What has always fascinated (and troubled) me about local and national governance is the enduring difficulty of implementing positive change, despite the best intentions of policymakers. Of particular interest are the deeply engrained political, social, and economic barriers that continue to impede our efforts to tackle the climate crisis.
My ultimate aspiration is to pursue a career in climate policy at the national level, to help combat one of the most urgent threats facing our own and future generations. My hope is that studying your Masters in Public Administration will equip me with the skills necessary to do so.
My Bachelors in Environmental Politics has equipped me with an in-depth knowledge of the ecological crisis we face, as well as the ways in which governments have attempted to address it, both in the UK and internationally. What became abundantly clear is that even where policymakers are ideologically united on the problem of climate change, many of the obstacles to implementing meaningful change are administrative, logistical, or bureaucratic.
For this reason, I was particularly interested in the aspect of your course that examines how we can improve collaboration between policymakers and scientists. I would love the opportunity to attain the management and leadership skills necessary to bridge the gap between politics and climate science, and to find innovative ways that experts can work together in our collective interest.
Outside of academia, I have gained extensive experience that I feel would be of relevance to this course. During my degree, I volunteered for the Green Party, which involved canvassing and helping with social media campaigns. I had personal interactions with our constituency’s candidate and gained valuable insight into the processes behind policy development and strategic communications.
After graduating, I completed a 12-week internship in the UK’s Civil Service, where I worked in internal communications. This allowed me to develop a deeper understanding of how governmental organisations operate, and how we can promote cohesion amongst members. I am interested in how this course can help me apply this understanding to the larger goal of uniting multiple sectors around a shared purpose.
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