Ezgi Akpinar-Ferrand
Turkey

UNEP, being a very important part of the United Nations, has a great balance of creating environmental initiatives and communication that is backed by the latest scientific knowledge among various nations and regions. As a Ph.D candidate that specializes in human-environment relations from past to present, I enjoyed working in this dynamic organization as an intern. My interests lie in environmental policy-making and educating the public about environmental issues.

Throughout my training as a geographer and an archaeologist, I have studied past and modern human populations to better understand how the environment is a major factor for a healthy, sustainable human population. Interning at UNEP, an organization that aims to have a wholesome approach on environmental issues, allowed me to expand my knowledge in this field as I became more familiar with the research material.

As an intern at UNEP's Regional Office for North America (UNEP RONA), I attended panels and discussions on the environment by experts in Washington D.C.; I also helped in preparing the next UNEP Atlas on Climate Change, and I performed research on environmental topics for staff members, including the Regional Director. It was a pleasure and a wonderful learning experience being part of UNEP RONA.