Category: Students (Page 2 of 13)

Student experience volunteering at the London Student Sustainability Conference 2023

This guest blog post was written by Elisabeth Möhlenkamp, first-year English Law and German Law student at King’s College London and volunteer at LSSC23.


LSSC23 student volunteers from various universities.

This year’s annual London Student Sustainability Conference (LSSC) was a collaboration between ten of London’s universities, offering a space for student-led talks, workshops, conversations, and presentations centered around the UN Sustainable Development Goals. As one of many volunteers helping ensure the day ran smoothly, I was intrigued to see how the conference would effectuate convergence between the differing ideas and perspectives on sustainability.

I am a first-year English Law and German Law student at King’s College London, and up until my final year, where I can choose to specialize in a particular area of law, I do not think my course will cover climate justice and the law in any great depth (although I will have to see). z. However, I have a profound personal interest in climate justice (which was one of my main motivations to apply to law school in the first place). As a result, I aim to take advantage of as many opportunities as possible to engage with people who work in sustainability, who can teach me about new developments, who can demonstrate how sustainability is incorporated into various fields of study, research, and jobs. I volunteered at the LSSC conference to meet coordinators and students who shared my interest in climate justice and sustainability more broadly. I wanted to listen to the talks and projects that were presented, and also knew that it would be valuable to participate in a conference where everyone, despite their area of study, had an interest in how we can make the UN Sustainable Development Goals a reality.

I left the conference with a few general observations: Firstly, the featured projects were tailored to speak to people with varying degrees of knowledge. Some projects required basic prior knowledge in the respective field to fully understand the studies: One student presented innovative chemical manufacturing processes of an alternative material to plastic. Someone else had creatively designed a card game to indicate a food’s wastefulness, climate-friendliness, and seasonality to consumers. Thereby, sustainability was presented as a broadly applicable topic, from everyday life to specialized scientific research.

Secondly, the conference undoubtedly mirrored that Sustainability hits a nerve with each and every attendee, and it stimulates dedication and interest in an unparalleled fashion.

The closing event, which reunited attendees for a networking session, clarified that sustainability is near to people’s hearts: rarely have I observed and engaged in this many animated conversations, nor have I experienced proactivity and willingness to collaborate to this extent.

At the end, I noted that my perception of sustainability had changed. I find that in a university environment, sustainability as an idea is often closely connected to a certain career path rather than an end in itself: In an academic environment, sustainability is often mentioned in relation to ESG or Sustainable Finance. Surely, this phenomenon indicates increased awareness to the topic, but it causes loss of sight of all the issues that sustainability truly encompasses. Food Insecurity, socioeconomic status, physical and mental health issues, and the intersection of sustainability and humanitarian needs were discussed in the conference. The diversified content reinforced the need for interdisciplinary exchange to maintain an overall perspective.

I am sure speakers left the conference feeling buoyed by the unanimously positive feedback. Two students contently reported that attendees responded to their respective talks with inquisitive feedback and compliments on the exciting insights. Indeed, a successful event such as this acts as a propelling stimulation for those considering dedicating themselves to a sustainability-related project. To me, the conference meant newly acquired knowledge, exciting ideas, illuminating conversations, and several thrilling book recommendations, which all touch on sustainability, in all ways imaginable.

Elisabeth Möhlenkamp volunteered at LSSC on 20 February 2023. Whilst the conference has now taken place, you can still view the poster submissions for the event here. The conference will take place again in February 2024.

Join the final week of King’s Climate & Sustainability Month

King’s Climate & Sustainability Month offers you an opportunity to learn more about sustainability topics, collaborate and connect with others from across King’s, and take action on the climate crisis. Join the final week for a tree planting afternoon, a sustainability careers night, a climate action Q&A, a community mobilisation workshop, and more. Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram and Twitter for updates.

Check out the events taking place this week:

Monday 27th 12-13 (Strand) Climate Change: What can we do? Join this student-activist-academic-led panel as part of the Associateship of King’s College (AKC).

 

15.30-16.30 (Waterloo) Stitch and Pitch: Volunteering Share your ideas, meet new people and learn about volunteering while honing your creative skills.

 

Various King’s Entrepreneurship Week – Day 1 Join an entrepreneurship hackathon, a workshop on how to build diverse teams, and a discussion about whether cities can be sustainable.

 

Tuesday 28th 12-13 (Online) Q&A with the Collective for Climate Action Find out more about this network of climate networks including 300 government organisations.

 

Various King’s Entrepreneurship Week – Day 2 Learn about how to spark disruptive ideas and gain insight into fast-paced innovation in health.

