A day in the life of a Master's in Sustainability Leadership student
Friday 15 August - Sebastian Habersack Martos, Sustainability Expert at Philip Morris Austria and a student on the Master’s in Sustainability Leadership, shares his experience of studying the programme and details what a day looks like during the third of his residential workshops in Cambridge, UK.
My day begins with…
My day begins with opening the door to the balcony and gazing out over the tranquil gardens of Robinson College. Just a day earlier, I was standing on top of a glacier in the Austrian Alps, looking across a stunning mountain backdrop and being reminded of exactly what we are fighting to protect. While taking in the calm Cambridge view, I scroll through emails and check the day’s agenda. After getting ready, I walk over to breakfast with fellow students at the Garden Restaurant, where we catch up on the previous day’s agenda over a nourishing English breakfast.
The workshop starts with…
A warm catch-up over coffee. We reminisce about the pub quiz we hosted the night before with the entire cohort, sharing plenty of laughs and stories. The morning continues with a student soundbite from one of our colleagues, who shares their experience trying to calculate the CO2 footprint of their organisation, including the challenges and barriers they’ve encountered along the way.
Between sessions we…
Stroll into the historic town centre, just a ten-minute walk away. Over coffee and a quick bite, we bounce around dissertation ideas, give feedback on each other’s thoughts, and exchange contacts for potential interviewees. Sometimes we even squeeze in a quick game of pool to refresh our minds.
After lunch we…
Are joined by the CEO of IKEA, who generously shares how a multi-billion-Euro family-owned business can embed sustainability into long-term strategy. He outlines both the major shifts they’ve achieved and the challenges that persist. Remarkably, he sets aside 20 minutes for an open dialogue with us, genuinely engaging with our questions and showing how much he values interacting with students.
It’s moments like these that remind me how unique this programme is, offering direct access to leaders shaping the sustainability agenda and the chance to engage with them in a candid, human way.
After sessions finish, I…
Head to dinner at The Architect pub with my group project team. Our research focuses on how cooperatives enable sustainable practices in the dairy sector. We chat about upcoming interviews and how to refine our research design. Later, our enthusiastic supervisor joins us. We bond over shared interests, then top the evening off with Tony’s ice cream and a competitive round of shuffleboard at the Town and Gown.
After a day of learning, I feel…
Inspired and energised. My mind is buzzing with ideas sparked by the day’s discussions. There’s a sense of calm determination, like the world’s problems are solvable and the tools are within reach, just waiting to be used.
I am excited by…
The magical atmosphere one experiences while staying in Cambridge is truly unmatched. Everywhere you go, you are surrounded by places steeped in history and human achievement, from Stephen Hawking’s former office to Christ’s College, where Charles Darwin once studied. The people you meet, whether through CISL or at college socials, are each fascinating in their own way. Cambridge is not just a place where you study, graduate, and move on, it is a community I hope to remain connected with for life.