In 2014, Dr. Karen Landman was invited by the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) to work with Landscape Architecture professors from around the world to create a Global Challenges University Alliance graduate summer school, which would be focused on issues related to sustainable development and climate change. The objective of the 2015 Summer School on Green and Sustainable cities was to gather an international group of selected graduate students of different disciplinary fields, including Landscape Architecture, Landscape Planning, Sustainable Architecture, Urban Design, Physical and Community Planning.

The first summer school ran through August of 2015 in Sweden; three SEDRD students – Master of Landscape Architecture students:  Elena Christy, Kearney Coupland and Ph.D Rural Studies student Christy Hempel - participated. The attendees were provided with opportunities to interact with and learn from each other and build international networks, which will be of benefit in their future work.  It is anticipated that this summer school will take place each year at a different university, fluctuating in location from the Global North to the Global South.

SEDRD students Elena Christy, Kearney Coupland and Christy Hempel at Kroksbäcksparken in Malmo, Sweden.