Xinqing, Advanced Global Studies

Coming from China, Xinqing Lu has g>raduated in the One-Year Master in Advanced Global Studies, Environmental Policy track. She is Community Specialist at the World Economic Forum in Geneva, Switzerland.

What is your role and main responsibilities? 

I am currently employed at the World Economic Forum as the community specialist for the Champions for Nature community. Champions for nature is a leadership community of governments, businesses and civil society leaders to disrupt business-as-usual to lead the way to a nature-positive global economy and halt nature loss by 2030. My responsibilities include:

The main responsibilities are to: 

• Build partnerships with businesses, governments and NGOs to promote nature-positive, net zero transitions in three areas: 1) Food, land and ocean use system; 2) Energy and extractive system; 3) Infrastructure and Built environment system
• Contribute to the UN CBD COP15 in collaboration with team in China
• Contribute to the development of Forum knowledge products, including the New Nature Economy Report

How did you secure this role? 

I saw the job opening at the PSIA career newsletter and applied through the World Economic Forum job web portal. There were three rounds of interviews in total.

What is the most fascinating and/or surprising aspect at your role?

In this new job, I have exposure to extensive, high-level, and most influential leaders in the nature and biodiversity space. This includes the head of various international organizations such as the UNEP, UNCCD, UNCBD, TNC, IUCN, WWF, but also CEO and CSO level of multinational companies such as Unilever, Yara, Bayer, Nespresso. It is an enriching experience for me to hear directly from these world leaders on their vision, learnings and insights. I am also very proud and exciting to be a part of the ongoing movement to champion the nature-positive transition together with these progressive and ambitious leaders, by creating spaces of public-private dialogues, developing knowledge products, and supporting their business transformation.

How did your PSIA experience help you with the role? 

The most direct impact of my PSIA experience is the knowledge I learned through the one-year study in the Environmental Policy program. As an experienced professional, I have worked in development and international relationship, but do not have deep sectoral knowledge in nature, biodiversity, energy, climate change, and sustainability-related issues. The curriculum of this master was flexible and broad which allowed me to explore various topics in these inter-linked domains, and in 8 months I gained a solid foundation of technical knowledge in the main trends, policies, stakeholders, and landscape. Although 8 months is not enough for me to become an expert, but having a holistic view and broad understanding is extremely helpful in securing and getting into this job, while learning much more during the work afterward.

What advice would you give to others? 

My suggestion is to choose the subjects that you are really interested in, even the classes that have heavier workload or gives lower grades. The grades are important, but not the most important thing. What you learn from the classes, the discussion among fellow students and the professors, the relationship you build with your fellow classmates and the professors are the most important thing.

• About the One-Year Master in Advanced Global Studies
• About the World Economic Forum