The MSc in Global Environmental Change and Policy is a campus-based programme that typically enrols 12 students each year. Delivered face-to-face, it emphasises participatory learning through group discussions, collaborative activities and engagement with external professionals.
The programme was recently redesigned to strengthen inclusion and equity by embedding student-led learning, disability awareness and equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI), alongside food systems research into the programme teaching.
The enhanced curriculum now integrates co-designed seminars and student-facilitated discussions. A disability inclusion webinar broadens awareness of diverse physical and structural barriers, while insights from Fair Food Hub and EDI research are embedded into case studies and class discussions. To address challenges such as varying student confidence levels and uneven participation, structured guidance, rotating roles, and clear expectations were introduced.
These approaches have enhanced students’ critical engagement with sustainability by foregrounding equity, inclusion, and lived experience. Students develop greater confidence in collaborative learning and gain a deeper understanding of how EDI shapes environmental policy and practice, helping students connect their learning with real-world challenges. The curriculum re-design now fosters more reflective, participatory students who are better equipped to address complex global challenges in inclusive and socially responsible ways.
Top tips for others interested in adopting or adapting this approach
- Start small by embedding one co-created or student-led activity and build gradually.
- Use real-world EDI initiatives to make learning relevant and meaningful.
UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) addressed
SDG 2: Zero Hunger; SDG 4: Quality Education; SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities; SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production.
Ingrid Kelling, Associate Professor, Lyell Centre, Edinburgh Campus
