By: Letitia Taylor
Kia ora everyone!
My name is Letitia Taylor, and I’m currently right in the thick of a Bachelor of Climate Change, majoring in Political Science and Anthropology. It’s definitely a mouthful of a degree, but for me, it covers the three pillars of our future: understanding our planet, the systems we use to govern it, and the diverse human stories at the heart of it all.
In just a few days, I’ll be trading the lecture halls at Waikato for the halls of the United Nations in Geneva. I’ve been accepted into a UNITAR programme, which feels like a massive leap toward my goal of building a career within the UN system. It’s a chance to get a first-hand look at how things actually work behind the scenes and learn from people who are dedicated to a more sustainable world.
The UNITAR programme offers a unique “engine room” view of global governance. As I move through the trip, I’ve set three specific goals to help bridge the gap between my degree and my career:
- Decoding Global Policy: While I’ve spent the last one and a half years studying the theory of international frameworks, I want to see how they are actually negotiated in real-time. Observing the friction and the compromises involved in international agreements will give me a much more realistic perspective on how we achieve global climate action.
- Navigating the UN System: Reading about the UN is one thing; navigating its halls is another. I’m looking forward to learning the “unwritten rules” of international diplomacy – the workflows, the communication styles, and the high-level collaboration required to get 193 member states on the same page.
- Mentorship & Real-World Insight: I’ll be surrounded by professionals who are already doing the work I aspire to. I plan to use this time to ask questions about career paths in climate governance and learn how they balance scientific urgency with political reality on a daily basis.
This trip is the ultimate bridge between my lectures and my goal of working in international diplomacy. I’m honestly so excited to get started, and I’m incredibly grateful to the university for backing me and making this dream a reality. I can’t wait to head over there and bring all these international insights back home to my studies!
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