Stephanie Hodgson has a multidisciplinary academic background culminating in a first-class Master’s degree from King’s College London. For her thesis, she conducted experimental research in Beijing, testing the applicability of Western-derived linguistic pedagogy in a Chinese educational context.
Stephanie is currently a PhD Candidate in the Innovation Studies group at the Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development, Utrecht University. Her research centres on the circular economy, with a particular focus on the unique challenges and opportunities of applying circular strategies within service sector industries. Collaborating closely with stakeholders in the hair and beauty industry, Stephanie not only conducts her research but also actively disseminates her findings. She is especially interested in how critical factors like customer experience and health and safety shape the adoption of circular strategies in these contexts. Her work seeks to bridge the gap between theoretical circular economy frameworks and their application according to operational realities, ensuring that the specific needs and challenges of service industries are accounted for in the pursuit of sustainability. Stephanie's PhD is in collaboration with the University of Southampton (UK), where she initially developed her research proposal.
Stephanie is also involved in ‘CIRCULAR’, an international project on collaborative innovation in circular economy led by researchers from the Norwegian Institute for Urban and Regional Research, part of Oslo Metropolitan University. The project seeks to understand the main governance factors driving the co-creation of an innovative circular economy for reduced consumption by investigating and comparing urban case studies from Norway, South Africa and the Netherlands. Her contribution focuses on the Utrecht case, specifically the Werkspoorkwartier, a circular hub built by and for sustainable and creative entrepreneurs.
Stephanie teaches on the Business, Sustainability and Innovation course (GEO3-2122; year three).