 

Wednesday 1st 15-16 (Online) Ethical and Fairtrade consumption What does Fairtrade mean? What are its limitations? How accessible are ethical choices?

 

17.30-20.30 (Guy’s) Stolen Climate: Global Perspectives of Fire on Earth Explore how we understand wildfires from their interaction with the Earth’s atmosphere to their relationship with colonialism.

 

Various King’s Entrepreneurship Week – Day 3 Find out how to develop entrepreneurial ideas using feedback and share yours in a speed mentoring session.

 

Thursday 2nd 12-13.30 (Online) Community organising & change-making

 

Join this workshop to hear about the power of community organising to change our societies.

 

16-18 (Strand) Engineering Microbial Biotech for Environmental Sustainability Learn about the role of the Sustainable Development Goals in microbial biotech.

 

18.30-20 (Residence) GradPlus: Climate & Sustainability careers Join the GradPlus team to discover careers related to climate & sustainability.

 

Various King’s Entrepreneurship Week – Day 4 Hear about the career journeys of three successful women and uncover disability bias in entrepreneurship.

 


Friday 3rd
12-14 (Honour Oak Park) Tree planting afternoon  Enjoy being outdoors and meet new people while helping us plant over 200 trees.

 

Various King’s Entrepreneurship Week – Day 5 Learn how to create an entrepreneurial CV and enjoy the week’s closing networking party.
All week Fairtrade Fortnight (27th of February – 12th of March) Choosing Fairtrade supports producers in protecting the future of some of our most-loved food and the planet.

 

King’s Climate & Sustainability Month: Week 4

King’s Climate & Sustainability Month offers you an opportunity to learn more about sustainability topics, collaborate and connect with others from across King’s, and take action on the climate crisis. Join the fourth week for an inter-university conference, to exorcise your climate anxieties through music, explore climate change via foreign policy and security, and more. Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram and Twitter for updates.

Check out the events taking place this week:

Monday 20th 12-20 (Hybrid) London Student Sustainability Conference Join this conference to find out more about the student-led work that is inspiring positive impacts in the world.

 

Tuesday 21st 12.30-14 (Strand) The sound of the climate crisis Get loud with this gig theatre workshop which invites you to identify your climate anxieties and exorcise them through music in a safe and welcoming environment.

 

Wednesday 22nd 10-16 (Strand) Foreign Policy and Security Conference (22nd-24th) This conference provides a forum for practitioners and students to discuss together the challenges faced in the international arena, including climate change.

 

13.30-14.30 (Online) Make a difference – activism via email This event will give you the tools and support to demand better from your favourite brands – all through the power of an email.

 

14-16 (Waterloo) Plant with Pride: LGBTQ+ Gardening Event Meet new friends, sew seeds, paint pots and learn how to look after your plants with the Senior Gardener in the local community.

 

Thursday 23rd 9-17.30 (Strand) New Energy – a new approach to procurement and delivery? This event will explore current developments in the procurement of new and renewable energy projects, focusing both on the UK and internationally.

 

12-14.30 (Strand) Sustainable community lunch Join this lunch to connect with like-minded students and meet the King’s Sustainability team while enjoying vegan treats.

 

12-17.30 (Guy’s) Climate finance workshop Join this workshop to learn about pricing climate linkers, measuring climate transition risk, economic implications of short-term climate scenarios, and more.

 

16-17 (Online) Cross River Partnership: Empowering City Sustainability Join Cross River Partnership’s Conversation to explore how businesses can reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and be a force for positive change.

 


Friday 24th
11-12 (Online) Sustainability drop-in Join this online drop-in to ask the King’s Sustainability team any questions and discover how you can get involved with sustainability at King’s and beyond.

 

All week Various Biohackathon This hackathon aims to provide you with knowledge, skills, and experience to solve global problems with synthetic biology and entrepreneurship.

 

 

Living in King’s Residences? Then check out the various events coming up in celebration of King’s Climate & Sustainability Month.

King’s Climate & Sustainability Month: Week 3

King’s Climate & Sustainability Month offers you an opportunity to learn more about sustainability topics, collaborate and connect with others from across King’s, and take action on the climate crisis. Join the third week for interactive climate simulations, seed bomb making, mindfulness in nature, climate activism, and volunteering. Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram and Twitter for updates.

Check out the events taking place this week:

Monday 13th
10.30-12 (Strand) King’s Climate Action Network Showcase Find out more about the King’s Climate Action Network while connecting over creative activities.

