News, insights & analysis
The challenges facing our societies are complex, fast-moving and deeply interconnected. We convene our Fellows’ community online and in person, creating spaces for constructive dialogue, exchange and learning. Here, you can find individual and collective perspectives, analysis and stories from JST Fellows and partners – leaders working at the frontlines of social change across Europe, the South Caucasus and Central Asia.
From policy analysis to personal reflections and practitioner insights, this is where the JST network thinks out loud – curious, constructive and grounded in experience.
“I’m proud to help Ukraine and the UK protect themselves”
JST Fellow and open data expert Nataliia Chornohub is helping Ukraine navigate a difficult course between transparency and national security – and the UK is now benefiting from her expertise.
Apply now for JST’s new Rule of Law, Transparency and Technology Leadership Programme
We are now recruiting for our new Rule of Law, Transparency and Technology Leadership Programme – apply by 27 September.
Same roots, bigger mission – why we’ve rebranded as Just Society Trust
As we mark our 30th anniversary as the John Smith Trust we have rebranded and become Just Society Trust — a name that reflects the evolution of our mission.
Rethinking Democracy: Through the Lens of Culture, Trust and Agency
This article introduces a new series of short essays by JST Fellows – leaders working across Europe, the South Caucasus and Central Asia – exploring how societies can build the trust, agency and resilience needed for an era of fracture and flux. How Can We Secure a Healthy Political and Social Order in a Fragmented […]
Turkmenistan: Building regional cooperation for sustainable water management
How can Turkmenistan strengthen water resilience in the face of climate change and the rapid retreat of glaciers across the Central Asian region? JST Fellow Diana Charyyeva is building international connections to support regional cooperation on this shared challenge.
Not Moscow’s Story: One Komi Activist’s Fight to Reclaim the Arctic
While Moscow is trying to transform the Arctic into a military-economic hub, the Indigenous communities who have lived there for centuries are losing ground – literally and politically. Lana Pylaeva, a Komi activist and JST Fellow, is advocating to change this.
What can green hydrogen offer in a global energy crisis?
As countries struggle to deal with the economic fall-out from the Iran war, Ukraine and Scotland may hold part of the solution for creating a more resilient energy system.
Remembering well: why memorialisation matters for democracy
How societies remember their past is never neutral. From statues and museums to laws and anniversaries, memorialisation shapes who belongs, whose voices are heard, and which futures feel possible. In regions experiencing conflict, democratic backsliding or contested histories, these questions become even more urgent.
Ukraine 4 years on: Loss, Resilience and the Fight for Ukraine’s Future
Four years on from the first sirens in Kyiv, the human cost of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine remains staggering — measured in lives lost, families torn apart and futures shattered. Today is a moment to pause, confront that reality, and stand in solidarity with those still living its consequences.
Ukrainian leaders join JST to advance green recovery
At the end of January, JST will welcome a new cohort of Ukrainian leaders to Scotland, to support their vision of a green recovery for Ukraine.
Wider Europe and Central Asia Fellows begin their journey with JST
JST is pleased to welcome a new cohort of Fellows to the Wider Europe and Central Asia fellowship, bringing together emerging leaders working across the public, non-profit and private sectors with a shared focus on climate action and environmental sustainability.
Uzbekistan: “The most rewarding thing is seeing people flourish”
Motivated by a curiosity for international affairs and desire to see communities thrive, JST Fellow Farrukh Irnazarov from Uzbekistan, is working to support sustainable economic development in Central Asia.