Grounding Doughnut Economics in Glasgow
Published: 6 October 2026
Sasha Diachenko, GALLANT Workstream One’s 2026 Summer Intern, shares his experience of applying Doughnut Economics in Glasgow to explore how organisations across the city are developing solutions that make it a greener, fairer and more resilient place.
Starting a new job is rarely without its uncertainties. Starting a new job in a field that had long been a personal and academic interest of mine, but in which I had little practical experience, definitely felt that way. When I began my internship with GALLANT, I was excited by the opportunity to think about Doughnut Economics and explore what its principles might look like in practice, but I was also conscious that I was entering a field I was yet to properly understand.
One of the things I appreciated most about my time with GALLANT was the support I received from the team as I found my feet. Rather than being expected to immediately know what my work should look like, I was given the space to explore Doughnut Economics at my own pace, ask questions, and develop my own understanding of the subject and its application to organisational structure and practices. Just as importantly, I was trusted to make judgements about how to shape my work and how best to approach the organisations I would eventually interview. That freedom was incredibly valuable. It helped me build confidence, but also gave me a genuine sense of agency over the work I was producing.
Perhaps the biggest lesson I have taken away from the internship is that, when working within the social realm, with people, organisations and communities, and perhaps in social research more broadly, messiness is unavoidable. The reality on the ground rarely fits neatly into the theories, frameworks or expectations we begin with. Plans change, conversations lead somewhere unexpected, and the boundaries of the subject we are investigating are often less clear than we initially imagined. I came to realise that what distinguishes a productive research process from a frustratingly chaotic one is not necessarily the ability to eliminate this messiness, but the ability to make judgements within it. Good research requires knowing what deserves closer investigation, what can reasonably be set aside, and which unexpected details might actually reveal something important about the question at hand. Speaking directly with organisations working across Glasgow gave me an opportunity to move beyond abstract discussions of Doughnut Economics, and reminded me that research is not simply about collecting information: it is about listening carefully, asking the right questions, recognising what is surprising, and making sense of complexity without trying to force it into a predetermined narrative.
By the end of my internship, I had conducted interviews with eight organisations and produced eight case study reports exploring Doughnut Economics-aligned action on the ground. The organisations I spoke to were diverse, ranging from council-led development projects and social enterprises to private companies and charities. Despite their differences, the conversations revealed the ingenuity of the solutions Glaswegians are already developing to make the city greener, fairer and more resilient. One of the most interesting things I found was that many of the ideas needed to move towards a more equitable and sustainable city may already exist around us. The challenge is often not a lack of ideas, but how to connect them, synchronise them and, perhaps most importantly, materially support them in ways that allow them to grow, scale up and thrive. The case studies offered small but meaningful glimpses of what this can look like in practice, and I hope they can contribute to the wider work of understanding and strengthening this ecosystem of change in Glasgow.
Knowing that my work would contribute to an international conference like the GALLANT Gathering felt particularly rewarding. Being able to produce work that I knew would feed into an important event, and to feel that my contribution could take even a little pressure off the shoulders of the wider GALLANT team, gave the internship a strong sense of purpose. It made the transition from being a student interested in these ideas to someone actively contributing to work around them feel tangible.
I leave GALLANT with greater confidence in my ability to conduct research, navigate uncertainty and make considered judgements in the messy reality of working with people and organisations. Most importantly, I leave with a deeper appreciation for the value of listening carefully and being willing to follow questions wherever they lead. I am incredibly grateful to everyone at GALLANT who made this experience possible. Special thanks to Sarah Lester for her unceasing support and wise advice; to Jo Winterbottom for ensuring that the project remained useful and realistic, while also helping me build vital connections; and to Alice MacLachlan, Petra Meier and the many other members of the GALLANT team who made my time with the project truly unforgettable.
First published: 6 October 2026