 

13.30-15 (Strand) Interactive climate simulator workshop Join this workshop exploring what climate interventions are needed to effectively mitigate climate change on a global scale, using the En-ROADS Climate Solutions Simulator.

 

Wednesday 15th
11-12 (Online) King’s Volunteering Webinar: Taking action by volunteering Find out how you can take action by volunteering, giving your time to support organisations driving positive change.

 

13-15 (Guy’s) Cycling in London Do a test bike ride with Swapfiets and find out more about their bike membership, connect with King’s Cycling Club, and learn more about cycling and bike maintenance.

 

14-15 (Guy’s) Mindfulness in nature Drop into your body, expand your awareness, and reconnect to nature through meditation, active listening, slacklining, dance and yoga.

 


Friday 17th
10-16 (Strand) SPACE – re-imagining space for sustainability Join this exhibition and showcase of live demos which explore the use of urban space for better sustainable living.

 

12.15-13.15 (Strand) Make your own seed bombs Learn about creating wildlife-friendly spaces and make your own seed bomb.

 

15.30-16.30 (Strand) An introduction to climate activism and youth governance Hear from the Youth Climate Ambassadors for Wales about how you can get involved in climate activism and how we achieve youth governance.

 

All week Student volunteering week (King’s Volunteering and KCLSU) A national week of action involving over 60 HE institutions featuring events and volunteering taster activities from a range of societies and charity partners.

Climate & Sustainability Month: Week 2

King’s Climate & Sustainability Month offers you an opportunity to learn more about sustainability topics, collaborate and connect with others from across King’s, and take action on the climate crisis. Join the second week to discover careers in sustainability, network, learn about air travel and making change abroad, and re-imagine space for sustainability. Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram and Twitter for updates.

Check out the events taking place this week:

Monday 6th 6-7.15pm (Online) Discover Careers In: Sustainability Hear from industry professionals and alumni about their roles in the Sustainability sector and gather in-depth knowledge to assist your career search.

 

Tuesday 7th 12-12.45pm (Strand) Sustainability and Global Mobility – How you can make a change abroad Join the Global Mobility team to learn more about how you can be more sustainable when travelling to study or work abroad.

 

6-7.15pm (Online) Discover Careers In: Social Enterprise Hear from industry professionals and alumni about their roles in the Social Enterprise sector and gather in-depth knowledge to assist your career search.

 

Wednesday 8th 2-4pm (Strand) KBS sustainability essay competition workshop Join this workshop on doing research and evaluating research studies for undergraduate King’s Business School students to gain useful skills for the KBS sustainability essay competition.

 

3-5pm Leadership Masterclass – Introduction to Community Organising Join KCLSU for this introduction to the practice and tools of community organising, looking at how it can be used to build the power of communities to make change through collective action.

 

4.15-5.15pm (Hybrid) Air travel in academia: how sustainable is the academic system? Join this discussion to learn more about reducing the impact of air travel within & beyond academic systems.

 

6-8pm (Strand) CASCADE INQUIRY: Exploring hopeful climate futures Join this generative discussion introducing CASCADE INQUIRY, a new initiative by Superflux that imagines climate-positive futures.

 


Thursday 9th
2-3.15pm (Online) Discover Careers In: Renewable Energy & Sustainable Tech Hear from industry professionals and alumni about their roles in the Renewable Energy & Sustainable Tech sector and gather in-depth knowledge to assist your career search.

 

6-7.30pm (Strand) Climate & Sustainability Careers Networking Night Join this Networking Night to meet with employers who have sustainability opportunities as well as individuals keen to share their knowledge and experience working in this area.

 

Please note that the SPACE – re-imagining space for sustainability event that was due to take place on the 10th has been postponed to the 17th.

Join the Big Garden Birdwatch (27th of January)

The 2023 Big Campus Birdwatch takes place on Friday 27th January, and we’re encouraging staff and students to take part.

The RSPB (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds) Big Garden Birdwatch takes place over the weekend of 27th – 29th January 2023. This annual survey is not only a great opportunity to learn more about our back garden wildlife, but also makes an important contribution to monitoring biodiversity across the country. Last year over a million people took part in the event!

The University encourages staff and students alike to take part in the Big Garden Birdwatch and we also organise our own Big Campus Birdwatch, where we ask staff and students to help us better understand the bird life across different areas of campus.

This year, the Big Campus Birdwatch will take place on Friday 27th January, and can be carried out in your own time, either individually or in small groups with your friends or colleagues.

How can I take part?

To take part in the Big Campus Birdwatch, simply register using this link and choose a favourite spot on campus at any time on Friday 27th January and record what birds you see.

