St Clare’s Partners with University of Surrey to Launch Leadership & Sustainability Summer Programme
by Louise Jones on April 16, 2026
St Clare’s is proud to announce an exciting new partnership with CIFAL Surrey, part of the University of Surrey Institute for Sustainability, to deliver a dynamic Leadership & Sustainability course as part of the Teens: Merrist Wood Summer Programme.
Designed for students aged 15–17, this innovative course brings together academic expertise and real-world application, empowering young people to explore global challenges and develop the leadership skills needed to address them.
The course has also been approved and will be certified by UNITAR, the United Nations Institute for Training and Research, providing students with an internationally recognised learning experience.
A Powerful Academic Partnership
The programme is delivered in collaboration with CIFAL Surrey, a UN-accredited training centre based at the University of Surrey and part of the University’s Institute for Sustainability.
Together, St Clare’s and the Institute for Sustainability have co-designed a multidisciplinary course rooted in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs).
This partnership enables students to benefit from world-class teaching and research, gaining insight into how sustainability challenges are being tackled at local, national, and global levels.
A spokesperson from the University of Surrey commented:
“The University’s Institute for Sustainability brings together world class, cross disciplinary expertise and advances real world, systemic solutions for long term wellbeing. In addition, CIFAL Surrey, our UNITAR affiliated sustainability training centre, provides accredited learning aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, enabling us to offer internationally recognised sustainability and leadership training to young people and professionals alike. Supported by leading sustainability academics across biodiversity, behaviour change, and environmental systems, the University of Surrey Institute for Sustainability is exceptionally well placed to co-deliver an inspiring and impactful summer school programme.”
Learn from Leading Experts
A key feature of the course is direct engagement with leading academics from the University of Surrey. Through a series of interactive workshops and sessions, students will explore sustainability from multiple perspectives:
- Dr Roberta Discetti – Leadership for Sustainable Development Workshop
- Dr Melissa Marselle and Dr Valentine Seymour – The Wildlife Wellbeing Challenge
- Dr Matteo Giusti – Towards a Nature-Positive School: A Student Citizen Science Lab
- Dr Madeleine Bussemaker – Does your food come with forever chemicals? An investigation into PFAS in food packaging
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Dr Roberta Discetti Lecturer in Business Ethics and Sustainability | Dr Melissa Marselle Lecturer in Environmental Psychology | Dr Valentine Seymour Lecturer in Sustainability Assessment | Dr Matteo Giusti Future Fellow in Sustainability Science | Dr Madeleine Bussemaker Associate Professor in Chemical Engineering |
These sessions combine cutting-edge research with hands-on learning, encouraging students to think critically and creatively about solutions.
Building Future Leaders
The course goes beyond theory, focusing on practical skills that students can apply in their academic and future professional lives.
Participants will:
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Explore major global challenges such as climate change, food systems, and inequality | Understand how organisations respond through corporate social responsibility and social impact initiatives |
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Develop leadership skills including teamwork, communication, and strategic thinking | Work on real-world case studies and collaborative projects |
Students will also visit the University of Surrey campus, gaining valuable insight into university life and the UK application process.
As Simon Talbot, Director of Summer Schools and Short Courses at St Clare’s, explains:
“This is a really exciting development for our new centre at Merrist Wood. The University of Surrey are leaders in sustainability research and their team, made up of academics from a variety of disciplines, were very keen to get involved in the course. The UN SDGs will only be achieved if we can educate and inspire young people to support them. This course not only aims to do that, but also equips students with the leadership skills to become effective advocates for sustainability and international collaboration in the future.”
An Inspiring Learning Environment
The programme takes place at Merrist Wood, located on the edge of Guildford and just one hour from London.
Set within 400 acres of countryside, the campus features ancient woodland, a working farm, and diverse natural habitats, providing the perfect setting for immersive sustainability education.
Here, students can experience sustainability in action, connecting classroom learning with the natural world around them.
Shaping the Next Generation
This new Leadership & Sustainability course reflects St Clare’s commitment to forward-thinking education, combining academic excellence, global perspectives, and real-world impact.
By bringing together students from around the world in a collaborative and inspiring environment, the programme aims to nurture the next generation of leaders who will drive positive change for a more sustainable future.
Book now for an unforgettable summer