28 STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT
Celebrating success
Our students continue to be our finest ambassadors, achieving success and industry
recognition, nationally and internationally. Here are just some examples from 2021.
The UN highlights GCU's commitment to the
Sustainable Development Goals
The United Nations has selected Glasgow Caledonian
University's Strategy 2030 and a student research project,
the Fashion Detox Challenge, as examples of Sustainable
Development Goal best practice.
Both case studies now feature on the UN's website among
hand-picked "breakthroughs and success stories" from across
the globe.
The Fashion Detox Challenge was created by PhD Student,
Dr Emma Kidd, in a bid to address overconsumption and
reduce clothing waste.
The public intervention project encourages shoppers to
take a 10-week break from buying new clothes.
More than 300 people have so far signed up and most
have adopted more sustainable clothing practices, such as
repairing old clothes, buying second-hand items, or swapping
garments with friends.
Emma discussed how the United Nations has selected the
project to be listed on their website as an example of a
sustainable initiative that companies or individuals can use to
contribute to the sustainable development goals.
Visitors to Glasgow Caledonian
University experienced first-hand what
a devastated planet earth might look
and feel like, thanks to a host of
educational video games created by
students.
The games, designed to teach
players about climate issues and
possible solutions, were available to
play in the University’s Sir Alex
Ferguson Library, and had been created
during a 48-hour development
marathon, organised as part of the
institution’s COP26 activity.
Students from GCU’s game
programmes (BSc Computer Games,
BSc Computer Games (Art and
Animation), BSc Computer Games
(Design) and BSc Computer Games
Emma said: “One of GCU’s professors, Natascha Radclyffe-
Thomas, was aware of my work and when a call for ‘Best
Practices’ came up through GCU she highlighted my project
and suggested that it might be a good fit.
“So, I submitted a case study that summarised what the
project is, and I sent it off and didn’t really think anything of it.
“Next thing we found out we were included and I just can’t
even describe what that means to me because it’s everything
that this project was geared towards.”
You can find out about the Fashion Detox Challenge here:
fashiondetoxchallenge.com
(Software Development) were armed
with a brief to create games that raise
awareness of climate change and its
effects, or highlight possible solutions to
solving or acting on climate change.
They were joined by students and
game enthusiasts from the UK and
across the world. A panel of videogame
developers and experts from GCU’s
Centre for Climate Justice decided on
the best games for demonstration.
Third-year Construction
Management student Nagineh Azar, 21,
and fourth-year Social Sciences student
Catherine Mackie, 21, were really
impressed with the quality of the
games.
Nagineh said: “We really loved the
games. This is a really great way to
engage young people in the issues of
climate change.”
Catherine added: “The games looked
great and really good fun. It’s a new way
of raising awareness of climate change
and helping young people understand
what is going on, as well as what they
can do about it.”
Game for saving the planet