Niamh Donnelly (Ireland – GLODEP Cohort 2019–2021)

I am currently a PhD candidate in the Department of Geography at Trinity College Dublin, where I work on questions related to climate justice and just energy transitions in the West of Ireland. My research draws on feminist methodologies, collaborative ethnography, and political ecology, with a particular focus on spatial justice in the bioeconomy, specifically biogas and biomethane production. Within my department, I teach undergraduate and master students across a range of topics in human geography, including fieldwork skills, qualitative research methods, rural development, and climate justice. GLODEP provided me with a strong interdisciplinary foundation in global studies, sharpened my critical perspective on inequality and economic development, and gave me the confidence to pursue independent research.

I chose GLODEP for its joint-degree structure and its genuinely international approach to development studies. The opportunity to study in diverse national and institutional contexts with classmates from around the world was especially appealing, as it offered academic breadth and the chance to think comparatively about development and social change. I was drawn to the program’s interdisciplinary nature and to its encouragement of students to engage critically with global challenges while remaining attentive to economic and political realities.

One of my key learnings from the program was the importance of approaching development as a contested, political process rather than a purely technical one. I learned so much from our instructors and from my fellow classmates, who came from a wide range of professional and academic backgrounds. GLODEP strengthened my understanding of structural uneven development and the legacies of colonialism, and showed me the value of grounded, context-sensitive research. It helped me to see how theory and practice can inform one another, and how reflexive scholarships can contribute meaningfully to debates on sustainability.

In my current work, I continue to draw on the skills developed during the program, particularly in critical analysis, interdisciplinary thinking, and cross-cultural communication. The experience of studying across multiple countries has also taught me adaptability, sometimes in quite stressful scenarios related to studying abroad during the COVID-19 pandemic. Overall, these experiences have built my personal resilience and encouraged me to engage confidently with different perspectives, which have been invaluable in both teaching and research.

Looking back, one of the most valuable aspects of GLODEP was the opportunity to live and study abroad for two years. That experience broadened my horizons in ways that went far beyond the classroom. I was also extremely grateful to have received a scholarship to study, as without this financial support, I could not have imagined being able to afford pursuing a master’s program or, indeed, the career in academia that I have since followed. GLODEP pushed me intellectually and personally, and it gave me a much deeper appreciation of the value of international collaboration and learning.

For me, the moment I realized those two years abroad were truly worth it was when I began to see how profoundly they had shaped not only my academic interests, but also the kind of researcher and person I wanted to become.