Bass Connections Course Propels Students from Classroom to U.N. Climate Change Conference

By Jiaxin Guo

Through Duke University’s U.N. Climate Change Negotiations Practicum class, 11 classmates and I went to COP23 in Bonn, Germany this November. I participated in the second week of COP, when the U.S. Climate Action Center had just opened, and also featured a series of high-level engagement events. 

During our trip, every student was not only an observer from a research institute, but also worked with a client organization to gain practical experience. My client during the week was International Union for Conservation of Nature, an ecosystem-based adaptation team, and I attended several resilience-related events with my client. 

The state or organization pavilion also held abundant panels and events. For example, I have attended a carbon market panel in the China pavilion and a climate change and social media discussion in the EU pavilion.

For day-to-day coverage from the conference, be sure to visit the Duke to the UNFCCC student blog. It’s maintained by Duke University’s U.N. Climate Change Negotiations Practicum class. Now in its eighth year, the Bass Connections-affiliated course provides students with an opportunity to develop a comprehensive understanding of the issues at the heart of global climate change — from adaptation and mitigation to the political dynamics of the UNFCCC negotiations process. 

Originally posted on the Nicholas School of the Environment website. Jiaxin Guo is a first-year Master of Environmental Management candidate concentrating in Environmental Economics and Policy.

Learn More

• View other Bass Connections one-semester courses.
• Explore Bass Connections in Energy & Environment.
• Save the date for the Bass Connections Fair on January 24. New projects for 2018-19 will be announced on January 10.

Photos: COP23 by Sarah Reinheimer; Jiaxin Guo at the conference