Summer School

The STEPS Summer School on Pathways to Sustainability takes place every year over two weeks in May.

Applications for the 2019 summer school will open in October. To be notified, subscribe to our email newsletter.

Materials from 2018:

About the Summer School

The Summer School brings together highly-motivated doctoral and postdoctoral researchers, working in fields around development studies, science and technology studies, innovation and policy studies, and across agricultural, health, urban, water or energy issues. The aim is to explore theories, ideas, research methods and practical applications of STEPS thinking on pathways to sustainability.

The venue is the Institute of Development Studies at the University of Sussex, near Brighton, UK. Through a mix of lectures, walks, discussions and public events, participants challenge the STEPS team and each other on questions of science, society and development. The school has run since 2012 with the generous support of the ESRC, IDRC and UKIERI. The fee is £1000 GBP – some scholarships are available.

STEPS Annual Lecture: 14 May 2018

The economist Kate Raworth, author of the bestselling book Doughnut Economics, gave the 2018 STEPS Annual Lecture at the University of Sussex.

Free online course: Pathways to Sustainability

Our STEPS Learning website includes a free online course on Pathways to Sustainability, based on the Summer School. It includes selected reading lists, plus video lectures recorded during the 2015 and 2016 Summer Schools in Brighton.

Visit the STEPS Learning site

Testimonials

“A great experience to open up your ways of thinking, grow as a researcher and have fantastic conversations about research, life and everything in between.” 2018 participant

“A great way to expand your network as a PhD student and find like-minded people who I hope to keep in touch with and work with the future.” 2017 participant

“I can honestly say it has been the best 2 weeks of the PhD so far. To be in such an amazing, supportive and inspiring group has been fantastic” 2016 participant

“Wonderful opportunity. A fantastic group of participants, and the very knowledgable faculty treated us as colleagues on this journey towards sustainable pathways together.” 2014 participant

“Beautiful to have 24 nations in the same room thinking and discussing global to local issues!” 2013 participant

“I liked the fact that it really was an open space in which everyone’s (teachers AND students) ideas and experiences could be shared and critically engaged with.”  2012 participant

How it works

The Institute of Development Studies (IDS) is the main venue. IDS is on the edge of the Sussex University campus, set in the middle of rolling countryside but with good transport links to Brighton.

The programme includes lectures and discussions, ‘walkshops’ – longer discussions held on walks through the surrounding area – and social events. The Summer School also includes some time in smaller groups, where participants get to reflect and discuss their own work, led and mentored by members of the STEPS Centre.

The discussion in these groups goes towards a mini-conference, planned and run by participants themselves, with support from the STEPS team.

Materials from past summer schools

Public lectures

Each year, the Summer School includes a public lecture open to a wider audience.

Other materials

Summer school 2018

SUMMER SCHOOL 2017

Summer School 2016

Summer School 2015

Summer School 2014

Summer School 2013

Summer School 2012