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.

Dr Feng Mao attended the GlobalGoals2024 conference, held in Utrecht, the Netherlands, from 28 to 30 August 2024. The conference provided a platform for discussing and debating the future of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). During the conference, Dr Mao delivered a talk on the potential of serious games in supporting the achievement of the SDGs. While serious games can help address individual goals, we should leverage the power of games to explore alternative mechanisms and innovative approaches that drive meaningful transformations in SDG implementation and governance beyond 2030. By capitalising on their strengths in promoting participation, co-creation, envisioning, and social simulation, serious games offer a promising opportunity to play a critical role in advancing these global goals.

Professor Korosteleva and Dr Hansbury represented the WUB-hub on 28 August at the Foreign Office London when briefing a new Head of Mission appointed for Belarus. During the roundtable inter alia the issues of democratic political structures, foreign policy, and civil society developments were discussed.

Dr Pitidis attended the RGS-IBG Annual International Conference which took place in London between 27-30 August. This year's theme of the conference was mapping and Vangelis presented his work on 'Dialogical participatory mapping as a method for creating alternative urban visions' under the session (Counter)Mapping and spatial representation of disaster risk, summarising the work he has led and participated in in Europe and Latin America during the last 5 years.

Dr Aijan SharshenovaLink opens in a new window, IGSD Research Fellow (SHAPEDEM-EULink opens in a new window Project team), presented her co-authored research project on the prospects of introducing carbon pricing as a climate change mitigation mechanism in the Kyrgyz Republic, a developing landlocked nation in Central Asia. Dr. Sharshenova partnered with environmental economist and Harvard University Fellow Dr. Rahat SabyrbekovLink opens in a new window to develop this policy-relevant study. The 8th CAREC Think Tank Development Forum "The climate challenge: Thinking beyond borders for collective action" brought together researchers, international financial institutions and national policy makers to discuss practical solutions to climate change in Asia.