The interdisciplinary course brought together 22 PhD students to critically examine how global supply chains are shaping our planet’s future.
Over three intensive days of lectures, seminars, peer discussions, and research presentations, participants engaged directly with pressing global challenges – from food systems to energy transitions – while exploring sustainability as a site of political, social, and ecological contestation.
Along the way, they broadened their academic horizons, collaborated with leading scholars, and built a vibrant community of early-career researchers.
– The interdisciplinarity of the course really stood out to me, noted Malmö University’s Joel Agbesinyale, whose doctoral research focuses on the politics on mineral extraction in Ghana.
He lauded the vitality and depth of course discussions, which spanned a diverse array of geographies and disciplines.
– I was surprised about how freely we could have uncomfortable conversations, he added.
Valuable collaboration
Fellow participant Juan Samper, from Lund University, echoed Agbesinyale’s sentiments.
– It was humbling to be in such an interdisciplinary environment. It confirmed how important it is to pay attention to other disciplines, methods, and theories.
For both Samper and Agbesinyale, it was clear the lessons, networks, and friendships gained through the course will endure as they embark on their academic careers.
– It’s important to keep these conversations going, Agbesinyale reflected. Samper agreed, emphasizing how the course reinforced his view that PhD research is best done collaboratively.
– Alone we’re too limited, he asserted.
–This was a course structured by people working together.
Read more about the course here. It is part of Centre for Global Sustainability's broader portfolio of educational offerings tailored to ambitious PhD students researching the world’s most pressing sustainability issues.