¹û¶³´«Ã½

Great news: ¹û¶³´«Ã½â€™s Global Sustainable Development (GSD) course is now officially accredited by the Institute for Environmental Management and Assessment ()! This means our GSD students will graduate with a professionally-recognised 'GradIEMA' suffix, cementing their place in the next generation of sustainability leaders.  

To celebrate, we spoke with the GSD team to find out more about this exciting course and its new accreditation – here are five things you might not know… 

1. ¹û¶³´«Ã½â€™s Global Sustainable Development (GSD) course was the first of its kind in the UK 

"Unofficially, sustainable development wasn’t taught in the UK at undergraduate level before ¹û¶³´«Ã½ began offering GSD courses back in 2017," says Jonathan Clarke, Senior Teaching Fellow, Deputy Director of Graduate Studies. "The course has grown rapidly in the last few years to include both postgraduate and PhD offerings." 

2. There are more than 400 students on ¹û¶³´«Ã½â€™s GSD courses 

"Our students are passionate, determined and enthusiastic," says the GSD team. "They recognise the importance of making a practical difference and are actively involved in projects and campaigns on campus and in our communities."

Hollie, a BASc Politics, International Studies and GSD graduate, believes that her time spent studying GSD at ¹û¶³´«Ã½ made her more of an optimist in tackling global challenges – a skill she was able to use when she began an internship at a large organisation. "It’s been fantastic to draw links between my research at ¹û¶³´«Ã½ and working for real-world change," she explains. 

3. Students aren’t just learning – they’re leading! 

GSD students are at the forefront of ¹û¶³´«Ã½â€™s climate-led initiatives – in 2019, a successful campaign by GSD students led to the University announcing a climate emergency, with Provost Chris Ennew at the helm. And ¹û¶³´«Ã½ Cup, a reusable cup-sharing system on campus, was co-founded by three final-year GSD students.

4. GSD students are now eligible for IEMA student membership

The Institute for Environmental Management and Assessment (IEMA) is the global professional body for individuals and organisations working, studying or interested in the environment and sustainability – and ¹û¶³´«Ã½â€™s GSD course has now acquired accreditation by the IEMA. This means that ¹û¶³´«Ã½â€™s GSD students receive a professionally-recognised level of knowledge and skill and will qualify for Graduate Membership on graduation, earning the suffix of 'GradIEMA'.  

5. GSD’s links with the wider industry are growing month-by-month

"For GSD courses, IEMA accreditation is an important step in our development as the UK’s foremost course in undergraduate sustainability. We hope to further our relationship with IEMA, but we also see many opportunities for further engagement with environmental and sustainability professions and practitioners – these include talks, conferences and work placements," explains Jonathan.