Economic incentives help preserve the environment

 

Water is important when oil is extracted from underground reserves in Ontario, Canada, where Niall (BSc in Economics) grew up. But the waste water management leaves room for improvement. Often the water ends up in streams and negatively affects fish and wild life. According to Niall, understanding and creating economic incentives to exploit natural resources in sustainable ways may be the best way to preserve the environment and prevent climate change.

 

Niall does not consider him self merely a Canadian citizen, but also a global citizen. This may be the most important reason why his interest in economics has been specified to a strong passion for Environmental and Natural Resource Economics. Exploitation and use of natural resources is not only a local or national matter. It affects the environment and even the climate internationally and even globally. According to Niall, the creation of economic incentives may be the best motivation for eliminating the causes of environmental and climate change problems.

 

As no universities in Canada offered a programme which combined Niall’s interest in economics and the environment, it was only natural to search for a relevant programme somewhere in the world. After a bit of searching, he found the Environmental and Natural Resource Economics programme which suited his interests perfectly. And, very importantly, the programme was taught in English.

 

Niall has not regretted his choice. He feels that the programme offers high level education, small classes with smart fellow students taught by brilliant professors. The class size and the general form of instruction at LIFE provide students with a very close relationship to their professors, which you call by their first name and whom encourage students to participate in class and think for themselves. Generally, Niall thinks that the study structure is very flexible and gives him the opportunity to choose courses freely.

 

In touch with real life

The Environmental and Natural Resource Economics programme is in many ways linked to the real world. The studies are globally oriented and based on international cases and in the theme course Applied Water Management you go on excursions to businesses in Denmark. Additionally, the Master thesis must be research based and consequently linked to a real life case.

 

Through his student job as a research assistant at the Environmental and Regional Development Section, Niall is lucky to complement his studies with research in real life cases which can actually make a difference for society.

 

Upon graduation, Niall sees him self working for a company as an economist specialised in environmental issues. But he could work for and NGO or a Government Agency as well as a consultant. Being a global citizen, Niall is not constraint by national boundaries when it comes to choosing a career. If the right job shows up, it does not matter where in the world it is. As long as he can contribute to creating economic incentives that can help preserve the environment.

 

International study environment

Considering himself a global citizen, Niall appreciates the fact that 50% of his class mates are international students from Europe to Ethiopia.

 

“Studying in an intercultural setting provides you with a broader perspective on your own background and on the issues and real life cases brought up in class”, Niall says.

 

The international study environment at LIFE has given him the opportunity to make friends with people from all over the world. Many of them he teamed up with from the very beginning by participating in the International Graduate Orientation Programme in August prior to study start. Many of them, he regularly makes group work with at the Faculty library which, Niall thinks, provides students with great study facilities, e.g. access to computers and all the electronic journals you could wish for.

 

Niall Williams, Canada

2nd year MSc student (Environmental and Natural Resource Economics)