ripleywk | Research and External Engagement

UWE Bristol researcher invited to attend launch of public consultation on ecocide law in Scotland

ripleywk | 15 November 202315 November 2023

Ecocide in Scotland

At present, only 13 countries in the world currently recognize ecocide – mass damage and destruction of the natural environment – as a distinct crime under domestic law.

Following the introduction of a Member’s Bill by Monica Lennon (Scottish Labour MSP for Central Scotland), Scotland may soon be the first UK nation to criminalize ecocide under Scottish law.

Public consultation for Monica Lennon’s proposed ecocide bill was recently launched at the Scottish Storytelling Centre in Edinburgh on 8 November 2023.

Chaired by Mike Robinson (Chief Executive of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society and Chair of Stop Climate Chaos Scotland), the launch was also attended by Jojo Mehta (Co-Founder and Executive Director of Stop Ecocide International) and Dr Shivali Fifield, Chief Officer of the Environmental Rights Centre for Scotland.

Further information about the public consultation, which is open until 9 February 2024, can be found here.

As one of the few ecocide experts in the UK, Dr Suwita Hani Randhawa (Senior Lecturer in Politics and International Relations) was invited to attend this event. Prior to the event, she had the opportunity to meet Monica Lennon at the Scottish Parliament to discuss further collaboration on ecocide.

Dr Suwita Hani Randhawa has now been invited to contribute a guest blog on ecocide for Monica Lennon’s campaign website, as well as to work with her team on their efforts to introduce an ecocide law in Scotland.

*(from left to right): Jojo Mehta (Stop Ecocide International), Dr Suwita Hani Randhawa (Senior Lecturer in Politics and International Relations, UWE Bristol), Monica Lennon (MSP for Central Scotland)*

Ecocide in Global Politics

Beyond Scotland, ecocide is the subject of a vibrant global campaign that is calling for a radical solution to the global ecological crisis and attendant demands for climate justice.

Spearheaded by Stop Ecocide International, this campaign is pushing for ecocide to be recognized as an international crime.

Since the end of the Second World War, the international community has only recognized four specific acts as international crimes: aggression, crimes against humanity, genocide and war crimes.

A fifth international crime of ecocide will make it possible for the International Criminal Court – the global court responsible for prosecuting and punishing individuals who commit international crimes – to also prosecute and punish individuals and corporations for acts of ecocide.

Vice-Chancellor’s Early Career Development Award

Supported by a Vice-Chancellor’s Early Career Development Award, Dr Suwita Hani Randhawa is currently undertaking a research project on ecocide – “The Criminalization of Ecocide: A Novel

Response to the Climate Emergency” – that is aligned to UWE’s research beacon on Sustainability and Climate Change Resilience. The study draws upon her innovative research on the process of international criminalization – recently published as a ground-breaking research article in the esteemed journal International Theory – and represents the first systematic interdisciplinary study of ecocide’s ongoing criminalization in global politics.

She will present preliminary findings of her research later this month at an in-person research seminar at the University of Reading’s Department of Politics and International Relations, as well as at an online webinar for the Centre for Trust, Peace & Social Relations, Coventry University.

Earlier this year, her op-ed on ecocide and the bombing of the Nova Khakhovka dam in Ukraine featured in Open Democracy and her research was cited by The New European.

More recently, written evidence that she submitted to the European Affairs Committee’s inquiry on the “Implications of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine for UK-EU relations” was published online.

As part of the research project’s impact plan, she is organizing a workshop on ecocide with interested national stakeholders, such as Carla Denyer (Co-Leader of the Green Party of England and Wales) and Monica Lennon (MSP of Central Scotland) and Jojo Mehta (Co-founder and CEO of Stop Ecocide International) – to discuss how greater political action on ecocide can be coordinated across the UK.

She is also putting together a proposed workshop on “Ecocide in International Relations” for the European International Studies Association’s 11^th Workshops in International Studies, which aims to foster greater dialogue between a small emerging group of International Relations ecocide with other ecocide scholars across the social sciences.

