 Hiya, thanks so much for agreeing to do in this interview. Hi, no problem. So tell me a little bit about yourself, name, what you're studying for your PhD. Yep, so I'm Emily, I'm, I do my PhD and I've just done my first year now and based at FCI. And my PhD is about climate change impacts and then and trades and how trades can transmit those across the world. So what have you studied previously to get to the point where you're now doing PhD. So I started off doing geography as an undergraduate, and then I took a few years to a couple years I think it was like doing a bit of work in some like market research consultancy to start with and then did a few internships in something a bit more related to what FCI does so I worked for a few months in a think tank in London and and did some work for a charity abroad as well. And then after that I realized I wanted to come back to studying and did, that's when I came to York and I did environmental economics and environmental department at the University of York. And, and so yeah at that stage I then kind of knew about CI and I did my dissertation with CI. And then afterwards I worked for CI as a research assistant and finally started my PhD a year ago. Well that is quite the journey. Yeah, it's not like the straightforward like undergrad masters PhD, but yeah there's lots of ways of getting to a PhD. So in some ways it's been useful because I feel like I knew at that point I definitely wanted to do a PhD. And I had a bit of experience in different places so when you kind of got into the work ethic of a nine to five job as well which is a bit helpful and you're doing a PhD and a lot of the time working on your own and having to set your own deadlines and things like that. So, yeah, yeah, but I think a lot of people at CI actually have come like come from a variety of different routes but there are a few PhD students who have worked before doing a PhD as well. So what attracted you to CI in the first place. Yeah, good question so I started off. So when I was doing an internship for another environmental think tank. I knew that I really enjoyed doing that kind of work. So I wanted to sort of look around and see what what other think tanks that might be perhaps not based in London because, yeah, prefer living in a smaller city so CI came up and it also came up because it's really highly ranked environmental think tank I think it's number two in the world currently. So it's well regarded and respected, but also the topic areas really closely to like includes some topics that was related to my interests so looking at agricultural trade and environmental impacts of that. And, and yeah and then when I started working here or getting to know the people here it's also super friendly environment and and yeah people are good at what they do and but we'll say you know have a healthy work life balance which is important as well so yeah all those things. So the ranking of CI has come up quite a bit during these interviews. Has it lived up to its expectations. Yeah, I would say. I think it. I don't know what my expectations would be of a highly ranked like environmental think tank, but I guess for me, it's quite clear that CI is involved in a lot of like policy processes say there's a lot of impact that it achieves it definitely is like feeding into like real world decision making and and things like that so I think that's where and where that that has lived up to its expectation to the expectation. Yeah. So what is your overall experience kind of working and studying here. Well I think. Yeah hard to sum up in just a few words as big question. And yeah I think like I said before I think it's, it's got a really good balance of doing some like important work and like achieving. Like it's big aims of really helping to bridge science and policy, and it's kind of yeah really and working in like quite actively in those areas that it's researching and on, but it's also, you know it doesn't feel like a very high pressure environment and there are other kind of workplaces that I've been in that have a bit more of a stressful feel to them or, yeah, maybe less friendly. So, I think, SCI York is a really good balance of being a place that does really good really high quality research but also, and yeah, recognises that it's nice to be friendly and have a bit of, you know, a good balance there. What would you say has been the standout experience for you. I guess. Yeah, that's a good question. I would say. I don't know if it's the standout but one experience, which was quite cool was when I was doing my literature review and then learning about the history of the IPCC and the UN processes for climate change. I realised that actually SCI is kind of came out of one of the first environmental conferences across the world says was really there like right at the start of this whole process I'm researching and and yeah that was quite cool to discover and to realise that I'm now part of it like yeah decades later. Yeah, that was one of the moments I was like, oh well, that's really, really nice to be part of that. Yeah, that is really cool. So if you had to kind of summarise SCI in three words what would they be. I would probably say. Redging science and policy. I don't know that's kind of four words. Yeah, I guess that's what that's what SCI is doing and linking those two things. It is four words but I will let you off. So the final section is, if you were speaking with someone who is thinking about applying to SCI, what would you say to them. Yeah, I would say definitely do it. I would say, try and, you know, have a look at the website and see, I guess it depends what their what their interests are. And so that's one thing I guess making sure that there's your area is covered in SCI York and making sure you're going to be working with people who have experience on that topic that you're interested in and reach out. I think everyone's happy to respond to people if there's an interested PhD student it might be nice for you to have a chat and feel for whether or not it's the right place for you. But yeah, I would really encourage it and also York is a great place to live so yeah. Thank you. Would you have any advice for them. In terms of like a PhD someone thinking about doing a PhD. Yeah. Yeah, I think I guess similar to what I've said before in terms of to reach out and feel free to, you know, have a chat with people who might be a potential supervisor and because it's really important to know that you get on and that you work well together. And yeah, make sure it's a topic that you enjoy doing and you have a lot of freedom when choosing to do a PhD often that you can. Yeah. Research a very specific topic that you're really interested in so make the most of that freedom and yeah find, find your niche and what you're really interested in and and and yeah I guess yeah take your time to find and find the PhD that really fits your interests and where you want to be and the right supervisor so yeah make sure that's that's aligned and then you'll have a have you know the best chances to have a really good three or four years. And then the final question I have for you and I have to warn you is a tricky one. A few people. What's your favorite color. Red red. So that was confidence I like it. I can't really explain it but that's the answer I'm going with. Thank you very much that is all the questions I have for you. If you have anything else that you want to add just kind of anything that you think someone applying to do a PhD should really know what anything you think you've missed. Now is the time to say. Um, can't really think of anything but um, yeah I would say we'll say what I haven't talked about that much is about York the city and and yeah it's such a really nice, really nice place to live. I guess during COVID it's been a bit difficult like everywhere but and generally there's a lot of culture for its size but you can cycle everywhere and I think that's like another component that you have to think about when you're starting a new job or a new PhD somewhere so make sure the place is right for you. Brilliant thank you so much that is everything for me then. Great. Thank you. Thank you again I'll let you go back to your PhD. Thank you. Thanks bye.