James McGregor, Chief Sustainability Innovator and Founder of the Blue Tribe Company, (Dec. 9, 2019)One thing that really attracted me to the programme was the international cohort which had people from all over the world coming together, looking at similar problems. I was looking for that interconnectivity.
On reflection, it was one of the best programmes that I have ever done, on two levels. Firstly, we had a diverse group of people, with backgrounds in banking, journalism, technology and telecoms, for example, sitting alongside property developers, sustainability practitioners and business owners. Through their different perspectives, I saw the same problems but different ways to tackle them, which was so uplifting and energising. For example, I learned a lot about investment banking through one of my team members in the group project and this allowed me to better understand how to better craft investment proposals that aligned with the sustainability drivers and challenges in the banking sector.
Secondly, my tutor’s expertise was in innovation, which is the space I was working in, and through the case studies and examples they gave me, I was able to adapt these ideas to fit with my job and, ultimately, my new business. The tutors really helped to influence my thinking.
Insights into cutting edge theory, dissected with academic rigour, allowed me to see sustainability issues in different ways. This helped me form new ideas and approaches to the subject. As an engineer, I started from a technical solutions perspective but the course honed my ability to see things at a systems level.
Ana Holden-Peters, Sustainability Lead at Bakkafrost, (Feb. 20, 2019)After enrolling at CISL, the world-class teaching really inspired me. It enabled me to think about my own role and the relevant, cutting edge content reconnected me to the purpose of my work. I took inspiration from my time there and really valued working alongside like-minded people from very different disciplines and cultures. The group work was really challenging but also a wonderful learning opportunity, as I was able to explore new topics and connect with a diverse team whose skill sets were complementary.
There was a strong focus on leadership and where our own individual strengths lay. I recall that one lecture really helped cement my thinking after I was asked to think about my values and what type of leader I wanted to be.
The programme allowed me to take stock of the areas that really interested me and to understand where I could have the strongest impact. In fact, it had such an effect that it was the catalyst that led me to take the bold step of deciding that I needed to pursue a different career path.
From the very beginning of the course I had, what I now consider to be, profound experiences. One of the very first workshops made me question my career direction. There was a dawning realisation that I had a big opportunity to increase the impact of my work. The power of the learning I experienced helped me develop both professionally and personally.
Helen McTaggart, Senior Sustainability Manager at Amazon, (Oct. 30, 2018)When I got started on the CISL Postgraduate Certificate I had already worked in sustainability for some time, but I was hungry to add more theoretical depth and rigour to my practical knowledge. I started my career as a sustainability generalist, before narrowing to a more specialist role, so I was also interested to use the course as an opportunity to update my knowledge on a broader range of topics.
During the course, I loved the depth that the assignments provided. I was working for Marks and Spencer at the time, and my personal project focussed on interventions food retailers could make for gender empowerment in agricultural supply chains. I went on to apply my research in practice as part of Marks and Spencer’s human rights program. My group assignment explored Sustainable Development Goal 17.1 on public, private and civil society partnerships, through two case studies on youth development, and on living wages within the tea sector.
While I enjoyed the depth of my assignments, I equally loved the breadth of the taught aspects of the course: it was such a privilege to step out of the weeds of project delivery, and to sit back and absorb thought-provoking lectures delivered by world-experts on climate risk, natural capital, and leadership for change, amongst other topics.