This past summer at UBC’s School of Public Policy and Global Affairs, several faculty members worked with two exemplary students through the Mitacs Globalink Research Internship. Learn more about them and their research in their reflections below:
 |
Maria Kurando
International Relations, Odessa I. I. Mechnikov National University, Ukraine
“I am a student of the International Relations department at Odessa I. I. Mechnikov National University in Ukraine. My research interests mainly cover all aspects of international relations, foreign policy of different countries, and their political history, however I have been drawn to the topic of nuclear weapons as tensions between nuclear armed states have become more and more acute nowadays. This subject is very important not only in terms of possibility of using nuclear weapon as a tool for warfare, but also risks of merely possessing it. In this case, it is not only a security measure, but a genuine threat to the existence of the country possessing it and to humanity in general.
I applied for Mitacs Globalink Research Internship and was enrolled at the Liu Institute for Global Issues, School of Public Policy and Global Affairs, University of British Columbia to work under the supervision of Professor M. V. Ramana for 12 weeks. During my stay I have worked on various issues related to nuclear command and control system and accidents involving nuclear weapons. I have learned much during this internship from my professor and the work on these issues helped me to identify main priorities for my future research activities. I also liked my time at UBC and will consider applying for graduate program here.”
 |
Dante Zayas
Environmental Engineering, Tecnológico de Monterrey (ITESM)
“I was drawn to the Liu Institute for Global Issues at UBC’s School of Public Policy and Global Affairs because of its interdisciplinary research topics ranging from water to mining to corporate social responsibility. Coming from an engineering background, I am interested in exploring the intersection of science and policy focusing on environmental decision-making.
During my time here working with Professor Nadja Kunz and Dr. Cecilia Campero, I focused on quantifying environmental and social trade-offs for desalination projects in the Chilean mining industry. Our project incorporates vector maps to an existing seawater supply optimization model in the Antofagasta and Atacama regions in Chile to determine potential social and environmental impacts associated with the most economically optimal scenario. In future, I plan to collaborate with Dr. Campero and Dr. Kunz on a research article based on the project outcomes and their evolving work.
By bridging mining infrastructure optimization and environmental accounting, not only did I have the opportunity to analyze current socio-environmental accounting methods used in the industry, but I also realized the potential of desalination as an attractive and sustainable solution for a high-water demanding society and the potential to shape policy around it.”
However, what I enjoyed the most of these couple of months at the Liu Institute was the wonderful mining team that Nadja leads. Their diverse backgrounds and experience made me realize the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration and left me motivated to work with them in the near future.”
