UN Global Sustainable Solutions Winter School Empowers Future Sustainability Leaders

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by Zach Musgrove

The fourth United Nations Global Sustainable Solutions Winter School was hosted this past January 8-29, 2026, welcoming students from around the world. Founded and organized by Marta Vicarelli, assistant professor of economics and public policy at UMass Amherst, the online program is offered at no cost and geared toward graduate students interested in learning more about topics such as climate adaptation, resilience planning, nature-based solutions for disaster risk reduction (i.e., Eco-DRR), and water security.  

Vicarelli created the Global Sustainable Solutions Winter School with the hopes of growing understanding and innovation to address the joint climate and global biodiversity crises.   

“One way to accelerate solutions is to create new experts and empower our workforce. Our youth are part of the solution. The Winter School program was designed to allow students to directly connect with and learn from global experts,” Vicarelli said of last year's workshop.  

The school has had success in gaining attention for its diverse curriculum in sustainability science and its work in furthering climate research and collaboration focusing on sustainable solutions. The 2026 program featured speakers from institutions including the World Bank, the Euro-Mediterranean Center for Climate Change, UNU-EHS (United Nations University Institute for Environment and Human Security), University of Georgia’s Institute for Resilient Infrastructure Systems, the London School of Economics, and multiple UMass campuses.  

Online seminars with leading researchers and practitioners were held twice weekly. With more than 50 students this year, the Winter School promotes connection and collaboration. “These exchanges not only broaden students’ understanding of sustainability, they also expand students’ professional networks, and contribute to their career development,” said Vicarelli.  

Many student evaluations of the 2026 Winter School emphasized the importance of their exposure to a breadth of perspectives and praised the welcoming, well-organized program structure.      

“I really enjoyed the diversity of speakers’ experiences and locations, I think that gave us a good, broad overview of many topics and perspectives very effectively,” noted one student. “I am happy to be aware of many brilliant researchers, professionals and lecturers by the way of their presentations,” another commented. “I am also happy to be connected with brilliant students and researchers from many different regions as well. Mostly I am grateful to be part of a community having an intention to develop better living places on earth.” 

Participating students came from various fields, including engineering, public policy, regional planning, economics, and environmental sciences. While the school seeks to inform and educate students on how to be involved in the future of sustainability practices, it has also created strong partnerships and networking opportunities for students hoping to enter similar fields. “This high level of cross-disciplinarity generates exceptionally rich discussions, new professional connections and many opportunities for personal growth,” Vicarelli added.   

The Global Sustainable Solutions Winter School is a collaboration between the University of Massachusetts Amherst School of Earth and Sustainability and School of Public Policy; McMaster University (Canada); United Nations University (UNU) Climate Resilience Initiative, a joint initiative with UNU-CRIS (Belgium), UNU-MERIT (Netherlands), and UNU-EHS (Germany); and the Partnership for Environment and Disaster Risk Reduction (PEDRR). 

Vicarelli hopes the school can continue to reach more students interested in strengthening their understanding of sustainability practices. Since its launch in 2021, the school has connected over 200 students, with about half of the attendees from UMass Amherst.  

For 2026, five students—Anushka Kharel, Uttara Prakash, Marina Bottomley, and Nathaniel Rooney—were named Winter School Fellows by the UMass Amherst School of Earth and Sustainability to assist with program development. This essential role helped the program run smoothly across global time zones. “SES fellowships offered students a high-quality, well-coordinated, and inclusive learning experience,” noted Vicarelli. 

"By convening a global community alongside world-class experts, we are not only advancing technical understanding, we are shaping real-world solutions with relevance for Massachusetts and beyond."

Rob DeConto and Darci Maresca, leadership of the School of Earth and Sustainability (SES), emphasized the importance of the partnership, adding, “To address the complex climate and sustainability challenges of the moment, we need to work at a scale that matches the crisis. The Winter School provides a platform on the world stage where SES helps foster the international knowledge exchange needed for disaster risk reduction and climate adaptation. By convening a global community alongside world-class experts, we are not only advancing technical understanding, we are shaping real-world solutions with relevance for Massachusetts and beyond. Just as importantly, we are cultivating the ethically grounded leaders our future depends on.” 

Interested in the 2027 Winter School? The program typically has a December application deadline. To learn more, visit the UN Global Sustainable Solutions Winter School website or email questions to Marta Vicarelli at mvicarelli [at] econs [dot] umass [dot] edu.