Here we are, then. Seventy-three articles, and around a hundred thousand words later, the 2018-19 season is coming to a close. Sitting at my desk last September thinking about my hopes and dreams for GLOBUS this academic year, I could not have imagined what has come to pass: successes that I would like to share with you all.
Without question, this year has been a resounding success for our exposure and place in the community. Thanks to some stellar work by our marketing team over the last nine months, we have reached and engaged more people than ever before: just in the last six months, nearly twice as many as in the entirety of 2018.
Our writers, too, have really excelled themselves. We have been recognised by a huge range of people for the extremely high standards that our publishing continually maintains – none of which would be possible without the tireless dedication of our ever-expanding team of authors, which has increased more than six-fold in size over this academic year. I am extremely proud to have worked with such a fantastic team of talented young people, and am looking forward to continuing to do so in the coming months.
Beyond the day-to-day, however, there are a few stand-out items that really merit special mention.
The first of these, perhaps unsurprisingly, is ‘PROJECT: Climate Emergency’. Ambitious from the start, I’m confident in saying that this has produced one of the largest and most unified movements at the university for years. While we are disappointed that we have not yet received any formal response from the university, I am extremely grateful to the GLOBUS team, and to our partners in Global Sustainable Development Society and the Climate Reality Campus Corps, for having made this a reality.
The next, even larger in scale, is the launch of our flagship project for next year, Warwick Climate Negotiating Forum. Conceived as a “what if?” in May last year, this global climate negotiation simulation (with added speakers, debates, and workshops) promises to be an exciting and seriously innovative endeavour, led by yet another a team of high-calibre, dedicated individuals.
Looking forward to next year, we’ve got a plethora of opportunities lined up for people to get involved and engaged with GLOBUS and the sustainability agenda (for the first time, we’ll be running speaker events!) – we’re not ready to announce these with a fanfare just yet, but rest assured we are working tirelessly to make next year even more successful.
Before, however, I get carried away with the future, there are some people that I must first thank.
First and foremost are the staff in the School for Cross-Faculty Studies and beyond at the University of Warwick, who embody in every way the forward-thinking, supportive ethos that we seek to create here at GLOBUS. There are too many for me to name individually, but I would like to make a few special mentions.
Firstly, of Professor Cathia Jenainati, Dr Marta Guerriero, and Dr Gioia Panzarella, for their tireless support and encouragement, not only for my work as Editor-in-Chief, but much more widely for GLOBUS as an organisation, an endeavour, and an ideal.
Of Dr Alastair Smith and Dr Jessica Savage, whose robust and passionate academic and activist advice has been a bedrock for many at GLOBUS – not least for ‘PROJECT: Climate Emergency’, but across our entire mission.
Of Simon Blake, of Warwick Economics, whose enthusiasm for outreach and the student experience has shown me, and I hope others, the difference that our work can make, and whose work has facilitated the beginning of interdisciplinary and interdepartmental collaborations that I hope will become the norm at GLOBUS for many years to come.
Without the dedication of these individuals and others, GLOBUS could not be what it stands as today. There is, however, another group of people to which the same applies: our Editorial Board. My thanks, therefore, to the following…
To Max and Gaganasree, our Marketing Co-Directors, for championing and supporting our seriously professional social media presence over the course of this year. A skill that I have never been able to wrap my head around entirely, digital design and engagement are so critical to meeting our goals – without these two individuals, we would not have made it this far.
To Alicia and Lucy, Commissioning and Assistant Editor, who have kept me sane through some busy times in the past six months, and who deserve so very much credit for the standards of our publishing this year. Assisting in the editing of GLOBUS’ output is no mean feat by any measure; their attention to detail, passion, and dedication have been an inspiration to me and to many others.
Often hidden in revisions and scheduling to the point that many will not be aware of the extent of their work, these four people represent without question our most fundamental principle: ‘be the change’. I must, though, extend special and personal appreciation to Alicia, who has served as GLOBUS’ de facto Vice President for almost a year and a half, now, and who will be on sabbatical from September for a year studying abroad in Germany – you will be missed.
Nevertheless, I am sure that this groundbreaking year is just the beginning for GLOBUS. I am very seriously privileged to have worked with a group of such inspiring people, and I look forward to what’s coming next with great excitement. As a society, we may face great challenges in the months and years to come – but with people like these on our side, how can we fail?
Header Image: Photo by Matthias Wagner on Unsplash
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