Christmas sustainability tips & facts from the King’s community

Graphic with the title "Sustainability advent calendar. 24 days of sustainable facts and tips". Showing 24 dates with pictures of individuals.As part of our Sustainability Christmas Advent Calendar last year, we asked the King’s community for their top tip or fact around sustainability.

This is what they said:

 

 

“Our excessive eating habits during the festive season cause the same carbon footprint as a single car travelling 6,000 times around the globe, according to a University of Manchester study. This just seems absolutely mental to me!”

– Giacomo Ducato, KCL VegSoc President

“Oxfam is a great place to go for sustainable Christmas presents!”

– Rory Darling, King’s student

“The amount of rubbish produced by an average person in the UK per year is equivalent to 7 times their body weight.”

– Gordon Wong, KCL On The Streets Events Officer

“After Christmas approximately one billion cards end up in the bin, when they could be recycled.”

– Isy Clements, KCL Plant Society Vice-President

“Recycling one aluminium can can provide enough energy to run a TV for three hours.”

– Harshi Bhalla, King’s student

“Opt for a plant-based Christmas dinner. The livestock industry generates nearly 15% of all man-made greenhouse gas emissions. Plus, there are lots of meat alternatives around these days.”

– Asher Gibson, King’s student

“It’s estimated that we waste almost 270,000 tonnes of food each Christmas.”

– Amy Richardson, King’s student

“Wait until what you’re using is finished until you buy something new! It’s easy to get caught up in the sales and overbuy but try and shop more consciously this holiday.”

– Tasnia Yasmin, Sustainability Project Assistant

“For any student going home this Christmas with food left in the cupboards, download the app Olio, it’s an app for food-sharing, aiming to reduce food waste. It does this by connecting those with surplus food to those who need it.”

– Lily Hood, King’s student

“You can save used toothbrushes as common brushes, to clean the shoes or walls etc.”

– Damon Di, King’s student

“During the Christmas season the average family increases their spending on clothes by 43% and fast fashion companies produce more goods at lower prices to take advantage of this demand. Don’t get caught up in the fast fashion frenzy this Christmas!”

– Abigail Oyedele, King’s alumna

“You can use old newspaper to wrap presents rather than plastic wrapping paper, as it can’t always be recycled.”

– Caitlin Jackson, King’s student

“The equivalent of 2 million turkeys are thrown away every year. This blatant disregard for sentient life is insane to me!”

– Bethan Spacey, King’s student

“You can use fabric wraps for gifts instead of paper. Gift bags are also really good because you can reuse them.”

– Milo O’Farrell, King’s student

“You can create homemade edible gifts, e.g. I love brownies so would love getting a cute jar where someone has put in all the dry ingredients for me to make it. It’s cheap, thoughtful and low waste.”

– Ria Patel, President of KCL People & Planet

“Look at what you already have at home before you buy new Christmas decorations. Why not make your own DIY Christmas fruit decorations for your table using dried out oranges, or tie cinnamon sticks together for a tree decoration? Saving money, food, waste and the planet!”
– Eimar Helly, KCL EcoSoc Communications Officer

“Opt for vegan mince pies (they are really yummy) and a vegan meal this Christmas; donate half a portion of your food to the homeless instead of wasting it; switch to sustainable Christmas gift wrapping!”

– Chiyasmi Devi, King’s student

“My tip would be to look for a real Christmas tree that is FSC certified, sourced organically, and local to have the lowest carbon footprint if you celebrate Christmas.”

– Allie Marchand, KCL EcoSoc, Communications Officer

“You can make plant pots out of used tin cans! Rinse out the can, using a screwdriver poke a hole through the bottom and if necessary sand down the top edge of the can so it isn’t sharp, then plant a plant inside! I recommend some herbs for cooking and this saves waste and allows you to grow plants.”

– Rahul Goel, KCL Plant Society, President

“Check out @walkfree to see how to be conscious of modern slavery during the holidays.”
– Ishaan Shah, King’s student

“My tip is to go buy gifts from the local stores near you which will also help to support those stores, and instead of using plastic wrappers we can always use a paper bag or make one. Or we can take the gifts without wrappers too.”
– Dikshita Nath, King’s student

“Experiences are great gifts! They can be much more personal than material gifts. Think of inviting your friend / relative to a homemade meal, taking them to a cool event… Get creative!”
– Jone de Roode Jauregi, King’s alumna

“Why not buy your presents at a second hand/vintage store! You can find some unique and charming gifts there!”

