It's starting to become a tradition... For the second time, our GEGPA students travelled to Bonn for a three-day study trip to the United Nations Campus and IDOS, the German Institute of Development and Sustainability.
After a visit to the new exhibition on German history at Haus der Geschichte, the students spent a day on the United Nations Bonn Campus, visiting the secretariats of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). 

At the UN, the students were introduced to the UNCCD's and UNFCCC's work in coordinating and driving global cooperation for sustainable development. In several presentations and case studies, they learnt more about the UN's policy regarding "Adaptation with consideration for the food security, water and land policy". The students were welcomed by Barron Joseph Orr, Chief Scientist at UNCCD, and Yufu Guo, Science, Technology, and Innovation Unit. Lisa Hartmann and Motsomi Maletjane presented their research at the United Nations University - Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS) and UNFCCC respectively. Louise Baker, Radhika Jain and Fatin Tawfig spoke about new projects at the UN to mobilise resources and translate finance into action. 

During the lunch break on the rooftop of Bonn's second tallest building, the students enjoyed a fantastic panorama view of the Rhine valley. 

The trip came to an end with a visit and discussion at the German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS), where the students exchanged with Wulf Reiners, Head of Managing Global Governance (MGG) Programme and Researcher, and Mariya Aleksandrova, Expert in Climate Risk Governance, discovering how the organisation provides policy advice in the dynamic field of global governance. 
 
We would like to express our gratitude to our hosts for their generous welcome and their insightful lectures. Thank you to everyone involved in the organisation of this successful GEGPA study trip!