The Peak Programme is the annual and largest gathering held for members of the Sustainability Cohort. 

What is the Peak Programme? 

The programme brings together PhD students, researchers, academics and practitioners, working towards creating a better and more sustainable industry, from many different backgrounds and viewpoints. Activities include leadership skills and researcher development and cross functional learning sessions.

The Peak Programme combines planned sessions and open slots for exploring areas of common interest, personal reflection time, listening to something-interesting-before-dinner and outdoor activities. Examples of previous themes covered are: views of manufacturing in pop culture, sustainability descriptions done by the media, trend analysis in the future of manufacturing, impact of Industry 4.0 in your research or industrial field, and many more.

Objectives

• Bring together a group of researchers and practitioners with interests in sustainability and industry (design, manufacturing, factories).
• Seed an environment in which a community (and communities) can emerge.
• Support the development of researchers – whatever stage they are at.

Peak Programme 2020

The Peak Programme 2020 dates are to be confirmed.

The cohort will take the theme 'balancing research and impact in a time of urgency' with the aim helping people manage their careers, their PhDs and help the world.

Part of the time will be spent tackling specific issues/cases to allow the thinking to move to reality, and some of the time will be spent discussing how individuals cope (reading about the imminent disaster while doing a 3 year project...). We have organized a workshop on challenges to balance between the time frame for your research and the urgency of the global challenge. We will also run a session on whether you can still publish while getting some sleep!

The programme will also focus on several industry challenges to reflect on or propose solutions to during the week. We are in discussion with some interesting new companies about bringing challenges.

Agenda

Full agenda to be announced.

The programme will be a more informal relaxed experience than recent years and may comprise a factory visit, nature walk, efficiency games, amoung other things.

Get involved

New members are encouraged to join the Sustainability Cohort and Peak Programme, particularly 1st year PhD and EngD students. 

If you know someone who would be interested in/benefit from attending please get them to email Dr Daniel Summerbell so that they can be added to the circulation list.

If you have an idea for an interactive session that you would like to run as part of the programme, please email Dr Daniel Summerbell to propose an activity, a topic for discussion or offer a talk.

Testimonials:

3rd year PhD researcher from Loughborough University, Peak Programme 2017:

"It was a great event. It has given me a greater grasp on research agenda and strategies to move forward as a researcher within the field of industrial sustainability. It was a good learning experience. It was good to get to know the other participants of the cohort. There was a great balance of fun and interesting conversation. I wish I would have come within my first year of Ph.D. It would have helped me further through my Ph.D. journey".

Operations manager from a start-up company, Peak Programme 2014:

"When I retire, this will be one of those days that I look back on as a game changer".