School of Global Development

Led by Steve Wiseman, this course equips participants with the practical skills and confidence to write bids and grant applications to maximise the prospects of gaining grants for NGOs, charities, social enterprises, and global development projects. Participants will learn how to interpret funder questions and criteria, structure strong proposals, and articulate their organisation’s impact in persuasive and evidence-based ways.

Building on the course leader's skills and experience in this field, the course emphasises clarity, strategy, and storytelling. Attendees will practice drafting proposals, explore common pitfalls, and discover techniques for maximising success rates. As highlighted in our approach, effective bid writing is about “making your case stand out by combining vision with precision.”

By the end, learners will be able to confidently design, write, and submit competitive bids that not only attract funding but also strengthen their organisation’s credibility and long-term sustainability.

Branding changes how people think, feel and act. So it’s a vital strategy in global development. On this course, you’ll explore how brands work. You’ll learn some practical models for creating and building brands. You’ll hear the inside story of two brands – a startup and a global NGO. And you’ll try it all out in a creative project. You’ll come away excited, and better equipped, to deploy the power of brands for positive change.

Robert Jones is a brand strategist who’s advised a huge range of organisations, from the National Trust to Tesco, and from Amnesty International to Barclays. He’s also Professor of Brand Leadership at UEA. Robert has a special interest in the power of brands to create social change.

Led by Steve Wiseman, this course offers a practical introduction to fundraising in the global development and non-profit space, drawing on decades of experience.

It explores how organisations can align funding opportunities with their mission and values, using both emotional and strategic approaches. Participants will learn methods ranging from mass appeals and community fundraising to trust funding and sponsorships. Through case studies and exercises, learners will build skills in identifying funders, crafting effective strategies, and ensuring accountability.

With international aid budgets shrinking, NGOs and charities must diversify income to sustain their work. This course equips participants—whether new to fundraising or seeking a refresh—with a clear framework to grow sustainable income and strengthen impact locally and globally.

This three-day intensive course provides a comprehensive introduction to Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for students in International Development and related fields. The course combines theoretical understanding with hands-on practical experience using industry standard software, including ArcGIS Online and QGIS.

Students will develop essential GIS skills including working with spatial data, coordinate systems, data visualization, map design, and advanced processing techniques like multi-criteria decision analysis. The course emphasizes practical applications relevant to natural resource management, environmental studies, and development research through independent project work in a supported learning environment.

The program is designed to take participants from beginner to independent GIS users, covering both vector and raster data types, finding spatial data, and cartographic principles. Students will complete individual projects and present their work, with certificates awarded to all those attending.

Requirements: No prior GIS experience necessary. By the end of the course, students will be equipped with the skills and confidence to integrate GIS tools into their own research and professional projects. The course is specifically tailored for Masters and PhD students in International Development, ensuring relevant real-world applications throughout the curriculum.

This course is offered by DuckRabbit, an award-winning film production and training company known for creating compelling stories for commercial, charitable, and broadcast clients.
 
Your phone isn’t just for TikTok, chatting, and doomscrolling—it’s a filmmaking machine waiting to be unlocked. On this 2-Day Mobile Filmmaking & Storytelling Course, you’ll learn how to shoot like a pro, direct your own mini-scenes, set up interviews, and create stories that have the power to change the world.

This course is hands-on, practical, and packed with challenges designed to get you thinking like a filmmaker from day one. By the end, you’ll not only know the tricks to creating great video but also how to tell stories that entertain, inspire, and make an impact.

Think you can’t be a filmmaker? Spoiler alert: you already are.

This course offers a comprehensive introduction to participatory photography and photovoice. It is designed for anyone with an interest in the use of photography for social change and action research and specifically for those want to use participatory photography and photovoice and to learn more about the practicalities and ethics of running their own projects. Tiffany Fairey has worked on over 60 participatory photography projects internationally and in the UK. The course will draw on case-studies from her 20+ years of 
experience and use participant produced images and writing to examine the key photovoice and participatory photography processes and methods. Through interactive sessions, presentations and practice exercises the course will cover the theory, ethics, design and facilitation of photovoice and participatory photography projects.

By the end of the course, participants will have a solid understanding of photovoice and participatory photography. Sessions cover underpinning theory, key processes and methods, ethical and critical practice, the design and implementation of projects, adapting photovoice and participatory photography for different community contexts and strategies for data 
analysis, dissemination and outreach. Participants will gain hands-on experience with photo dialogue exercises, generating photos for projects and participatory editing. They will have an opportunity to work on the design of their own photovoice and participatory photography initiatives. Participants will be supplied with a reading and resources list.