Institute for Global Sustainable Development » IGSD News (tag [Research Impact])

University of Warwick Launches 2026 ECR Sustainability Training Academy to Shape Global Planetary Solutions

Mon, 30 Mar 2026 11:08:06 GMT

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 Official STA 2026 Event Page or the IGSD Training School Archive.

3 July 2025: Warwick Sustainability Forum

Thu, 03 Jul 2025 15:00:00 GMT

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.

Prof. Korosteleva publishes in International Studies Perspectives

Thu, 22 May 2025 19:44:00 GMT

This forum critically reflects on the democracy support agenda and its future in light of the wars in Gaza and Ukraine, the decline of Western political and normative dominance, and overall global democratic backsliding. It finds that these wars appear systemic in the sense that they sharpen already existing crises in world order. They have evidenced a structural weakness in the international liberal order (ILO) and also intensified practices of competitive norms promotion at the global level, with Russian norms promotion in particular scoring some successes in South America, North Africa, and Southeast Asia. Taken together, these phenomena have allowed autocratic tendencies to gain strength globally, from the Mediterranean to Southeast Asia to Europe and the Americas. At the same time, democracy is also becoming more locally and regionally driven and diverse and might thus possibly become more resilient. In this new world in the making, Western democracy supporters will need to respect the unique historical and cultural contexts that have shaped democracies around the world and become more humble, inclusive, and dialogic with non-Western democratic middle powers such as South Africa and Brazil.

The Unbroken Generation book launch at the UCL conference in London, 9 May 2025

Fri, 09 May 2025 07:47:00 GMT

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

Tue, 06 May 2025 13:48:00 GMT

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

ECR STA, 30 March-5 April 2025, at Warwick's Venice Centre has been a success!

Mon, 07 Apr 2025 16:20:00 GMT

Warwick's Sustainability Training Academy (STA) in Venice (WVC) has now come to a close, but what an event it was bringing together 21 ECRs from 13 countries, to share and develop their creative skills, and engage with critical theories and interdisciplinary methods! Blue skies, organic food from Sant'Erasmo farm, and new CA'Foscari friends; amazing cookies from Chiara at WVC and loads of pasta, pizza and aperol spritz - what else you could wish for!! All of these however was made so special and possible by the whole bunch of people and we at IGSD are indebted to them - Prof Harini Nagendra, Dr Bryan Brazeau, Dr Harriet Richmond, Dr Adela Glyn-Davies, Nargiz Ismayilova, Dr Anar Valiyev, and Dr Fariz Ismailzade!

We are also immensely fortunate to gather such a fantastic group of ECRs, and we hope to keep in touch with every single one of them! We are also grateful to our former ECR @TieazaSantos from NASA Open Science, for sharing NASA learning resources with us, and to everyone who made this STA a success, including the support from Warwick's Sustainability Spotlight and COP29 Scientific Council Azerbaijan. Watch the space for 2026!

Warwick’s Institute for Global Sustainable Development is training the next generation of global climate leaders.

Thu, 27 Mar 2025 15:30:00 GMT

Strategic Publication of the Key Concepts for the Future of the EU, published 3 March 2025

Mon, 03 Mar 2025 10:15:00 GMT

Professor Korosteleva was invited to contribute a piece on resilience to the strategic volume of Key Concepts for the Future of the EU, published by the Swedish Institute for European Policy Studies (SIEPS), 3 March 2025. The volume came together at the request of policy-makers, and covers key themes that the EU and global leadership will work with in 2025+, including geopolitics, resilience, security, democracy etc. It offers innovative and creative perspectives, to ensure that the challenges posited by complex geopolitics and the Anthropocene, are adequately considered, going forward. It is available for a free download.

Navruz celebrations UCL London, 22 February

Tue, 25 Feb 2025 12:15:00 GMT

Professor Korosteleva was invited by the Ambassador of Uzbekistan, H.E. Mr Ravshan Usmanov, to join the celebration of Naruz in London, on 22 February 2025. The event was organised by the UCL Uzbek and Kazakh Societies and the Central Asian Youth Alliance, held at Gordon Square, London, and hosted students, staff and dignitaries from Central Asia. Elena was delighted to find Warwick's students there too, represented on the photo. It was an important shocase of Central Asian tradition, music, dance, art, and cuisine.

FCDO Eastern Research Group Reception, 13 February 2025

Mon, 17 Feb 2025 14:29:44 GMT

Prof. Elena Korosteleva and Dr Paul Hansbury were invited to the reception organised by the FCDO in the Locarno Suite, for the experts and researchers supporting the FCDO activities. The reception was addressed by the Minister of State for Europe, North America and Overseas Territories, Stephen Doughty MP, who stressed the difficult geopolitical situation in the wider Europe, and the need for closer collaboration with academia and practitioners to address the challenges of peace and security in Ukraine especially.