The Oxford Smith School is thrilled to announce that applications are now open for its low-carbon summer school programme, Summer SCENE 2025! This immersive online course runs from 7 July to 18 July 2025, Monday to Friday, and aims to engage youth and early-career professionals from the Global South in shaping sustainability policies.
Course Overview
The course aims to guide and encourage a youth and early career audience from the Global South to engage with sustainability policy. After exploring a range of sustainability topics, you will be guided to develop a policy recommendation for world leaders, to be published at the end of the course. In a live webinar format, it provides an opportunity for participants to network in the sustainability space with peers from other Global South nations, student facilitators on current Oxford MSc courses, and learn from Oxford faculty and other experts in this field.
The course provides:
- Live webinar sessions led by Oxford faculty and guest experts.
- Networking opportunities with peers, Oxford MSc student facilitators, and sustainability professionals.
- A platform to engage with cutting-edge research and policy discussions.
Sample Day Schedule
| Time (BST) | Session |
| 11:00 | Net Zero Live: Net Zero & Climate Policy (Sam Fankhauser) |
| 12:00 | Podcast: CO2 Removal (Steve Smith & Caitlin McElroy) |
| 14:00 | Guest Speaker: Climate Activist Interview (Aline Sotteroni & Zaya Guarani*) |
| 15:00 | Watch & Reflect: Eating Our Way to Extinction (Preparation for session with Mike Clarke & Harriet Bartlett) |
*Guest speakers for 2025 to be confirmed.
Course Details
Dates and Timing
- Duration:2 weeks (Monday to Friday)
- Dates:7 July – 11 July 2025 and 14 July – 18 July 2025
- Times:11:00-13:00 BST and 14:00-16:00 BST
Who Can Apply
The course is open to 50 graduate students and early-career professionals from the Global South who:
- Are interested in sustainability and policy development.
- Have started their careers in the third sector.
- Are eager to transition into sustainability policy development.
Applications are encouraged from individuals with diverse skills and experiences, particularly those aspiring to become future leaders in sustainability.
Key Topics
Participants will:
- Develop an understanding of sustainability issues.
- Collaborate on a group policy recommendation relevant to:
- Local or shared issues across Global South nations.
- UK government policies under consultation.
Applications & Fees
Thanks to generous funding, 50 fully funded places are available. To secure your spot, a refundable £100 retainer fee is required upon acceptance.
Application Process
- Deadline:12:00 GMT, 24 January 2025.
- Required:An up-to-date LinkedIn profile is essential for selection.
Click Here to Apply: https://shorturl.at/jP8Sn
Summary
- Applications Open:13 – 24 January 2025
- Duration:2 weeks (7 – 18 July 2025)
- Location:Online
- Fees:Fully funded (with £100 refundable deposit)
- Times:11:00-13:00 BST, 14:00-16:00 BST
For more information, reach out at:
Email: summerschool@smithschool.ox.ac.uk
Course Director
Dr. Caitlin McElroy
Departmental Research Lecturer, Enterprise and the Environment
Programme Director, Executive Education
