GSD hosts alumnus for careers talk on museum and heritage sustainability

The GSD department recently welcomed back a GSD alumnus for a talk about his career within the museums and heritage sector.

Luke Stanley graduated from Warwick in 2019 with a BASc in History and Global Sustainable Development. He then went on to complete a Philosophy Master’s degree before joining Barnsley Council in a customer service role, where he has since progressed to the position of Site Manager for three different cultural venues within the Barnsley region.

During the talk, which was hosted by GSD Director of Student Experience Dr Gioia Panzarella, Luke discussed how learning about the social aspects of global sustainability during his time at Warwick helped influence his career trajectory. He emphasised the importance of museums for preserving local heritage and culture - which are vulnerable to be lost in lower class communities due to industrialisation and capitalist practices - and how Barnsley’s heritage sector brings education to new audiences through exhibits in public spaces (such as in shopping malls and local parks) to make history accessible to all.

The event concluded with a Q&A from attending Warwick staff and students, whose questions included the ease of accessing a museums and heritage career and the worth of a university degree. Luke emphasised the unique benefits of pursuing Higher Education that are not often discussed in wider media, and reassured current students that having a globally focused degree such as GSD provides unique value and opportunities, as he remembered fondly his study abroad experiences in Melbourne, Australia, and Venice, Italy.

Many thanks to Luke for this engaging presentation. To find out more about Luke’s career, you can visit his LinkedIn account here.