Interview with Visiting Fellow Matilda Dunn at CIES

You are currently a PhD Candidate in the Centre for Environmental Policy at Imperial College London. Can you tell us what your research topic is and how did you come to choose it ?
 
My PhD research seeks to understand how the biodiversity dimensions of the UN Sustainable Development Goals are approached and integrated across the UN systems’. The research topic covers the environmental, systems thinking and operations sciences and is coordinated across Imperial College and the UN Environmental Management Group.
During my previous studies in conservation science and management, I realised how integral biodiversity is across many aspects of development and in improving human lives. I wanted to explore this topic further and apply my interdisciplinary background to the study of global policy and, when I came across this PhD project advertised through the London Interdisciplinary School of Social Sciences DTP, I was inspired by the prospect of delivering outcomes that would feed directly into shaping the UN’s system-wide strategy on the environment.
 
Can you describe your thesis questions and methodology ?
 
My thesis poses the questions: How are biodiversity goals currently integrated across the UN-systems’ plans, programmes and partnerships; What are the trade-offs and how are they managed; And what are the opportunities for developing and strengthening this integration of biodiversity? Following the interactive planning concept, I will be using an interdisciplinary approach to answer these questions, utilising a social network analysis, semi-structured interviews and gap analysis.
 

How do you expect your experience at CIES will contribute to it ?
 
I am hoping that my experience at The Graduate Institute, Geneva and CIES will help me to fully realise the interdisciplinary approach I have set out for this research. My background is in environmental sciences and so I am looking forward to building up a more holistic understanding of my research through learning from the diverse group of academics within the department. I am also hoping to use the interactive community of the institute to test, develop and deliver the next stages of my PhD research.