– Helene Tessier, King’s student

“Cutting meat and dairy products from your diet could reduce your carbon footprint from food by up to 73 percent, so why not give Veganuary a go! “

– Emily Read, King’s student

Also read our blog post here with tips on gifts, wrapping paper, food, travel, trees, and energy.

FoDOCS students learning about the SDGs, the importance of green spaces and similarities between caring and growing

This blog post was written by Dr Flora Smyth Zahra, Clinical Senior Lecturer in Interdisciplinarity & Innovation Dental Education.


All two hundred of the new cohort of dental and hygiene therapy students at the Faculty of Dentistry, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences (FoDOCS) are being introduced early on to sustainable education approaches including collaborating, creative problem solving, cross-disciplinary content and critical thinking.

Within their first Clinical Humanities & Wellbeing module ‘Object Research for Beginning & Belonging’ they ‘Demonstrate through participation in all module activities a willingness to engage with new ways of looking and thinking about education and oral health care delivery with reference to the UN 2030 sustainable development goals.’ They also, ‘Relate the importance of flourishing for university learning to a commitment to life-long learning and have explored different approaches to self-care for a sustainable and healthy working life.’ (Learning outcomes taken from the Module).

As such, alongside guest speaker sessions on global oral health, cultural competency, leadership and indeed gardening and sustainability, they are also framing their learning around the SDGs and considering what they each might contribute as future change agents. Curricular time has also been given to wellbeing with students posting photographs on their KEATS discussion fora of outings across London, walking in the parks and exploring green spaces. Learning about stewardship followed by the simple activity of growing and nurturing cress seeds on their window sills and residences has struck many as a real parallel with their future roles as care givers and clinicians.

This is the first module in a yearly series of sustainable health care education over the three and five year degree programmes that is core to all undergraduate students in FoDOCS.

Vishwa's close-up picture of grass

Vishwa’s green space

Meghna's picture of sunset/sunrise by the lake

Meghna’s green space

Rita's cress picture

Rita’s cress

Nina's picture of horses

Nina’s green space

Yiran's plant growing in a bowl

Yiran’s cress

Hishaam picture of a green park

Hishaam’s green space

Hamayl's picture of information in nature

Hamayl and the Ada Salter gardens close to our Guy’s campus

Showcase your work at the London Student Sustainability Conference 2023

Calling all students at King’s College London! 

Join this unique opportunity to showcase your sustainability work in front of an inter-university audience and to network with other like-minded students.  

Group picture from LSSC 2022 showing people holding up SDG signs.

Group picture taken at LSSC 2022.

The London Student Sustainability Conference (LSSC) is back again in February 2023 for its fifth edition. This conference is a platform for any students at a London University to showcase their work related to the Sustainable Development Goals. 

The event welcomes students, staff, professionals, and members of the public to listen and engage with student research and projects in the field of sustainability. During the event, students exhibit their research and projects through presentations, posters and workshops, followed by an early evening networking reception. 

This year’s Conference is a collaboration between King’s and 9 other London universities: City, GCU, Imperial, Kingston, LSE, South Bank, UCL, Greenwich, and Westminster. 

This is a great opportunity to share your work with a diverse audience, practice presentation skills and network with students, staff and professionals interested in sustainability from universities across London and beyond! 

Find out how to apply here. Deadline: 4th of December. 

Registrations for tickets to attend will open in January 2023. Stay tuned by subscribing to the King’s Sustainability newsletter and following King’s Sustainability on Instagram. 

Read about LSSC 2022.  

Weathervane: We Not I 

Tuesday 15th November, 17:00-19:30, Strand Campus Great Hall

Person holding up a poster saying "13% of homes in fuel poverty" in a museumOn Tuesday 15th November King’s Culture Climate Collective is presenting Weathervane: We Not I, a joyful evening of collective artmaking and a student-led call to action from the Great Hall on Strand Campus.

As COP27 approaches and millions of young people once again hold their breath for meaningful political action, how do we create space for King’s students to share their climate hopes and fears, their dreams for a just and sustainable future?

Weathervane answers that call, featuring a range of empowering activities including:

  • The creation of We Are A Sea, a live unfolding mass artwork led by artist Beccy McCray exploring our relationship to water through the mixing of plant dyes
  • A talk from youth social justice organiser Simmone Ahiaku about how to turn climate anxiety into hope, resistance, and change
  • A showcase of specially created climate justice posters created by King’s students
  • The creation of the Climate Action Network Collective Manifesto, The Wall of Hope, a sustainable crochet masterclass and more!

Refreshments will be provided. Open to all students and stuff, however space is limited. RSVP via Eventbrite.

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