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.
Warwick's Health Innovation Networking event: 14 January 2025
Prof. Korosteleva was invited to join the Warwick Health Innovation networking event, which involved members of Warwick Medical School and Life Sciences, and any other research centres across the university with focus on health. The meeting presented fantastic show-and-tell opportunities to learn about various initiatives across Warwick, and ways to collaborate and engage in the future, including via various funding initiatives.
Profs. Roberta Bivins and Elena Korosteleva meet SLS staff to discuss spotlight opportunities
On 16 October Professor Roberta Bivins and Professor Elena Korosteleva, representing the Health and Sustainability spotlights respectively, were invited to the Warwick Medical School and the School of Life Sciences to discuss the opportunities for engagement and interdisciplinary synergy building. They highlighted the possibilities for interdisciplinary funding, impact and visibility growth, as well as for connecting and training ECRs for more interdisciplinary futures. Prof. Korosteleva drew attention to the launch of ECR Training Academy for Sustainable Futures in November at COP29 in Azerbaijan, Warwick Climate Governance and Policy Network as the ROAD to COP30, and Cross-Spotlight forum in July 2025. Watch the space!
IGSD and Sustainability Spotlight hosted an Azerbaijani representative from the COP29 Scientific Council
New Spotlight Learning Circle to Boost Interdisciplinary Funding Bids
WESIC and the Sustainability Spotlight organised the first learning circle to empower researchers at all career stages in developing interdisciplinary research projects. Dr. Ludovica Gazze from the Department of Economics shared insights into the development of the 'ECLIPS' project, a cross-disciplinary collaboration submitted to the UKRI cross research council responsive mode pilot.
The workshop also featured networking opportunities, discussions on potential project ideas, and a chance to form project teams.