Institute for Global Sustainable Development » IGSD News

IGSD (Assistant)Professor receives substantial research grant for BREATHE project

Mon, 13 Apr 2026 09:16:00 GMT

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 ��TV Launches 2026 ECR Sustainability Training Academy to Shape Global Planetary Solutions

Mon, 30 Mar 2026 11:08:06 GMT

The University of ��TV 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 ��TV’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 ��TV’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.

LSE Hosted Book Launch Exploring Resilience and Community in Central Eurasia

Fri, 20 Mar 2026 11:52:00 GMT

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.

UK and Belarusian Democratic Forces Convene High-Level Strategic Consultations in London

Wed, 11 Mar 2026 11:17:00 GMT

LONDON, March 9, 2026 – The UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) today hosted the Belarusian Democratic Forces for a series of high-level strategic consultations at King Charles Street. The meetings represent a deepening of the ongoing strategic dialogue between the United Kingdom and the representatives of the democratic movement led by Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya.

The consultations were led by Chris Allan, FCDO Director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia. The sessions were organized around four critical pillars of cooperation:

Politics and Economics: Focusing on diplomatic strategy and the economic resilience of the democratic movement.
Security: Addressing regional stability and security sector reforms for a future democratic Belarus.
Human Rights and Social Politics: Highlighting the plight of political prisoners and the ongoing struggle for civil liberties.
Culture, Diaspora, and Media: Strengthening the Belarusian national identity and supporting independent media and the diaspora community abroad.

These consultations build upon a partnership launched in 2025, aimed at ensuring Belarus remains a priority in the UK’s international policy. The discussions today included prominent Belarusian experts and civil society leaders, including Professor Elena Korosteleva from the University of ��TV.

Further information on UK support for Belarus can be found on the official FCDO website and the Office of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya.

📢 Reclaiming Resilience: Professor Elena Korosteleva on Overcoming Global Crises through Community

Wed, 11 Mar 2026 11:02:54 GMT

I am pleased to share a deep dive into my latest research, which challenges how we think about "resilience" in an increasingly complex world. In a recent interview with the Lithuanian National Broadcaster, I discussed why our current approach to global crises is failing. We often treat resilience as a "top-down" buzzword or a "quick fix," but in the era of the Anthropocene, true resilience is born from within communities—through self-organization, horizontal relations, and collective agency.

This theme is the heartbeat of my new book, Complexity and Community in International Relations: Nurturing Resilience in Central Eurasia (Oxford University Press). By moving "from personhood to peoplehood," the book explores how local knowledge and philosophies of living—from talaka to mahalla—can transform our understanding of governance and transformation when hit by crisis.

📰 Read the interview here: [https://www.lrt.lt/naujienos/lietuvoje/2/2863332/profesore-korosteleva-krizes-galime-iveikti-tik-susitelkdami-i-bendruomeniu-santykius]

#InternationalRelations #Resilience #Community #Anthropocene #NewBook #OxfordUniversityPress #GlobalGovernance #CentralEurasia

Belarus: Five Years On - special forum, preprint

Fri, 13 Feb 2026 11:39:00 GMT

Happy to report a preprint of my article 'Belarus: Five Years On' in the US Journal of Democratizatsiya - The Journal of Post-Soviet Democratisation, Special Forum with a focus on #Belarus then and now. I discuss whether the uprising of 2020 was just another short-lived revolt or if it marked the moment of irreversible #change in the history of #Belarus, which I call elsewhere a moment of people-forming (peoplehood). Belarus' active #civil #society demonstrates incredible #creativity in designing its own alternative futures, and this process is unstoppable.

HOPE: Alternative futures and broken worlds

Thu, 12 Feb 2026 17:34:33 GMT

On 11 February, Professor David Chandler kicked off the Sustainability Spotlight's first thematic event with his book talk on HOPE: Alternative Futures and Broken Worlds. The thematic event was part of the 'Radical Imaginaries - Radical Transformations' series of activities coordinated by Dr Marit Hammond (PAIS), Professors Graeme Macdonald (English) and Elena Korosteleva (IGSD). The discussion problematised the meaning of hope as an instrument of neoliberal thinking, to seek alternative understandings and develop radical imaginaries of alternative futures, The discussion will be continued by a workshop on 30 April, with external speakers and research network-building.

Carnegie Europe debate about Europe's engagement with Belarus hosts top-level experts

Thu, 29 Jan 2026 16:47:52 GMT

Carnegie Europe organised a higher-level discussion on the need for Europe to re-engage with Belarus. 10 experts, ranging from former Ambassadors, heads of think-tanks, and scholars, were invited to respond in 200 words to the question of engagement, and while there were nuances in responses, the general gist was a 'no' to engaging with dictators. This is reassuring, especially on the eve of the 4th anniversary of Russia's war against Ukraine: putting more pressure on dictators and being strategic in supporting opposition is the only way forward, as was argued by Professor Korosteleva.

Professor Korosteleva gives a keynote on Resilience in Berlin

Thu, 29 Jan 2026 14:49:44 GMT

I was delighted to give a keynote on my OUP book 'Complexity and Community in IR: Nurturing Resilience in Central Eurasia' to the KIU Competence Network of Interdisciplinary Ukrainian Studies, at Frankfurt (Order) in Berlin. While introducing some key concepts from the book - the VUCA-world, the Anthropocene, complexity-thinking and resilience - I drew a lot on my empirical work in the region, especially on Ukraine and Belarus, which was of interest and relevance to the PhD students (mostly from Ukraine) of this EU-funded network.

Thank you to Susann Worschecn, a Principle Coordinator of the network, for the invitation, and to the students- for so many questions you all had about resilience, Ukraine and the wider region.

Horizon Europe SHAPEDEM-EU Final Review with the European Commission

Tue, 20 Jan 2026 10:46:00 GMT

The Horizon Europe SHAPEDEM project concludes with its final review conference on 20 January 2026, with the European Commission. The consortium, comprising 12 partners from Germany, Denmark, Belgium, Italy, Lebanon, Poland, Spain, Ukraine, and the UK, represented by the University of ��TV, presented its work to the panel of evaluators. The project focused on assessing the understanding and practices of democracy in the eastern and southern neighbourhoods, as well as the EU support for democracy as a composite stakeholder. ��TV was responsible for undertaking work - fieldwork and analysis - in the six countries in the eastern neighbourhood (WP2), drawing on the results of online surveys, focus groups, interviews, and roundtables. WP2 specific outputs included 8 published, submited and projected publications.

It has been three challenging years of research, including overcoming the obstacles of BREXIT, Russia's ongoing war against Ukraine, Belarus civil war, Gaza war, and increasing geopolitical complexity around the globe. Yet, the project went beyond all expectations and has achieved a lot, including critiquing and offering specific recommendations to the EU on how best to support democracy efforts in around the globe. Team ��TV – including Anastasiia Kudlenko and Aijan Sharshenova – is grateful to the EU, UKRI and especially to the consortium and its leadership – for the support, and inspiration. Thank you!