Institute of Development Studies

Convenor of IDS's MA in Science, Society and Development welcomes the new summer school on pathways to sustainability

15 December 2011 - Jim Sumberg

As course convenor of the Masters programme that explores issues of sustainability and development, the MA Science, Society and Development, I'm really pleased to see a new Summer School for doctoral and postdoctoral researchers on pathways to sustainability.

Researchers in many fields come through MA courses at the Institute of Development Studies where they are given a grounding in the important issues the summer school will address; issues such as the politics of sustainability, understanding uncertainty and risk, and the global governance of science and technology.

As well as deepening students' knowledge of key development issues we prepare them to go on to further research. Our close partnership with the STEPS Centre plays a central role in that mission. An interdisciplinary global research and policy engagement hub, funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), the STEPS Centre will host the international Summer School from 14 - 25 May 2012.

Applications are welcome from doctoral and postdoctoral researchers working in fields around development studies, science and technology studies, innovation and policy studies, and across agricultural, health, water or energy issues.

Increasingly, international development professionals need to demonstrate an ongoing commitment to learning. A Masters programme, such as the MA in Science, Society and Development, taken after two or three years of work experience, provides the opportunity for students to take time away from their immediate job roles to question the wider implications of issues they are dealing with every day. Our students return to their careers with real knowledge about key issues such as sustainability, and many of them continue with further study.

New initiatives, such as the STEPS Summer School for doctoral and postdoctoral researchers, really strengthen the international network of IDS, bringing together new ideas and practices in the area of sustainability.

Further Information

International development professionals who need to return to education at MA level can find more details on the MA Science, Society and Development.

Application details and further information on the STEPS Centre Summer School