Between June-November 2024, I interned with GALLANT’s Systems Transformation team as a Research Assistant.  

GALLANT, or Glasgow as a Living Lab Accelerating Novel Transformation, is a £10.5 million research programme delivered by the University of Glasgow in partnership with Glasgow City Council with the aim of helping Glasgow move towards climate resilience whilst tackling health, social, and economic inequalities. The Systems Transformation team within GALLANT utilises qualitative and quantitative data and evidence to impact decision-making in Glasgow.  

As an Economics student with a passion for sustainability, I was drawn to a panel discussion held at the Advanced Research Centre on Doughnut Economics, which coincidentally was the book I was reading at the time for my dissertation. On the panel was Professor Jaime L. Toney, Director of Centre for Sustainable Solutions. I was fascinated by the work she mentioned on the panel and knew I had to ask her if there would be an opportunity to get involved, and the rest is history. 

My role as a Research Assistant Intern within the Systems Transformation team was using a systems mapping tool, Kumu, to visualise the relationships between various economic and climate policy plans and the 44 Thriving Definitions, which reflect what a thriving Glasgow would look like. The map aims to firstly, assess how well current economic and climate policy actions align with the Thriving Definitions, and secondly, to identify the key leverages and barriers to achieving a thriving, climate-resilient Glasgow. 

The highlight of my internship was in August 2024 where I had the opportunity to present the research ‘Systems Map: Glasgow’s Economic Strategy and the Thriving Definitions’ with support from Jo Winterbottom, Mary Menton, Cris Hasan, and Petra Meier at the annual GALLANT Gathering attended by policymakers and individuals from GALLANT’s partners.  

I thoroughly enjoyed contributing to this tool which in its early stages has already proven to be useful in understanding the varying impact of policy actions on the Thriving Definitions. The Systems Transformation team will continue to develop the tool based on feedback from user testing and work with policy colleagues to conduct further analysis.   

This internship with GALLANT has truly been an incredible experience in developing my technical skills on Kumu and my soft skills in critical thinking and communication. From September, the internship has also been useful in helping me manage my time effectively as I juggled university and work. It has also been immensely valuable in shaping decisions related to my future career and I am grateful for the opportunity to have been part of this team and project. 

First published: 13 November 2024

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