Development Training
for Scholars:
The ‘Leaders in Sustainable Development’ Programme
Latest News
Applications open for the CSC residential workshops 2023
As part of the Leaders in Sustainable Development programme, the CSC residential workshops on Maximising your Impact: Training for Development aim to strengthen the links between academic insight and development impact, and support Scholars on their journey to becoming leaders in sustainable development. They feature a mixed programme of plenary sessions, large group discussions, and small team and individual activities with a focus on contemporary issues in development and skills training for achieving impact through research and future career activities.
- Workshop for Commonwealth Master’s and Shared Scholars (17-19 March 2023) – applications open on Friday 10 February.
- Workshop for Commonwealth PhD and Split-Site Scholars (2-4 June 2023) – applications open on Friday 5 May.
Please check the CSC Events page to find out more about the workshops.
About the Leaders in Sustainable Development workshops
The Leaders in Sustainable Development workshops provide Scholars with valuable knowledge and skills as well as opportunities for networking to assist in their development impact and post-scholarship projects. The workshops will often include pre-workshop tasks as well as providing ample time for discussions and group work.
Please visit the CSC Events page to find out more about the development training and engagement opportunities provided by the CSC.
Understanding Development Impact training
The ‘Understanding Development Impact’ training course hosted on FutureLearn is open to all new Scholars. This online training introduces some of the key concepts in development today and provides approaches and tools to help Scholars achieve development impact through their work.
Throughout the training there are opportunities for Scholars to improve their professional skills and development understanding whilst also connecting with fellow Scholars through group discussion and peer review activities. We encourage all Scholars to complete this course as a foundation for the ‘Leaders in Sustainable Development’ programme.
What Scholars say about the Leaders in Sustainable Development programme
“The impacts of most research in development is judged by how it improves communities. Therefore for Commonwealth Scholars, this training and others alike are essential.”
Scholar participant in 2021, Preparing for Social Impact workshop
“I would like to thank the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission for giving me the opportunity to participate in this useful workshop on Research Project Management which has equipped me with new and relevant skills. I promise to use what I have learnt not only in my dissertation project but also in development projects that I involve in to enable me contribute greatly to the development impact that I desire to create.”
Scholar participant in 2021, Research Project Management workshop
“Along with our academic education, these programs are very useful. I think these are best practices how to give the best output to the Scholars. I’m motivated by these programmes to putting a positive impact on the planet. I’m taught how to think from a different perspective.’”
Scholar participant in 2022, Research Project Management workshop
Leaders in Sustainable Development programme
The knowledge and skills that Scholars acquire in the online ‘Understanding Development Impact’ training feeds into the CSC’s Leaders in Sustainable Development programme of workshops which run throughout the academic year to prepare Scholars for the projects and careers they will undertake after their scholarship.
This programme of workshops covers a broad range of topics, from public engagement and networking skills through to understanding cultural intelligence and planning for social impact. The skills training that Scholars receive during these workshops enables them to make meaningful contributions in their professional field and effect real development impact in their post-scholarship work.
Scholars can gain certification for their attendance at certain workshops once they have completed the ‘Understanding Development Impact’ training on FutureLearn and have submitted a Development Training Record at the end of the year.
Creating your Development Training Record
As Scholars progress through the Leaders in Sustainable Development programme, we encourage them to complete a Development Training Record to collate their reflections and consolidate the knowledge and skills they have gained during the ‘Understanding Development Impact’ training and the training workshops this year.
We have designed a Development Training Record checklist to signpost the key learning steps in the training and guide Scholars through completing this reflective exercise. Scholars can view examples of Development Training Records that have been submitted by former Scholars below.
Development Training Record sample 1
Development Training Record sample 2