The prestigious institution Sciences Po, where presidents and other high-level officials have received their education, will be Jessica Coria's workplace from August to December this year. “Paris is a hub for environmental economics, and Sciences Po is leading the way, so this is an amazing opportunity for learning and networking,” she says.
Jessica Coria will be hosted by the Department of Economics and Environment at the French Economic Observatory, one of Sciences Po’s research centers focusing on economic research and public policy evaluation. During her visit, she will initiate academic collaborations and conduct research as well as teach a master's course in environmental economics titled Tackling Environmental Challenges – Policy Instruments for Sustainability. The course encompasses 12 two-hour lectures and covers the biggest environmental challenges, such as climate change, biodiversity loss, and chemical pollution, and what policies can address those challenges.
Very ambitious students
“I created a course according to my preferences, and the response from Sciences Po was very positive,” she says.
Sciences Po focuses on interdisciplinarity and collaboration between institutions. Environmental issues are included in the curriculum of all programs. That means that the more than 60 students attending Jessica Coria’s master’s course come from many different programs, such as journalism and business administration. It’s also a very international group—about 50% of the students are from countries other than France.
“The Sciences Po students are very ambitious, so I am very motivated to give a very good course. But I’m also looking forward to learning from them and meeting a generation who cares about environmental issues.”
Great networking opportunity
Jessica Coria will be staying at Maison Suger, a campus for researchers from all over the world, in the district of Saint Germain, where Sciences Po is also located. There are activities every day and great opportunities to find new collaboration partners. She is, among other things, interested in connecting with others who research European politics.
Paris is home to several global institutions that conduct environmental research, such as the Organization for Economic Cooperation (OECD) and the International Energy Agency (IEA). Sciences Po, committed to conducting policy-relevant research, frequently collaborates with these organizations and the national government.
Will give a public lecture
“France holds significant influence within the European Union, making it an ideal place to learn about EU policymaking and industry lobbying. As a major European capital, Paris offers greater opportunities to understand these processes than Gothenburg.”
She will also give a public lecture in the City Hall in November about chemical regulation.
“I’m really excited about that,” she says.
By: Petra Hansson
About Jessica Coria
Jessica Coria is an associate professor in the Department of Economics at the University of Gothenburg and a member of EfD’s Research Committee. Her research investigates how data gaps and biases affect environmental policy design. Her work addresses the challenges regulators face with incomplete or unclear scientific evidence, which impacts the enactment and design of environmental regulations. She will join Aarhus University (Denmark) as a Professor of Environmental Economics at the end of the year.