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School for Cross-faculty Studies Global Sustainable Development

A summer of graduation celebrations

 

We have had a special summer on campus with graduation ceremonies returning in person for the first time in three years! We were very keen to invite our 2020 and 2021 GSD graduates back to campus for the 'Warwick Celebrates' events. These graduations were long overdue, postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. We also had the pleasure of welcoming our newest graduates to the GSD alumni community at our summer ceremony on Monday 18 July.

2020 and 2021 Graduations

It was wonderful to welcome our alumni back to campus to celebrate their achievements, hear what they have been up to since graduating, and reminisce about their time with us. Our 2020 and 2021 graduates had the chance to celebrate with (very!) warm weather, an impressive 'Igloo' for their ceremonies, followed by a festival on Windmill Hill involving street food, fairground rides, and photo opportunities. Take a look at the highlights from these ceremonies, including:

2022 Graduation Ceremony

This year, the University invited some familiar faces to address our newest graduates at their ceremonies. Our GSD Class of 2022 heard from Global Goals Project Manager Elaine Wong (Psychology and Global Sustainable Development, 2019). Elaine spoke about her top three lessons from her time at Warwick: resilience, how to think and learn, and the importance of being a good student and friend. Elaine closed her speech by urging the Class of 2022 "to dream and to dare".

Elaine stood at a podium at the Summer Graduation Ceremony, speaking to the Class of 2022

Above: Elaine speaking at the 2022 Graduation Ceremony

To continue the celebrations for our Class of 2022, we held an event after their graduation ceremony in the home of our department, the Ramphal Building. Between drinks and nibbles, we took the time to recognise the achievements of our students and the following prizes were presented by the Head of the School for Cross-faculty Studies, Professor Stéphanie Panichelli-Batalla; and our Director of Student Experience, Dr Gioia Panzarella:

Many congratulations Sophie, Šimon, and Virginia!

Virginia Thomas-Pickles receiving her award. Virginia is stood next to the Head of School and the Director of Student Experience

Above: Virginia Thomas-Pickles receiving the prize for Best Overall Mark.

"I was delighted to win the prize for Best Overall Mark. Throughout my degree in GSD, I have loved the varied assessments different modules provide and how they allow you to follow your own interests. For me, this included developing a framework for creating and maintaining greenspaces on the University of Warwick’s campus through to arguing the case for a pilot tidal energy project on the River Mersey. Winning this award would not have been possible without the guidance of module leaders and fellow students – so thank you and good luck for the future!"

Simon receiving his award. Simon is stood with the Head of School.

Above: Šimon Michalčík receiving the prize for the Best Dissertation.

"For my Creative Dissertation Project, a collection of fictional stories titled Generation Restoration, I chose to leverage my passion for ecosystem restoration to introduce inspiring hope into the gloomy futures of climate fiction. I'm thrilled and honoured that it won the Best Dissertation award. Such recognition gave me extra motivation to expand upon my work, which I hope to publish. It's also the invigorating proof that brainstorming 90% of time with three intense weeks of research and writing is a completely valid work approach. I'm beyond grateful for the support of my supervisor, Dr Jess Savage, who empowered me to do this."

Sophie receiving her award. Sophie is stood with the Head of School and Director of Student Experience.

Above: Sophie Kitching receiving the prize for Citizenship/Leadership Throughout the Years.

"I was excited and honoured to receive the GSD prize for Citizenship/Leadership. The disabled community at Warwick is really where I found my place, and I’ve had some amazing opportunities, including setting up and running the university’s first society for autistic students, getting elected as Disabled Students’ Officer, and establishing a mentoring programme for autistic school students. From sitting on committees and advocating for individual students, to speaking at conferences and delivering Continuing Professional Development (CPD) for teachers, it’s been a busy but exciting three years! There are so many dedicated and passionate disabled students and staff in the Warwick community, and I’m really proud of the work we’ve done together."

We had a difficult decision to make when deciding the winner of the Citizenship/Leadership Throughout the Years Award, and nominations included:

  • Szebasztián Csernik-Tihn, Beth Taylor, and Norman Wan for their exceptional commitment to their Student-Staff Liaison Committee (SSLC) Course Representative roles since their first year; and
  • Lucía Tenorio Rodríguez for her leadership as Chair of the SSLC and her commendable work of liaison between the student body and the department as a member of the GSD Staff Meeting and the Undergraduate Studies Committee.
Lucia is stood listening to her nomination.

Above: Lucía Tenorio Rodríguez (left)

Beth Taylor and Szeb receiving their nomination, stood with the Head of School and Director of Student Experience.

Above: Beth Taylor and Szebasztián Csernik-Tihn

Virtual yearbook

Staff and students have been adding messages to the GSD Virtual Yearbook. If you are a Class of 2022 graduate we encourage you to get involved! You can submit your message and photo here.

If you are a 2020 or 2021 graduate, it's not too late to leave a message in your yearbook:

Staying in touch

GSD graduates, please remember to register on warwickgrad.net so that we can keep in touch with you. In addition, you can: