Emily Loeven is a student at the Balsillie School of International Affairs in the Masters of Arts in Global Governance Program. She recently graduated from Carleton University with a Bachelor of Global and International Studies Honours and a Minor in Economics. Throughout her undergraduate experience, Emily specialized in global development through an interdisciplinary approach.

In her last year at Carleton University, Emily had the opportunity to pursue a three-month internship in Kampala, Uganda. She worked for Sawa World, a non-profit organization that takes a local approach to helping marginalized youth start their own businesses. After returning to Ottawa, Emily gained further insight in the non-profit sector by providing support for unemployed and marginalized individuals in her own backyard. These experiences have provided Emily with a unique perspective of the contrasts between how non-profit organizations function in both Uganda and Canada.

While pursuing her internship in Uganda, Emily took courses at Makerere University to expand her knowledge of Africa’s position in International Relations and Peace and Conflict. This experience combined with the environmental courses taken at Carleton University sparked Emily’s interest in the intersection between climate and conflict.

During her time at the Balsillie School of International Affairs, Emily is looking forward to advancing her research through a focus on climate refugees, specifically in the Sahel region in Africa, and the role that governance plays.