By Federico Patino
Spring 2024
Climate change will have a big impact on Denmark, and how the Danish people adapt to those changes will impact the rest of the world. Surrounded by the North Sea, Sweden, Norway, and Germany, Denmark's geographical importance can not be overstated. It sits at the gate from Europe to the Nordic countries and the Arctic. The country’s proximity to the sea and the melting ice caps make it extremely susceptible to rising sea levels.
I chose this program because it will allow me to learn from experts in a region of the world that is already suffering the severe effects of climate change. Given that I am an MBA student I tend to believe that every problem can be solved with the right investment and business plan. Hearing from the likes of Eric Pedersen, Patrick Moloney, and Kamil Raad, among others, will expose me to different approaches to sustainable investment. I hope to learn about investment solutions that may be applicable in the United States and bring back knowledge that can be acted upon.
Furthermore, I am fascinated by Denmark’s rich culture from which so many different societies derive. Copenhagen was the capital of several Viking kingdoms; the city has been an eclectic trading hub for centuries. From here the original Vikings went on to conquer all the Nordic territories. While in Copenhagen I intend to visit the The National Museum of Denmark to immerse myself in Viking history. The city’s proximity to Sweden will allow me to visit Malmo by crossing the Øresund Bridge, so I can visit two countries in one trip. In the 21st century, Copenhagen is known for being a friendly, clean, and very amicable city which is always happy to receive tourists.
The opportunity to learn from experts in a changing region combined with Denmark's dense history and the diverse multicultural scene made the ESG, Sustainable and Impact Investments Short-Term Study Abroad Program very appealing to me. It is my firm belief that this experience will allow me to expand my thinking on how to respond to global warming.
Oresund Bridge
Hochgesang, Julian. Oresund Bridge. 2021. Unsplash. Accessed 2024.
Potapenko, Maksym. Nyhavn. 2018. Unsplash. Accessed 2024.
