What was your background before joining the programme?
Before joining the MSc Climate Change: Science, Society and Solutions at the University of Manchester, I studied Finance and Economics. I interned in investment banking and completed structured industry simulations in investment banking, statistic and customer analytics, which gave me practical exposure to financial modelling and risk evaluation.
During this time, I became increasingly aware that traditional financial frameworks often treated climate-related risks as secondary considerations. As ESG discussions became more prominent in financial markets, I felt that many conversations focused on reporting metrics rather than the deeper environmental and governance realities underpinning them. This motivated me to look for a programme that could broaden my perspective beyond conventional economic analysis.

Why this programme?
Although the programme is rooted in geography, that interdisciplinary perspective was precisely what attracted me. Coming from a finance background, I was accustomed to viewing risk through quantitative models and market indicators. However, climate-related risk cannot be fully understood without considering spatial inequality, governance structures and policy variation across regions. I wanted to move beyond abstract metrics and understand the real-world systems shaping ESG and long-term economic transitions.
Modules such as Climate Emergency, Technology and Society encouraged us to examine technological innovation not as isolated solutions, but as components of wider socio-technical systems shaped by political and environmental contexts. This perspective fundamentally changed how I interpret industrial transformation and sustainability narratives. In Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation in Practice, we explored how mitigation and adaptation strategies differ across sectors and jurisdictions, highlighting that transition pathways are uneven and deeply context-dependent.
For someone trained in finance, this geographical lens was transformative. It enabled me to situate financial and ESG-related risk within broader socio-ecological systems, understanding how environmental realities and governance decisions ultimately influence markets and investment behaviour.

Highlights from the programme?
One of the most memorable aspects of the programme was the diversity of perspectives in the classroom. Coming from a finance background, I was often sitting alongside students trained in geography, environmental science, policy and development studies. Our discussions frequently challenged my assumptions. What I initially approached as a question of market incentives or risk pricing was often reframed by others in terms of community impact, governance capacity or environmental justice. Those conversations pushed me to think beyond purely economic reasoning. Another memorable thing is that of the programme was the process of refining my dissertation topic through discussions with my professor Ross Jones and really thankful for the support he gave to me. I was particularly interested in the relationship between climate change and financial risk, and those conversations helped me clarify how to move from a broad idea to a structured research question.
We discussed how climate-related risk is inherently uneven across regions, which led me to explore regional data as a way to ground my analysis. Examining climate exposure and policy variation across different jurisdictions allowed me to connect environmental realities with financial market responses. Rather than treating climate risk as an abstract variable, I was able to situate it within specific geographic and institutional contexts.
I also drew on concrete case examples , such as policy shifts and market reactions in particular sectors, to support my arguments. This approach strengthened my ability to combine quantitative analysis with contextual interpretation. The process of developing the dissertation not only deepened my understanding of climate-finance linkages, but also taught me how to construct arguments that are both data-driven and grounded in real-world dynamics.

What have I been doing since graduating & How it shaped my journey
Since graduating, I have joined the overseas market department of a robotics company, where I focus on global market promotion and international expansion. Although I now work in the technology sector, my role continues to draw on both my financial background and my environmental systems training.
Robotics and automation are increasingly positioned within broader sustainability and industrial transformation agendas. Expanding into different regions requires understanding diverse regulatory frameworks, ESG expectations and industrial policies. Promoting technological solutions globally therefore involves not only market analysis, but also awareness of how automation aligns with local climate commitments and economic priorities.
The MSc strengthened my ability to interpret these dynamics through a socio-technical lens. Combined with my finance background in risk and investment analysis, this perspective supports strategic decision-making in international markets shaped by transition pressures.

What advice would you give to future students?
I would encourage future students to fully embrace the interdisciplinary nature of the programme. Even if you come from a non-geographical background, the spatial and governance perspectives offered by the course can significantly deepen your analytical framework.
Climate change intersects with finance, technology, policy and global development. The ability to think across scales and sectors, and to connect environmental realities with economic decision-making, is an invaluable skill in today’s world.

Written by Yilin *Rowling) Luo. 

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