Having just returned from Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) summit focused on the management of plastic pollution worldwide, held on 11/25-12/01 in Busan, Republic of Korea, fourth-year GAD students Zhang Jing and Zhang Xiaowei (also known as Sparrow) fill us in on their academic adventure of a lifetime.

Left to right: Zhang Xiaowei, INC chair and ambassador Luis Vayas Valdivieso, Zhang Jing and Ms. Wang Kerou (from Caixin organization)

1）How did you find out about this opportunity?

It all began last semester when the two students took the Major Required course “Global Environmental Governance", taught by Dr. Edoardo Monaco, Associate Professor and Head of Department of Social Sciences, during which they studied multiple environmental regimes and their diplomatic, economic, legal and scientific underpinnings. Registering the students’ particular interests in the fast-evolving dynamics involving plastics pollution – where the international community is approaching what would be an historic, legally-binding treaty – Dr. Monaco recommended that they collaborate with China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation (CBCGDF), a long-time formative partner of the GAD Programme, providing students with plenty of opportunities to conduct in-depth research and even attend relevant international summits.

This enriched the students' foundational knowledge on the topic at hand as the Deputy Secretary General of the organization, Linda Wong, aided them in their further research on the ongoing negotiations for a treaty on global governance of plastic pollution. Subsequently the students, with the help of an old friend from high school, organized a team and soon published a research paper titled "Why the plastic regime is delayed?" in an academic journal earlier, this year (May 2024). Following their publication, Jing and Sparrow then applied for the opportunity to attend this year's “INC-5” summit in Korea: after a competitive selection process, the organization nominated them both as members of CBCGDF’s delegation, being two of five attendees, participating in the highly-anticipated summit in Busan, Korea. This then gave them the opportunity of a lifetime as they could present their research to the many delegates and experts in attendance, as well as form new connections and gain valuable insights into environmental governance.

2）How did you feel the summit linked to your prior studies in environmental governance- did you find it helped you apply your theoretical knowledge to real-world practical scenarios?

In attending this year's INC summit, Jing and Sparrow were in consensus on how the principles of negotiations in theory greatly differed in practice. On one hand, through witnessing the negotiation processes they found that the diverse national interests in addition to divergent stances made multilateralism a difficult feat to achieve. One particular class they had taken in the past also came to mind, with Dr. Selçuk Çolakoglu's "Principles of Negotiation” class detailing the "high-level ambitious approach" in contrast to the "practical and flexible approach". With the latter approach perceived to be weaker than the former, the students were able to see this put into practice as the lack of consensus and compromise ultimately led to no decision being made this year meaning that the negotiations will not continue until next year's session. Additionally, Sparrow added that his prior experience in model UN had some parallels to how the summit was organized. He cited the different contact groups resembled model UN as they would often discuss separate topics in smaller groups, such as legal framework, chemical materials, financial mechanisms, etc. whereas the INC meeting as a whole was very different and took a more macro approach as it involved all of the nations as a collective.

3）What were you surprised to learn during your research into plastic pollution and in attending the INC summit？

During their research into plastic pollution, the students articulated their confusion about how this issue only gained prominence within the last decade. They cited that plastic pollution was well-researched and discussed by governments and NGOs, even dating back to the mid-2000s, and yet the first INC summit addressing such issues with intergovernmental policies and lawmaking only began in 2022. This alongside the role that cultural elements and domestic interests play in the decision-making process of countries during the summit is what the students found to be most surprising. Overall, both students agreed that they gained valuable insight into the overall bureaucratic process of the INC.

4）How has this benefitted/enriched your studies /employability /experience outside of the classroom (i.e. for postgraduate studies or career-wise such as potentially working for the UN environment program etc.), and has this consolidated your academic abilities (i.e. for your Final Year Project this year)?

With both students being in their final year of studies, this opportunity could not have come at a more pivotal time. With this new-found working knowledge of the bureaucratic and diplomatic elements of plastic pollution governance, Sparrow in turn detailed his ambition of working for South American countries to further aid their development. He found that participating in the summit allowed him greater access to the geopolitical elements of development, in this case regarding plastic pollution and the obstacles in eradicating it worldwide. He discussed his ability to connect with key figures during the summit, including the representative of the international Indian Treaty Council in Guatemala (Juan Leon), who discussed the nuance behind policymaking on this issue and the role that domestic politics played. This not only directly inspired Sparrow for his Final Year Project (FYP), which will explore "The plastic regime in Latin-American countries", but also offered him a greater insight into the importance of Indigenous peoples particularly in the Latin-American region. He also had the opportunity to connect with the Panama delegate (Juan Carlos Monterrey Gómez, pictured above with Sparrow) and liaise with them, thus building more connections that will help him on his journey to pursue developmental work in Latin America.

Zhang Xiaowei (right) took a photo with the representative from Panama, Juan Carlos Monterrey Gómez (left).

 Fellow student Jing also agreed that this opportunity has solidified his intentions of pursuing a postgraduate degree in development studies, with his FYP utilizing his new-found knowledge on the nuance regarding the multilateral aspect of the INC's plastic pollution summits, and applying them to his research on "Multilateral Developmental Banks".

5）Any advice for GAD students (i.e. how studying GAD has given you such an opportunity to put your studies to practice/support received from academic staff/relevance of studying GAD regarding opportunities such as this one)?

When asking Jing and Sparrow for their words of wisdom, they both agreed that, besides the profound relevance of the courses attended within GAD, perseverance and overcoming setbacks and obstacles were key to their success. With the support of  Dr. Edoardo Monaco and Professor Donald Lee , they were both able to build on their knowledge of plastic pollution as well as reach out to the very organization that nominated them to attend the INC summit. On top of that, UIC's efficient administration team meant that their visa application process was not inhibited as they received their necessary documents promptly. With the help of their old high-school classmate, Jing and Sparrow were able to persevere and seize the opportunity given to them. Their inquisitive nature and determination truly shine through as Sparrow discussed his ambitions of learning Spanish to further advance his intended career in Latin America, and with Jing setting his sights on a master's program overseas.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               Interviewer: Ilwad Ahmed

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 Editor: Ms. Aileen Chen