NewCampus helps you fit learning into your life through daily discussion-led classes, hosted by virtual instructors, delivered in inspiring offline classrooms. Earlier this year, when we rebranded to NewCampus and branched into the edtech space, we sat down to define our brand tone. We came to a point where we had to decide who best embodies our brand. We were looking for a relatable personality or a beloved character from literature or the movies that people could associate with NewCampus in spirit.

And that is when our Potterhead team realized that we wanted to be Remus Lupin!

Not Albus Dumbledore, not Severus Snape. No, not even Sirius Black, but Remus Lupin, the unsung underappreciated Defence against the Dark Arts (DADA) teacher in Harry’s third year at Hogwarts.

To the Harry Potter uninitiated, this means that we wanted to be the kind and intelligent teacher who goes the extra mile and cares for his/her/their students/colearners. We wanted our colearners to find us genuine, attentive, fun and ever-approachable.

So, this persona reminded us of Remus Lupin. We wanted to be a Lupin to every Harry –and Hermione and Dobby and everybody curious to learn about the changing world– that walked into NewCampus.

And here’s why Lupin is NewCampus’ brand mascot.

Curiosity + Passion

As Pottermore rightly describes, “At Hogwarts, Remus revealed himself to be a gifted teacher, with a rare flair for his subject and a profound understanding of his pupils.”

He took over from two inefficient and power-hungry DADA teachers in the form of Quirrel and Lockhart who, let’s face it…hardly scratched the surface of teaching them anything of value!

But, Professor Lupin, unlike his lousy predecessors, introduced the class to tricky creatures like boggarts, red caps, kappas and more, transforming each lesson to one of wonder and discovery. He egged his students on a curiosity-driven path, helping them defend themselves against dark spells and creatures.

This is what we do at NewCampus. We may not be guiding anyone to block an Imperio, but we connect colearners to global leaders through our classes, flaring their curiosity and helping them carve their own paths of learning to stay relevant and knowledgeable.

His classes were fun

For the first time in three years, the students were excited about Defence against the Dark Arts classes. For the final exam, Remus set an obstacle course for his students to cross! He was cool like that.

“In no time at all, Defence Against the Dark Arts had become most people’s favourite class. Only Draco Malfoy and his gang of Slytherins had anything bad to say about Professor Lupin. ‘Look at the state of his robes,’ Malfoy would say in a loud whisper as Professor Lupin passed. ‘He dresses like our old house-elf.’ But no one else cared that Professor Lupin’s robes were patched and frayed. His next few lessons were just as interesting as the first.” — Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

His practical approach, witty humour and skilled teaching inspired even the least studious of the lot. He even made Neville comfortable with putting his grandmother’s vulture-topped hat, green dress and big red handbag on the Snape boggart!

Taking a leaf out of Lupin’s book, NewCampus believes in colearning where people collaborate and learn new things together as a community. To ensure our classes are fun and engaging, we vet our class content beforehand and support our Class hosts in every way possible to deliver the best.

Learning hands-on

We ascribe to Professor Lupin’s way of helping students learn through hands-on experience. Our workshops help you engage with a subject holistically to get you up-skilled or get your hands dirty to create something, just like Lupin did in his DADA lessons. Whether it was teaching spells to dispel Boggarts (Riddikulus!) or teaching Harry to ward off the dementors through the Patronus charm, Lupin believed in learning through practical experience.

Empathy and equanimity

In her paper titled ‘Lessons on being multiple and heterogeneous: A study of Remus Lupin in Harry Potter’, author Catherine Shaw describes Lupin aptly. “As a being who is dual and occupies a socially marginal position, Lupin is better able to empathize with individuals when others cannot.”

Lupin knew each and every student by name. And unlike other teachers, he did not let Hermione answer all the questions but drew out answers from everyone. He treated students with respect and took into consideration their special requirements and skills. He backed the underdog, having been an outlier himself.

‘Possibly no one’s warned you, Lupin, but this class contains Neville Longbottom. I would advise you not to entrust him with anything difficult. Not unless Miss Granger is hissing instructions in his ear.’ Neville went scarlet. Harry glared at Snape; it was bad enough that he bullied Neville in his own classes, let alone doing it in front of other teachers. Professor Lupin had raised his eyebrows. ‘I was hoping that Neville would assist me with the first stage of the operation,’ he said, ‘and I am sure he will perform it admirably.’ — Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

At NewCampus, we emulate Lupin’s ideology by considering the special needs of our colearners. Enlightened empathy is everything at NewCampus! Motivated by the community, we personally connect with each colearner and keep our class attendance small to foster interaction and participation. We always accommodate for introverts and slow thinkers — making room for everyone to contribute.

Above and beyond lessons

Remus Lupin was a stand-up guy! He believed in second chances and even trusted Snape to brew him regular doses of Wolfsbane potion. He always carried chocolate around with him, just in case any student needed a pick-me-up after an encounter with a Dementor. He treated his students as an extended family and went beyond the call of his duty to give extra lessons to Harry to help him tackle dementors. And he was the first one to believe Sirius’ innocence and helped Black convince Harry, Hermione and Ron.

Like Remus, we believe that our colearners and class hosts are part of our NewCampus family. Be it involving them in helping us decide the curriculum, helping them make learning a habit, taking their feedback to build a better product, guiding them in their career or making introductions, our team is always striving to find more ways to help them live their best lives in an unknown future.

Learning from the student

At NewCampus, we are creating a learning ecosystem. Many of our colearners have become class hosts and our class hosts have attended other sessions as curious learners. Lupin too believed that teaching was not one-directional. He was truly a lifelong learner and was open-minded enough to learn one of his life’s biggest lessons from Harry — to embrace his true self. Lupin was unlike any typical teacher and didn’t stick strictly to hierarchy. He truly believed that his student was capable of saving the wizarding world and stood by Dumbledore’s last words to him — “Harry is the best hope we have. Trust him.”

If you are a Potterhead and are excited about joining a team of kindred spirits, check out our open roles here. Learn more about NewCampus here, sign up for our membership or come say hi at hey@newcampus.co ✨