PhD researchers lead the conversation at first sustainable transitions conference

PhD students championing sustainability through their research came together to mark a year since the launch of a major training programme.

Students presented early findings from their interdisciplinary research on topics including plastic waste, degrowth and human rights, climate misinformation, ecological grief and the environmental impacts of antifouling paints.

The conference was held to mark the first year of the Leverhulme Sustainable Transitions Doctoral Training Programme and celebrated the breadth and critical depth of work emerging from it.

The event also welcomed two distinguished keynote speakers, Dr Michaela Schratzberger (Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science) and Professor Veronica Strang (University of Oxford), who spoke about the challenges and opportunities of working across academic boundaries to tackle global environmental issues.

Day Two offered a collaborative forum for University of Essex academics to reflect on interdisciplinary working, with speakers sharing experiences from law, sociology, government, life sciences, and business.

Essex Law School's Dr Stephen Turner, Programme Leader, said: "We want to thank everybody that participated in the event and especially our keynote speakers and all the colleagues involved in bringing it together and making it such a success."

The conference marked a key milestone in building an intellectual community committed to addressing complex sustainability challenges through critical, interdisciplinary engagement.