News
Global Sustainable Development Read more from Global Sustainable Development News
My experiences as an autistic student: Ruhi’s Story
The School for Cross-faculty Studies at the University of Warwick is proud to be part of a diverse and inclusive community of staff and students. Our community includes many neurodivergent individuals across the spectrum, whose different perspectives, strengths, and ways of thinking enrich our learning environment and strengthen the collaborative work we do. To mark Neurodiversity Celebration Week, we spoke to one of these neurodivergent community members Ruhi - a first year GSD and Life Sciences student - about living with autism, and how the Higher Education sector still has a way to go to support neurodivergent individuals.
Click here to read Ruhi's story
GSD PhD student presents paper on human trafficking at Criminology Conference
A PhD candidate within our GSD doctoral programme recently presented a paper discussing the ethical and methodological challenges of her research at the Annual Western Society of Criminology Conference, which was held from 5–7 February 2026 in Denver, Colorado.
Click here to read more.
IGSD Professor invited to launch Oxford University Press book internationally
Professor Elena Korosteleva, Director of the Institute for Global Sustainable Development (IGSD), has been invited to launch her highly acclaimed book Complexity and Community in International Relations: Nurturing Resilience in Central Eurasia, published by Oxford University Press in December 2025, internationally.
Click here to read more.
Institute for Global Sustainable Development Read more from IGSD News
IGSD (Assistant)Professor receives substantial research grant for BREATHE project
Dr Hita Unnikrishnan has been awarded a substantial research grant by the British Academy following their International Interdisciplinary Research Projects Awards 2026.
Dr Unnikrishnan, an assistant professor within IGSD, received almost £300,000 towards her research project titled ‘Building Resilience through Equitable Action on Temperature, Heat, and indoor Emissions’ (BREATHE), which is being co-investigated by Dr Lavanya Suresh (Birla Institute of Technology and Science), Dr Manik Gupta (Birla Institute of Technology and Science) and Dr Deepshikha Batheja (One Health Trust).
The BREATHE project, which will be carried out over a period of two years, aims to investigate how historical and intersectional inequalities influence differential experiences of heat stress and indoor air pollution (IAP) among members of peri-urban households within the global south.
Working on the hypothesis that women and vulnerable family members within patriarchally-structured households are more likely to suffer from higher rates of heat stress and IAP (due to factors such as more time spent within the home and exposure to unclean cooking fuels), Dr Unnikrishnan and her co-investigators will be combining historical research with large household surveys, satellite data analysis and machine learning models in the Bidar and Chikkaballapur districts of south Indian Karnataka. The project will be pivotal to understanding existing barriers regarding equitable health outcomes and the gendered considerations of climate impact, demonstrating the social and health implications of global sustainability that our School’s research division works tirelessly to raise awareness of.
We congratulate Dr Unnikrishnan on her outstanding achievement. Watch this space for more updates on this project to come!
University of Warwick Launches 2026 ECR Sustainability Training Academy to Shape Global Planetary Solutions
The University of Warwick proudly launched the Early Career Researcher Sustainability Training Academy 2026 (ECR STA 2026), 24-27March, 2026. This flagship initiative, organized by the Institute for Global Sustainable Development (IGSD) in collaboration with the University’s Sustainability Spotlight and Society and Culture Spotlight, aims to empower the next generation of transdisciplinary leaders. The 2026 Academy brings together 20 of Warwick’s most innovative postgraduate and early career researchers (ECRs) for an intensive four-day programme. Building on the success of previous iterations in Venice (2025) and the global STS (2023 and 2024), this year’s academy focuses on critical interdisciplinary concepts, innovative methodologies, and creative reflections "beyond the Self."
The ECR STA 2026 continues Warwick’s commitment to global partnerships, supported by alliances such as EUTOPIA, GUILD, Monash Alliance, and UN SDSN UK. By pioneering new ways of training, the University remains at the forefront of driving just and equitable transitions toward a more resilient future.
For more information on the ECR STA 2026 and the Institute for Global Sustainable Development, please visit the
LSE Hosted Book Launch Exploring Resilience and Community in Central Eurasia
The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) Department of International Relations, in collaboration with the European Foreign Policy Unit, hosted Professor Elena Korosteleva’s latest book launch, Complexity and Community in International Relations: Nurturing Resilience in Central Eurasia.
The event centered on Professor Korosteleva’s innovative research, which challenges traditional "top-down" policy approaches to resilience. By examining communities across Belarus, Ukraine, the South Caucasus, and Central Asia, the book revealed how social memory, centuries-old traditions, and deep-rooted cultural ideas serve as vital lifelines in the face of poverty, climate emergencies, and the ravages of war. "Rather than treating resilience as a mere policy tool, this study reframes it as a complex, communal process of identity and political agency," says Korosteleva. "It offers a lesson for all social and political actors globally as we navigate the uncertainties of the Anthropocene."
The panel was chaired by Prof. Federica Bicchi (LSE) and discussants included:
- David Chandler: Professor of International Relations at the University of Westminster and Editor of the journal Anthropocenes.
- Emilian Kavalski: Professor of International Relations at Tampere University, Finland
- Teona Giuashvili: DINAM Fellow at the LSE Department of International Relations and former Georgian diplomat.
The discussion was recorded as a podcast, and the link will be available shortly for further information.
Liberal Arts Read more from Liberal Arts News
How Liberal Arts got me to where I am: Frances’ story
Our Liberal Arts programme equips students with the essential skills valued by employers across diverse industries, as demonstrated by the wide range of careers our graduates pursue. Frances joined our first ever cohort of Liberal Arts students in 2016, and her final dissertation on improving sustainability in healthcare helped towards securing her role as a Net Zero Strategy Analyst for NHS England. We caught up with Frances to recount more of her experiences as an undergraduate, and how she believes a 2,000-year-old discipline like Liberal Arts is still relevant for helping students develop skills sought out by modern employers.
Click here to read Frances' story
Beyond the Classroom: Revolution and the Modern Musical
In our ‘Beyond the Classroom’ interview series, we speak to our Liberal Arts module convenors to reveal the deeper purpose and vision behind their academic modules. In our first entry to the series, we spoke to Dr William Rupp about his module Do you hear the people sing? Revolution and the Modern Musical.
Click here to read more.
Welcoming Dr Camilo Uribe Botta as Teaching Fellow in Liberal Arts
Dr Uribe Botta is an environmental historian whose work is deeply interdisciplinary, bridging history, cultural studies, and the material world. He specialises in the role of plants — particularly orchids — as actors in global and colonial history.
Click here to read more.