Member’s Corner

Fellow Stories

What do our fellows have to say about the trainings organized by HUC? Let’s hear them in their own words.

“Being a part of HUC as an instructor, collaborator, and team lead on the Climate Risk TWG in Pakistan has been a great experience. The network provides excellent opportunities in research and training to young, early-career researchers, especially women scholars, to engage in evidence-based research on environmental issues in Asia. Given the escalating climate change threats in the region, the network is doing a great job in connecting scientists, strengthening collaborations, and promoting indigenous knowledge.”

Lubna has been involved in the following activities:

Participated in the HUC summer school ‘Bringing meaning to statistical practice in climate science using R’ as an instructor/facilitator with Ted Shepherd, Grantham Professor of Climate Science at the University of Reading, on 18–26 August 2021.
Participated in the HUC members’ meeting held on 30 December 2021 in Islamabad, Pakistan, in the capacity of HUC representative of the Climate Risk TWG in Pakistan and presented the vision and scope of HUC activities in Pakistan.
Attended several virtual meetings with Ted Shepherd (held between 2021 and 2022) in collaboration with HUC to develop a concept note on climate risk study for Pakistan.
Engaged as a co-lead on the Climate Risk TWG in Pakistan since 2021.

“My experience at the academy has not just helped me apply knowledge in real life scenarios, but has persuaded us to work with passion for the welfare of climate change vulnerable communities of the HKH.“

Since the 2018 HUC Academy, I have been working dedicatedly to improve my communication and leadership skills. I have been organizing training programmes at my institution and have given presentations at various national and international events. Learning from sessions on scientific writing, I have conducted a session on the basics of scientific writing at the Institute of Business Administration for students and research scholars from local colleges, universities, and research institutes. The academy has helped me boost my confidence, accept feedback positively, and effectively coordinate with project partners.

I feel that my highest achievement from the HUC course was the chance to build strong networks.

Through this academy, I connected with some renowned research scientists from different countries in the field of climate science and adaptation. This opportunity also led to the formation of a partnership between Karakoram International University (KIU) and ICIMOD to conduct research on Pakistan’s glaciers.

Thanks to the connection I developed through HUC training, I had the opportunity to secure a mobility grant and successfully completed my research project at the University of Fribourg, Switzerland. I have currently resumed work at the Department of Environmental Science at KIU.

My participation provided a sense of belonging and allowed me to discover my passion for research in the Himalaya.

Being a fellow of the HUC Academy helped strengthen my theoretical base, while the fieldwork immensely enhanced my research skills. I became more aware of important details like the weather and culture, when planning for fieldwork. The academy also allowed me to practice the art of effective communication, ethical interaction, and listen patiently.. All this experience prepared me for collecting qualitative data for my Ph.D. I was able to confidently work alone in the field for more than two months in the Western Himalaya, Pakistan.

Being an HUC fellow helped me a great deal in my professional and personal life. Luckily, I found this platform at the beginning of my professional career. I got the chance to connect with the right people whose work guided me in my research and motivated me to produce quality work.

Fellow Stories

Assistant Professor, Economics, Institute of Business Administration

HUC Fellow 2018, Scientist, G.B. Pant National Institute of Himalayan Environment

HUC Fellow 2018, Lecturer, Department of Environmental Sciences

HUC Fellow 2018, PhD Scholar, College of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Lanzhou University