Blogs

My name is Diane Matar and I am from Lebanon. I studied Environmental Health Sciences at the American University of Beirut and worked in the pharmaceutical industry, eco-tourism, and in an environmental NGO in Lebanon before joining MESPOM. For me MESPOM is not just a Masters programme, it is a journey into knowledge and culture where everyday is a discovery and a learning experience.

Lydia Press tragically died in a climbing accident during holidays in French Alps on May 2nd, 2008. The MESPOM community is in deep sorrow because of this terrible loss. The Daily Mail published an article about Lydia and what has happened (see also The Sun).

I studied landscape planning and worked in nature conservation before joining the first batch of mespom. I choose this programme because I wanted to gain more knowledge on and insight to the strategic and policy levels within the field of environment. MESPOM not only met my expectations but went far beyond it! Besides giving me a sound understanding of the million sides to the environment, it provided opportunities for unforgettable knowledge exchange and deep friendships.

I am sure by now you must be wondering where I landed after this exciting voyage of MESPOM. Take a deep breath, here it goes... I was picked up by the Holcim Group (the 2 nd largest manufacturer of cement in the World) as a Corporate Assistant Manager-Environment. I actually felt the benefit of the MESPOM course during my interview, when I was selected from the group, which included people with almost double the work experience I had.

I graduated from Brown University with a degree in geology and then immediately did a year of graduate work in plate tectonics. During my studies I gained a keen interest in systems thinking and got the opportunity to work on rocks from all over the world including Siberia, Kyrgyzstan, and all over the United States. Following my studies, I worked at an environmental and geotechnical engineering firm in Washington DC on geological field investigations and data analysis and presentation.

I come from China and joined MESPOM after graduating from Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University in Japan. At MESPOM I followed the "Preventive Environmental Strategies" track at Lund University.

After Chemical Engineering and an MBA, I served as Policy Analyst with an apex environmental commission in the central government at New Delhi, for two years. The perks of the prestigious ministry position apart, the taste of the real thing - Policy Analysis for a country - left me with a set mind. That was all I could imagine a career in, and other options, including lucrative offers, seemed to matter little. I realised, however, with my technical and management background coupled, I was fit for a wider sector of policy.

I am from Germany and studied Social Sciences in Bordeaux and Stuttgart as well as did an internship at UNEP in Nairobi before joining MESPOM in 2005. During MESPOM, one of the best experiences of my life, I went to Manchester for the 3rd semester, but came back to CEU for my thesis since I also worked on several research projects related to energy and sustainable buildings. I am currently a PhD-student at the Department of Environmental Sciences and Policy at CEU, but will start a new job at the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE, in Geneva) soon. I will be working in the Secretariat of the Water Convention.

Before joining MESPOM in 2005 I graduated in Microbiology at the University of Pune in India. At MESPOM I followed the 'Environmental Science' track at the University of Manchester. I wrote my thesis on reducing the climate impact of aircraft at the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research.