The complex challenge posed by climate change necessitates an interdisciplinary approach, encompassing the requisite skills, perspectives, and application of knowledge across different standpoints. One of the most critical mandates in this sphere is to analyse the impact of climate change on diverse domains such as democracy, transportation, and health, among other areas. While delivering this message at the launch of Ahmedabad University’s Climate Institute, Vice Chancellor Professor Pankaj Chandra suggested that the Institute will enable the University to build an over-arching initiative across diverse disciplines. It will also bring together under a single umbrella all the intellectual activities around climate change, occurring at the various schools of the University, including the School of Engineering and Applied Science, the School of Arts and Sciences, the School of Management and the recently established Bagchi School of Public Health.
In an interview with The Stepwell, the Founding Executive Director of The Climate Institute, Balaji Srinivasan lays out the priorities and objectives of the Institute, and the way forward for making it a meaningful centre of impact on sustainability and the environment, contributing to the policy discussion on climate change at the State and national levels, as well as for the Global South.
Reproduced below is the interview with Mr Srinivasan.
Q: What developments have led to the conceptualisation and establishment of the Climate Institute at Ahmedabad University and what role will the institute play, going forward?
A: As delineated by Professor Pankaj Chandra at the launch of the Climate Institute, it aspires to coalesce all the varied initiatives of the University on climate and the environment under a single umbrella, using a multidisciplinary approach. The conceptualisation of the Institute was the result of serious discussions and engagement between the Vice Chancellor, the faculty, Professors Priyadarshi Shukla and Minal Pathak and Punit Lalbhai, Vice Chairman and Executive Director of Arvind Limited, and Member, Board of Governors, Ahmedabad University.
For a country like India, one of the key imperatives is to strike the right balance between its development aspirations, on one hand, and the challenge of environmental protection, on the other, to provide a clean and healthy environment for our citizens. This balance will be particularly difficult to achieve for India, given its geographical location that makes it vulnerable to extreme climate events like heat waves, humidity, and heavy rainfall.
We are thus establishing the Climate Institute at Ahmedabad University with a very clear vision to become a globally leading platform for developing sustainable climate-related solutions.
Q. How will the Climate Institute be different from the Global Centre for Climate Change and Energy (GCEE) already existing in the University?
A. The GCEE was set up with a very focused faculty to deal with the issues of climate, energy, and the environment. However, since the establishment of the GCEE, we now have a much broader and experienced faculty with expertise in the areas of engineering, economics, management, and public health, among others. The Climate Institute will bring all of them under a consolidated University-wide framework, taking forward the work of the GCEE in a broader and more inclusive way.
The three verticals at the Institute, including Energy and Climate Change, Cities and Settlements, and Air and Water, will also build on the notable work done by the GCEE in these spheres. Currently, the University’s School of Engineering and Applied Science is already working with Global Water Innovation Centre for Action established by Arvind Ltd and Gap Inc to address water related challenges in industry.
Q. Climate change studies entail involvement of multiple disciplines. How does the Institute plan to integrate these with the University’s approach to interdisciplinary education?
A. The Institute aims to produce evidence-based research and technological solutions, deploying analytics and data, on various issues pertaining to climate change. The very nature of climate change and the concomitant environmental issues are central to every aspect of life and study. The interdisciplinary approach of Ahmedabad University will also be implemented in the Climate Institute, offering broadbased education to create both broad knowledge and specific skills in diverse areas.
The comprehensive education programme offered by the Institute at the Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctoral levels will produce future leaders on climate issues. The Institute will also offer specialised Executive Education programmes in Climate and Energy for mid-career professionals in government and industry. Going forward, we envisage a very steep demand curve for such dedicated, climate-aware professionals, including doctors, lawyers, engineers, scientists, economists, and historians, among others, in various sectors and industries across the world.
Q. Could you please share your views on the nature of partnerships that the Climate Institute is planning and their roles?
A. The world of Ahmedabad University’s Climate Institute can be visualised in concentric circles. The first circle comprises the entire Ahmedabad ecosystem, followed by the nation and the Global South, while the last circle encompasses the entire world. Professor Vimal Mishra from the Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar has been doing great work in this area, and we are exploring collaboration opportunities. Similar possibilities are being examined with premier institutions in Ahmedabad, including CEPT University, the Indian Institute of Management, and the National Institute of Design, to name a few. Additionally, we are looking forward to inviting reputable institutions such as the Indian Statistical Institute, Delhi, the Centre for Study of Science, Technology and Policy (CSTEP), Bangalore, and Social Alpha, which undertakes incubation across the country, to partner with us and jointly work on solutions to address the complex problems emanating from climate change.
Broadly speaking, there are ongoing discussions with Asian institutions such as Hong Kong University's Urban Centre and the National University of Singapore, with whom we are exploring Asia-wide issues. Lastly, we have collaborated globally with the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago (EPIC) and the London School of Economics and Political Science.
Academic research is not a competitive endeavour. It requires pooling of resources, ideas, and inspirations that will motivate us to develop better solutions than if we were working in silos. These partnerships will also help us create a robust platform at the Climate Institute and communicate our work to the global community.