I have always been passionate about protecting the environment and advocating for its conservation. As someone with a background in Environmental Education, I knew that passion alone was not enough — I needed the knowledge, the skills, and the networks to translate that commitment into meaningful policy change. The SPIBES MSc offered exactly that: a rigorous, internationally grounded programme connecting scientific research with the policy processes that shape how biodiversity is managed across Africa.
What drew me to the programme most was the opportunity to learn how to engage with policymakers directly — to understand not just the science of biodiversity and ecosystem services, but how to communicate it effectively to different audiences and in different contexts. That skill has proven to be one of the most valuable things I have gained. I now write policy briefs, technical notes, and scientific research papers with a confidence I did not have before, and I understand how to tailor communication depending on who I am speaking to.
The programme has also transformed my technical capabilities. Before SPIBES, my knowledge of project management, research design, and data analysis was limited. I now work with GIS and remote sensing tools as part of my MSc fieldwork in the North Swaka Forest Reserve in Zambia’s Central Province, where I am investigating how forest ecosystems are being managed and conserved on the ground.
Perhaps the most enriching dimension of SPIBES has been the connections it has made possible. I have participated in IPBES assessments as an external reviewer for the NEXUS and Transformative Change assessments, attended the CABES regional workshop in Abidjan in October 2022, and met the IPBES National Focal Point from Zambia — with whom I have since had ongoing discussions about how the science-policy interface can be strengthened at home. These interactions have given me a much clearer sense of how biodiversity conservation works at the international level, and how Zambia can engage more effectively within it.
My goal is to keep building those bridges — between science and policy, between local communities and international frameworks, and between the knowledge we generate and the decisions that determine the future of our natural resources.
