Lord Parekh’s life has been an amazing journey from his school in Mumbai, to a seat in the House of Lords. Steven O’Brien met with him online and asked about his thoughts on education, equality, and the best way to navigate our life’s journey.

In a very candid moment, Lord Parekh tells us how being a Lord doesn’t match with his socialist tendencies, however he accepted the honour because “being a Lord gives me the opportunity to see things I wouldn’t otherwise see, and to say things that wouldn’t normally get heard.”  A true philanthropist, he is committed to using his voice in the Lords for the good of others.

When quizzed on what advice he would give to GBS students, he humbly claimed that he wasn’t “in the business of giving advice”. He then went on to offer three suggestions for our students:

“First of all, do something that gives you a sense of fulfilment. Don’t follow somebody else or try to conform to the expectations of others. This will give your life a sense of meaning”.

His second offering was that students shouldn’t be obsessed with one area of interest. “Keep your mind open. Its very important in life to have multiple interests which support each other.”

Making a significant contribution to our communities is a core GBS value, so Lord Parekh’s third piece of advice is particularly pertinent. He said that students should not only “cultivate their intellectual ability but also develop their sense of compassion. That way, education serves the wider community.”

You can watch the full interview here.