Find out more about Dr Suwita Hani Randhawa and follow her progress here

Meet Krishma who has recently completed our Civil Engineer Degree Apprenticeship #INWED23

ripleywk | 23 June 202323 June 2023

Krishma joins us to discuss her journey for International Women in Engineering Day: 23 June 2023

Congratulations Krishma! Since we last spoke to you, in October 2022 you completed of your Civil Engineering Apprenticeship and graduated with first class honours. Reflecting on your apprenticeship what would you advise other women about to start their apprenticeship and career in engineering?

Today’s engineers are responsible for creating pioneering technologies that are helping to solve the world’s toughest problems.

It’s important for women to not feel intimidated by such roles and responsibilities, but instead feel confident and empowered by the prospect of an engineering career. Start your career with something you’re passionate about, and don’t be intimated by the job roles in construction. If you have the right mindset and the skills, you can do anything.

Don’t be afraid to take risks and seek support where needed, this is journey of learning and experiencing – so make sure to enjoy every moment of it.

You don’t need to change who you are or how you behave to be an engineer. Make your career your passion!

What or who was your inspiration to follow an apprenticeship into Engineering?

From school I always had a passion in graphics and design, what fascinated me was the concepts and ideas behind some of the biggest structural monuments around the world. My imagination and curiosity is what led me into a career into engineering, to be able to witness my contributions to design and ideas is what encouraged me to pursue something I love.

Following on from completing the apprenticeship how would you like to progress in your career?

I see myself progressing into an associate position within the next 5 years, within the consultancy side of the construction business.

Providing innovative solutions to clients on how to maximise efficiency and productivity within their projects and provide a purpose with the service they are intending to offer to the society.

How could apprenticeships in Engineering be better available to women looking for a career in that sector?

By changing perceptions and giving a reason to encourage women to see beyond the hard hats and overalls. With each year the construction industry is changing with new technologies to the way people understand and perceive different ideas and concepts. A career in STEM can now encompass a range of different skill sets and extensive opportunities – but in essence engineering is still ultimately about having the ability to build up whatever you dream up. It is a profession focused on progress, breakthroughs, and curiosity.

What was the valuable skill you gained during the apprenticeship?

The most valuable skill I gained throughout my apprenticeship was the technical exposure to the working world and how this was then applied to real life working scenarios.

Want to find out more?

Find out more about our higher and degree apprenticeships and explore all our engineering higher and degree apprenticeship courses on offer with us including:

Aerospace Engineer – Architecture – Building Services Design Engineer – Chartered Building Surveyor – Chartered Quantity Surveyor – Chartered Town Planner – Civil Engineer – Construction Site Management – Environmental Practitioner – Manufacturing Engineer – Systems Engineering

International Women in Engineering Day: 23 June, 2023

ripleywk | 22 June 202323 June 2023

Antonia Chatzirodou, one of our Senior Lecturers and Programme Leaders at UWE Bristol for Civil Engineering, explains why higher and degree apprenticeships are pivotal to an engineering career for international women in engineering day (#INWED23).

Antonia Long Video Dialogue:

The main benefits of a higher end degree apprenticeships for the student is the fact that they are already an employee, they are working for the industry, and they are undertaking a degree which will equip them with the foundation engineering knowledge to become successful Chartered Engineers in a few years from now and literally since they are graduating.

I would say that a student who is undertaking an engineering degree is literally coming into touch with the most research informed solutions for engineers and beyond, and that is a valuable input for the industry. So, a student, a degree apprenticeship student, is bridging this gap very successfully between academia and industry.

The main benefits of a higher and degree apprenticeship for the employer is that they are equipping their employees to have the foundation knowledge to deliver the challenges of today. We are at the forefront of research informed challenges and solutions, and the employer can really work with the employees to solve these challenges for evidence based from research and beyond. So yes, it’s literally bridging the gap between the employer and academia, as well as the other way around.

Want to find out more?

Find out more about our higher and degree apprenticeships and explore all our engineering higher and degree apprenticeship courses on offer with us including: