Green Gown Awards 2018 - STAFF - Dr. Smirti Kutaula - Kingston University - Finalist

I am a Sustainability Teaching and Leaning Champion within my University, successfully linking enterprise with my teaching, learning and research activities. I have been instrumental in leading and arranging a Fairtrade fortnight event for the Business School to seek and promote awareness of Fairtrade around the campus and in an attempt to engage with the thoughts and feelings of staff and students on issues of ethical trading.

I also successfully organised research events on Sustainability and Ethical Consumption in collaboration with the British Academy of Management, Academy of Marketing and the University of Surrey. The purpose of this developmental workshop was to assess research into areas such as sustainability, ethical consumption, Fairtrade consumption and charitable giving.

I was also involved in editing a special issue on Sustainability and ethical consumerism in Management Decision, a leading scholarly management journal.

Top 3 learnings:

1. Sustainability needs to be embedded in the university experience, it is not an option! 
2. Sustainable development starts with awareness and constructive dialogue between staff and students!
3. Research-led teaching is very crucial, make it fun!