IGSD News
3 July 2025: Warwick Sustainability Forum
In its second iteration, the Warwick Sustainability Forum (WSF) brought together a passionate community of researchers with a focus on sustainability across and beyond Warwick, to collectively plan our actions towards addressing global planetary challenges in 2025/26, and to discuss the next BIG ISSUES for the sustainability agenda, regionally, nationally and internationally. The WSF was attended by nearly 60 researchers from across all Faculties representing many disciplines, to:
- To report on the Sustainability Spotlight KPIs for 2024/25 premised on Sustainability Spotlight Report 2024: Time to Talk.
- To take stock of new ideas and priorities for the Sustainability Spotlight 2025/26, and identify champions to lead them
- To collectively discuss the NEXT BIG ISSUES for sustainability for the UK and globally, in conversation with a higher-level roundtable.
- To develop an Action Plan for 2025/26 – for finalisation in September 2025
The Sustainability Spotlights leads reported about the year's activities, challenges and achievements. Their presentations were continued with reflection and action sessions, planning 2025/26. The WSF also involved external stakeholders, including from partner universities in Uzbekistan (Akram Umarov UWED), Azerbaijan (Nargiz Ismayilova, ADA University) and India (Seema Mundoli, Azim Premji University), to shape the next year's agenda together. It concluded with a high-level roundtable, masterfully chaired by Stuart Coles (WMG), to discuss the next BIG Issues of the sustainability agenda, locally and globally. The speakers included Lord Teverson, Dr Kathryn Magnay (EPSRC), Fajli BIB (GSI), Julie Walden (E.ON), Margot James (Coventry Climate Change Board), and Muneeba Amjad (Warwick SU). Thereafter people continued their conversations and networking on a FAB terrace, enjoying beautiful weather and wine reception!
The WSF will produce a ‘From reflection to action’ report 2024/25, outline ideas for the 2025/26 Action Plan and identify champions for 2025/26 (to become new members of the Steering Group). We conclude this year's forum on a positive note, with a high appraisal from the University Review Board, and a lot of achievements to celebrate. We look forward to the next year, and thank all those who got involved with us this year - especially Sustainability Steering Group members! - Sustainability Professional Support Team - Cher Zou and Tanya Liguori - and our Facilitation team - Christine Bell and Amelia Wakeford.
For more information please visit the WSF page here.
Dr Pitidis attends the European Urban Resilience Forum 2025
Dr. Vangelis Pitidis attended the European Urban Resilience Forum (EURESFO) 2025, in Rotterdam from 25–27 June. As a leading expert in urban resilience and territorial governance, with experience in leading project in Latin America, Africa and particularly Europe, Dr Pitidis had a chance to meet city representatives, academics and other urban practitioners and discuss teh progress of urban resilience as well as the that need to be addressed in order to consolidate and promote it aross Europe. Hi attendance provided a strategic opportunity to strengthen IGSD’s presence within key European policy networks, such as the ones represented in EURESFO 2025, jointly organised by ICLEI Europe and the European Environment Agency. The event has been truly informative, including keynote speeches, mobile workshops and knowledge exchange events and has been a a great success!
3 June 2025: 'Manufacturing and Circular Economy' conference organised by IGSD, WBS, and WMG was a great success!
Warwick’s Sustainability Spotlight, in partnership with WMG, WBS, and IGSD delivered a dynamic workshop at The Shard, London. Themed as 'Manufacturing and Circular Economy', the event brought together leaders from industry, businesses, academia, and policy to explore practical solutions for circular economy and sustainable manufacturing in a rapidly changing global context. The workshop was designed to foster open dialogue, shared learning, and actionable outcomes. Through a structured series of conversations, attendees shared insights and examples of best practice, creating space for collaboration across sectors and disciplines. Delegates were encouraged to take away tangible strategies - as part of the CE TOOLKIT, fostered by Warwick - that could be applied immediately in their own organisations and communities.
The workshop attracted over 80 participants, and spotlighted Warwick's research and impact leadership in CE, business sustainability and manufacturing. The event has an open padlet for anyone who wishes to contribute their thoughts further. It will produce a report and a series of policy recommendations for the government CE TASK Force, to encourage further thinking about how to put CE to practice.
The organisers are very grateful to the Sustainability Spotlight Professional Support Team, and to Christine Bell from the Facilitation Centre.
The Unbroken Generation book launch at the UCL conference in London, 9 May 2025
The WUB-hub project organised a book launch in London as part of the annual conference of Belarusian Studies in the XXI century. The book The Unbroken Generation: Youth Voices of Belarus 2020, a collection of student essays describing their experiences of being imprisoned during Belarus's political protests in 2020, was presented by Professor Elena Korosteleva, along with with Dr Paul Hanbury, Yahor Azarkevich and Ihar Ivanou, from Skaryna Press. The volume edited by Professors Victor Shadurski and Elena Korosteleva, was supported financially by the WUB-hub project, and was warmly received at the conference.
Details of the book can been found on the Skaryna Press website here. You can also download a free PDF version from the publisher's website.
Research Celebration 2025: congratulations to Prof. Elena Korosteleva and Dr Paul Hansbury
Warwick Research Culture: Research Celebration 2025 – Congratulations to Professor Elena Korosteleva and Dr Paul Hansbury
Elena and Paul have been honoured with a “Highly Commended” award for establishing the Warwick Ukraine-Belarus Hub, which employs interdisciplinary insights to advance policy recommendations and support stakeholder interaction. Under Elena’s and Paul's leadership, the Hub has improved understanding of Belarus-Ukraine relations through higher-level webinars, targeted policy briefs, podcasts, film screenings and debates, and two international conferences at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) Whitehall. The WUB-hub also raised awareness and offered policy advice to the UK FCDO, the EU institutions (EEAS, EU Parliament and Commission), NATO PPD, and established collaborations towards the European Belarus Forum, and its key stakeholders.
Further details here: Warwick Research Celebration 2025 Winners