The ECI community continues to grow – and with it comes an ever-expanding network of people working across environmental research, policy and practice.
The Annual ECI Alumni Dinner, held at Kellogg College, Oxford on Saturday 5 September, was a chance to celebrate that community and the connections that continue long after people leave ECI.
From alumni who completed the MSc in Environmental Change and Management more than 30 years ago to more recent graduates, and alongside past and current ECI researchers, academics, professional and support staff, the evening brought together people at very different stages of their careers. It was a reminder of the breadth of experience within the ECI community – and of the opportunities that come from staying connected, sharing expertise and working together.
For the first time, the dinner included an ECI Alumni Discussion Panel, bringing together four alumni from three decades of the MSc in Environmental Change and Management: Dr Kim Polgreen (1995), Dr Philip Mann (1999), Florianne de Boer (2013) and Rosalind Chaston (2024).
The four panellists brought very different perspectives and career experiences. Their work spans sustainability, international development, climate policy, research, education and environmental impact, reflecting the many different directions an ECI education can lead.
Michael Obersteiner, ECI Director, said: “The panel discussion reinforced the strong connections between ECI and its alumni community, while highlighting the potential to build on these relationships further.
“We look forward to building on these existing networks, and creating stronger connections and new opportunities for alumni to collaborate, share expertise and support one another.”
The dinner was held at Kellogg College, founded in 1990 and named after William Keith Kellogg (1860–1951), founder of the breakfast cereal company and the charitable foundation whose generous benefaction helped establish the College.
The evening also celebrated the legacy of the MSc in Environmental Change and Management as the programme transitions to the MSc in Environmental Change and Policy, marking an important moment of change while looking ahead to the future.
The dinner was a celebration of more than individual achievements. The connections across the ECI community create opportunities to share knowledge, develop new collaborations and bring different perspectives together – helping to strengthen our collective contribution to addressing environmental challenges.
As the ECI community continues to grow, so too does the potential for those connections to strengthen our work and extend its impact across research, policy and practice.