Elizabeth’s story
Sussex offers a space where radical thinking has a home and a purpose – where together, we can ask: what future do we want? And what practical steps can we take to get there?” Elizabeth Mills
Associate Professor in International Development (Anthropology)
“I’ve always believed that education is key to transformation. I grew up in South Africa during Apartheid, but it wasn’t until I joined a new school at the age of 14 that I learned the true gravity of my country’s history. It was at this point that I made a commitment to facing and tackling injustice in my life.
I began studying Fine Art at a time when HIV was rapidly escalating across the nation. I witnessed a fire become an inferno and felt compelled to take action, so I switched to studying Anthropology. From there, I used art in my research to understand the social structures around gender and medicine that were shaping healthcare across the country.
Now, I continue to explore how international and national policies on gender and health can be improved to enhance rather than restrict our lives. I studied for my PhD at the Institute of Development Studies and Sussex appealed to me because it was a progressive university where students could be challenged and supported. I’m now based in the School of Global Studies, where teaching aims to be decolonial and co-constructive. My modules draw on students’ existing knowledge and equip them to move into their careers with confidence, so I take care to create spaces that encourage shared learning and co-creation.
As the Student Experience Lead in the School of Global Studies, I’m conscious that our students invest so much into their studies, so as a lecturer I want to help them build the confidence, knowledge and skills they need to work in a field they love. I want them to forge communities, but also learn to write academic papers and policy briefs, use participatory methods and develop theories of change – core skills they can evidence from application to interview.
Ultimately, I want my students to understand that the structures around us are changeable. I’ve witnessed a regime brought down by activism and life-saving HIV treatment made available through activism. I’ve seen that change is possible. Sussex offers a space where radical thinking has a home and a purpose – where together, we can ask: what future do we want? And what practical steps can we take to get there?
Together, we can all be catalysts of change and dream up different ways to learn and take action.”
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