Two ICTA-UAB researchers, selected for the RAUN program
ICTA-UAB researchers Amalia Calderón Argelich and Paula Roig Boixeda have been selected to participate in the Regional Academy on the United Nations (RAUN), an international, multidisciplinary education program that trains young scholars in issues related to the United Nations and international cooperation.
Participants will work on research projects in cooperation with different UN Organizations and other international organizations.
RAUN’s aim is to provide participants with in-depth knowledge about the UN and its functions, to raise their cultural awareness and openness, and to offer a forum for networking and academic exchange.
Amalia Calderón-Argelich and Paula Roig Boixeda are both PhD researchers at ICTA-UAB. Amalia is working on ecosystem services and urban environmental justice in the LASEG and BCNUEJ team, and Paula is exploring the impacts of COVID-19 on protected areas in the LASEG team.
The Academy combines lectures and workshops with practical hands-on-experiences. The program will consist of six regular virtual sessions starting in May until December. The sessions take place in different participating countries and include lectures and interactive workshops on various topics of relevance. This year the theme focuses on “COVID-19 recovery: towards more resilient and inclusive solutions”. All lectures will be given by high-ranking experts and practitioners who will share their rich experience with participants in an informal setting.
The final session of the program will take place at the Vienna International Center, where the RAUN participants will present the outcomes of their research projects.
Apart from their course-work during the sessions, participants will work on research projects in cooperation with different UN Organizations and other international organizations allowing them to contribute in finding innovative solutions to contemporary global challenges. Amalia Calderón will collaborate in a research group focused on “Green Cities”, and Paula Roig will join a team working about the interrelationships between agriculture and emerging zoonotic diseases. Both projects will be carried out in collaboration with the FAO.
Through their group work and social activities, they will form strong networks with their like-minded peers and experts from various fields in an environment that fosters diversity, tolerance, cultural learning, and understanding.
They will get the opportunity to experience first-hand the UN institutions in Vienna and international organizations in other countries allowing them to interact directly with experts, practitioners, and diplomats.