London Interdisciplinary School

London Interdisciplinary School (LIS) is a radical new university based in Whitechapel, East London. Founded in 2020 by Ed Fidoe and Chris Persson, LIS became the first UK institution since the 1960s to receive Degree Awarding Powers from inception, granted by the Office for Students (OfS). LIS has attained top marks in every area of academic standards and qualities assessed by the OfS.

LIS offers: a BASc in Interdisciplinary Problems and Methods (3-year undergraduate degree); MASc in Complex Systems and Problems; MASc in Education Futures; MASc in AI & Collective Intelligence; the LIS MBA; and professional short courses including Cross-Functional Leadership, Systems Thinking for Sustainability, Power and the Polycrisis, and Leading Through Complexity.

The curriculum is built around complex, real-world problems — such as climate change, inequality, and the future of cities — and draws on disciplines spanning STEM, social sciences, and the arts and humanities. Students work on live challenges with a network of 200+ employer and organisation partners.

LIS reports 89% of BASc graduates in skilled employment or further study within 15 months, a 13:1 student-to-faculty ratio, and a 100% NSS Student Support rating. The campus is located at 20-30 Whitechapel Road, London, E1 1EW.