Fazal named Institute on the Environment Affiliate

Congratulations to Professor Tanisha Fazal for being named a 2024 IonE Fellow at the Institute on the Environment! This prestigious recognition is a testament to her outstanding work and commitment to a future where people and planet prosper together. Fazal is one of 33 affiliates in this new cohort.

Fazal, an expert in International Relations, began to research climate change a few years ago, and is especially interested in the ways climate change is and will continue to transform global politics. She has also begun teaching on climate change, at both the undergraduate and graduate level. "Teaching these topics is not only a way for me to better understand them, but also one of the most effective tools I have," Fazal explains. "I can set my students up to understand the politics behind the global energy transition, climate migration, and various international efforts to mitigate emissions and provide assistance to people on the front lines of climate change, especially in the Global South."

Addressing climate change is a global task, but Fazal believes political scientists—and perhaps, especially, International Relations scholars—have been "late to the party" when it comes to climate change. "Climate scientists don't always agree with each other, but there is a general sense that they know what needs to be done to mitigate emissions to avert the worst outcomes," she says. "Politics, though, is often seen as a brick wall that obstructs what needs to be done." Therefore, it is important to integrate a commitment to a future where people and planet prosper together because students and scholars of political science have a critical role to play in being able to dismantle that brick wall, both by translating their research and applying what they know about democracy, commitment problems, and other topics to broad questions around climate change.

As climate change is an inherently interdisciplinary topic, Fazal is excited by IonE's ability to draw in collaborators from across the University of Minnesota. She is especially looking forward to learning from colleagues in other disciplines who are all committed to addressing climate change, as there is still much about climate change she is eager to learn. She also hopes to help construct a bridge between IonE and the College of Liberal Arts.