WEBVTT Kind: captions Language: en-GB 00:00:11.600 --> 00:00:12.600 When we're looking 00:00:12.600 --> 00:00:15.520 at addressing complex problems in the world, 00:00:16.360 --> 00:00:18.840 I always remembered this quote from Ban Ki-moon 00:00:18.880 --> 00:00:22.960 who said We need to stop working in silos and we need to make sure 00:00:23.000 --> 00:00:26.360 that if we want to make a difference, we approach things in a different way. 00:00:26.920 --> 00:00:28.680 So the way we work in GSD 00:00:28.720 --> 00:00:32.440 is that we have members of staff that are coming from very different disciplines. 00:00:32.480 --> 00:00:36.880 But we also constantly work with people from the private sector, 00:00:36.920 --> 00:00:40.040 from the local governments, from NGOs, for example. 00:00:40.800 --> 00:00:45.400 People often ask us why we've chosen the MASc as they award, and it is quite unusual. 00:00:45.440 --> 00:00:49.360 We're only one of two institutions in the UK at the moment that offers it. 00:00:49.560 --> 00:00:52.400 But we've got to remember that the global challenges framework 00:00:52.440 --> 00:00:55.720 says that we need to think about how we can encourage interdisciplinarity. 00:00:55.760 --> 00:01:00.640 So the MASc by bringing together the arts and humanities and social sciences 00:01:00.680 --> 00:01:04.200 and the natural sciences is really embodying 00:01:04.240 --> 00:01:07.560 the fact that we're trying to connect all of those fields together. 00:01:07.840 --> 00:01:11.480 We've got a really unique approach to teaching and learning on this course. 00:01:11.520 --> 00:01:15.280 So we want our students to focus on real world problems 00:01:15.320 --> 00:01:18.760 and thinking about how they can help to solve those problems. 00:01:19.040 --> 00:01:22.800 And that involves very practical thinking, very pragmatic approaches. 00:01:22.840 --> 00:01:25.960 But we also insist on a very strong, critical 00:01:26.000 --> 00:01:29.840 and philosophically self-reflective approach to learning as well. 00:01:29.880 --> 00:01:33.560 And we encourage that kind of approach so that our students will emerge 00:01:33.600 --> 00:01:37.200 as real thought leaders in the context of sustainable development. 00:01:37.600 --> 00:01:41.880 So a really important part of our program as well is the rather unique capstone projects 00:01:41.920 --> 00:01:45.720 that students can undertake, which will be in term three and then over the summer. 00:01:45.760 --> 00:01:47.480 So we've got three routes. 00:01:47.480 --> 00:01:51.800 The first route is a more traditional academic output 00:01:51.840 --> 00:01:54.880 where you write an extended academic dissertation. 00:01:55.600 --> 00:01:58.320 But we also have another option where people can do 00:01:58.760 --> 00:02:04.520 a practice led output so they might focus not just on an extended piece of writing, but also 00:02:04.560 --> 00:02:08.120 on delivering that as a policy report or something 00:02:08.160 --> 00:02:11.040 that has a real world application in a workplace. 00:02:11.200 --> 00:02:14.800 The third option that we have is to have a work placement 00:02:15.480 --> 00:02:18.960 and this will be supported by our placements officer, but it could also 00:02:19.000 --> 00:02:23.320 take place in an employer that you already know, or perhaps you're already working with them. 00:02:23.640 --> 00:02:27.400 And it's a time to reflect on an element of your practice 00:02:27.440 --> 00:02:31.000 or an element of policy within the organization that you're working with. 00:02:31.360 --> 00:02:34.200 And hopefully that would be a very good opportunity for people 00:02:34.240 --> 00:02:38.880 to use the program in a very focused way to help their career development. 00:02:39.000 --> 00:02:44.400 So my role is to provide employability support to our post-grad students in supporting them 00:02:44.440 --> 00:02:48.360 to develop their professional skills throughout their study program. 00:02:48.560 --> 00:02:53.080 The support that I will be providing is a one-to-one advice and guidance on any matters 00:02:53.120 --> 00:02:54.800 related to employability. 00:02:54.840 --> 00:02:57.480 I will also be delivering employability skills sessions 00:02:57.520 --> 00:02:59.720 to support their professional development. 00:02:59.760 --> 00:03:05.320 Along with that, the students will get access to employers that I'll be building connections with. 00:03:05.480 --> 00:03:10.880 Will students from the GSD degree program can actually go into a number of different careers 00:03:11.280 --> 00:03:14.800 and this can be anything from advocacy work. 00:03:14.840 --> 00:03:18.320 So international relations, for example, it could be in governance 00:03:18.360 --> 00:03:21.920 or policy shaping, to in the education sector, 00:03:22.240 --> 00:03:26.800 and that could be at different levels of secondary right through to university level. 00:03:27.160 --> 00:03:32.760 They can also go into research, so perhaps working for think tanks or even in academia, 00:03:33.040 --> 00:03:37.760 but there are a number of different career paths that are open to GSD students. 00:03:37.920 --> 00:03:41.520 It really, really does depend on what their interest is. 00:03:41.560 --> 00:03:46.800 And again, I'm here to support them in helping them to identify that. 00:03:46.800 --> 00:03:51.120 In GSD, I think we can say we are a community of change makers 00:03:51.160 --> 00:03:53.880 and this applies to both our staff and our students 00:03:54.320 --> 00:03:59.360 Our staff are involved with research projects, which really intend to make a difference 00:03:59.400 --> 00:04:04.040 to current issues and the big global challenges that the world is facing today, 00:04:04.080 --> 00:04:07.720 But our students are also very much similar to us. 00:04:07.960 --> 00:04:12.000 So we attract students who are passionate about making the world a better place and 00:04:12.040 --> 00:04:15.080 about protecting our environment and about reducing inequalities.