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Dr Jingxi Huang on Sustainability, Psychology, and the Power of Small Changes

At the heart of NUSC’s interdisciplinary mission is a commitment to tackling urban challenges through diverse perspectives. Dr Jingxi Huang, a researcher in consumer behaviour and sustainability, embodies this spirit with her unique blend of marketing insight and psychological depth. Jingxi’s passion for sustainability goes beyond academic theory. “It’s a long-term challenge that affects both our generation and the next,” she explains.

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The Architecture of Innovation: Lessons from a Football Academy

In the heart of Belgium, a football academy – KRC Genk – buzzes with quiet intensity. Coaches huddle over data sheets, young players lace up boots with dreams of stardom, and behind the scenes, a task force assembles — not just to talk tactics, but to ensure that the academy stays at the forefront of developing talent. This task force is composed of individuals selected from within the academy- taking a bottom-up approach that leverages their expertise. By including external knowledge, this task force can also challenge the status quo and promote innovative thinking.

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Meet the Member: Neal Layton on Flexible Work, Real-World Insight, and a PhD with Purpose

Meet Neal Layton, one of our newest PhD Students. For Neal, pursuing a PhD isn’t just an academic milestone—it’s a meaningful way to round off a dynamic career that’s spanned consultancy, leadership, and even a stint in a banking start-up. “I loved the research during my Master’s” he says. “This felt like a great way to finish working life ahead of retirement.”

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Leading the Change: How Corporate Leadership Drives Eco-Innovation

Imagine a startup that creates edible packaging made from seaweed. You buy a takeaway coffee, and instead of a plastic lid, it’s sealed with a biodegradable, tasteless seaweed film (Product innovation). You can toss it in the compost—or eat it.

Now scale that up: this packaging replaces millions of plastic wrappers in supermarkets. It dissolves in water, leaves no microplastics, and is made from a fast-growing, carbon-sequestering marine plant (Process innovation). The company partners with coastal communities to harvest seaweed sustainably, creating jobs and restoring marine ecosystems (Social impact).

This is eco-innovation in action.

It’s not just clever—it’s transformative.

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