Balancing politics and environmental protection

Essex scholar Tilak wants to use his Masters degree to transform environmental policies in his home country of Nepal. 

Tilak Babu Chapagai is now over half way through his Masters in Environmental Futures with Climate Change and is the recipient of a prestigious GREAT scholarship, funded by the British Council. He said “Attending the University of Essex would have been financially difficult without the scholarship I received.

"Before joining Essex, I was employed by an NGO that receives funding from USAID. I came to see that the environment is not the only problem while working in the environmental sector. What a country adheres to in terms of politics and policy is connected.

“I became aware of the gaps in my knowledge of the environment while I was working in the field. I then started looking for the course module I was truly interested in. The University of Essex will be your greatest choice if you're honestly looking for the top university for your career.”

Tilak hopes to use the knowledge he gains from his studies to improve the balance between politics and the environment in his home country of Nepal. 

“I will gain profound knowledge on environmental politics, public policy, business obligations and the law, pollution and climate change, international politics and its trend toward environmental care. This is incredibly useful to me as I work in the environmental sector in my country”.

“Because of shaky politics, environmental issues are effectively hidden, and deterioration occurs daily. I intend to travel home and participate in national politics and policymaking, either as a policymaker or in an advising capacity, to help balance politics and the environment there."

Tilak’s ambitions to tackle climate change serve both as an inspiration and reminder of the importance of investing in scholarships, and the impact their recipients can go on to have in the world.

Through our Essex Futures appeal, we’re raising £1m to support scholarships for people like Tilak. And thanks to the generosity of our donors, we’re over a quarter of the way there. 

This blog was written by Student Philanthropy Assistant, Jeswin Joseph.