Climate change simulation: A hands-on approach to combating global challenges
Through role-playing as representatives of different countries, students gain insights into the challenges of international negotiations on climate change.
Climate change is a global concern. Since 2021, the Association of Pacific Rim Universities (APRU) has been hosting the Student Global Climate Change Simulation Programme, allowing students of the network universities to form multicountry and multidisciplinary teams for a role-playing simulation exercise to explore climate solutions.
This summer, seven CUHK students joined some 200 students from 20 universities from across the Pacific Rim to participate in the programme during 23 August to 13 September to play the roles of the UN Climate Change Negotiations to explore international agreements on climate change. Together with other academics from APRU member universities, Prof. Benoit Thibodeau from the School of Life Sciences served as a facilitator for the group discussions, and Prof. Calvin Chung from the Department of Geography and Resource Management gave a talk on trading and offsets.
Students were amazed by the informative nature of the lectures delivered by the experts, which provided critical insights into the ongoing global efforts to mitigate climate change. Mark Jalalum, a PhD student in Philosophy, was impressed by the rich background information provided to the participants and the well-planned activities that enabled them to come up with proposals and solutions to tackle the impacts of climate change. ‘I learnt that we can work together as global citizens for the good of the planet,’ Mark concluded.
Students learn the perspectives from experts and professionals on the current state of climate change.
Thi Minh Anh Dang, an undergraduate student in Integrated BBS valued the role-playing exercise to negotiate with other nations, describing it as both challenging and rewarding. ‘Negotiation is literally an art, where we have to take into account multiple factors, including transparency, inclusivity, flexibility, and scientific evidence,’ she highlighted.
The simulation has provided a platform for students to engage deeply with climate issues and develop actionable insights for their future endeavours. ‘Apart from Hong Kong, I also want to contribute to future actions to address climate change in my home country, Vietnam,’ Minh Anh said. The simulation programme has successfully fostered a network of committed individuals who are ready to advocate for sustainable solutions globally.