities for students to engage directly with industry professionals, gain insights into career pathways, and build essential employability skills.

Professor Sionade Robinson, Vice-President (Enterprise, Engagement & Employability), said:

The Festival of the Professions brought our university community together to champion the ‘connected professional’ as a defining strength of City St George’s graduates. As the University of business, practice and the professions, we are committed to building the professional networks of our students, staff and alumni. From careers fairs to industry talks, the Festival provided important insights into employment and life after graduation.

Knife crime survivor Ava Allen wins Social Ventures Hackathon to address youth violence in London

The festival programming included an event that explored entrepreneurship for social impact. The Social Ventures Hackathon, hosted by Better Space in partnership with Cambridge Social Ventures, brought together passionate individuals to collaborate on innovative solutions to society’s biggest challenges. Aspiring entrepreneurs, innovators, and business enthusiasts tackled issues from phone theft prevention to gamified productivity tools for ADHD. With mentorship from Cambridge Social Ventures and Better Space, participants developed their ideas and pitched them to a panel of judges.

The winner of the hackathon and the £1000 prize was Ava Allen, a survivor of knife crime who was inspired to deliver much-needed services in response to the high rates of youth violence in London. Ava's venture, RARE, aims to support children, young people and families experiencing trauma due to knife crime. On her experience at the hackathon and the inspiration behind RARE, she said:

This work is deeply personal to me. I survived a serious knife attack and my brother, who saved my life, is the inspiration behind everything I am building. His legacy drives me to create real change in communities impacted by violence. RARE is about giving young people and families affected by knife crime the support they need to heal and rebuild their lives.

Winning this hackathon is a powerful step forward. Not only does it validate that solutions rooted in lived experience truly matter but it also highlights there is a real belief in the need for community-led solutions to youth violence. The support I received will help me turn this idea into a sustainable organisation that can reach those who are often overlooked.

Launch event: building connections in the City

The festival officially launched with a speed networking event held at Saddlers’ Hall. Welcoming around 125 attendees, the evening connected students with organisations from a variety of industries, offering a valuable opportunity to build professional relationships in a fast-paced and engaging environment. The event also reflected the continued support of The Saddlers, long-term partners of the University.

The event kicked off a diverse programme of events across two months that featured a mix of academic, professional and interactive experiences.

Law students given the chance to secure paralegal role

An innovative recruitment-focused assessment day, named ‘The Boss’, gave students from The City Law School a unique opportunity to compete for a paralegal position with Elite Law Solicitors. Led by CEO James Scozzi, the event began with 16 candidates and resulted in one student securing a direct role with the firm. Law LLB student Mena Hamid was offered a job as a paralegal and fellow students Megan Walden and Luke Barker were runners-up, securing work experience at the firm followed by a job interview.

Breaking barriers: diversity in engineering event

Students from across different engineering disciplines joined industry leaders to take part in honest conversations around diversity and engineering. Students discussed topics including staying authentic at work, using your uniqueness as a strength and building powerful networks.

James Cameron Memorial Lecture: the urgent need to protect journalists

The festival’s programme also included key academic events that addressed industry challenges. At the Journalism Department’s annual James Cameron Memorial Lecture, journalist and campaigner Jodie Ginsberg spoke about the dangers facing journalists today and what we can do as individuals to create change.

The City St George’s alumna also presented this year’s winner of the department’s 50^th Anniversary Prize to MA Magazine Journalism alumnus, Jaheim Karim, for his multi-media work on the destruction of Palestinian heritage.

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Nursing Careers Day inspires next generation of healthcare professionals

Nursing students at City St George’s were given an opportunity to explore their future careers at the School of Health & Medical Sciences’ Nursing Careers Day.

The event provided a platform to learn about the wide range of professional pathways available in nursing, hear from accomplished leaders, and gain practical advice on entering the workforce. Through keynote talks, workshops, an alumni panel and careers stalls, the day aimed to inform students as they prepare to take their next steps into clinical practice and leadership.

Sociology and criminology students network and hear from industry voices

The School of Policy & Global Affairs gave students the space to practice and build their networking skills at the Sociology and Criminology Network Event. Employers from the relevant sectors attended and students mingled and discussed career pathways, learning about work in government, the third sector and education among others. An alumni panel event also offered students the interactive opportunity to hear from those who graduated from Sociology, Criminology and Psychology degrees at City St George’s.