We chose to study Jakarta because of the unique sustainability context it offers. It is a very fast-growing urban area and considers food security one of its highest-ranking priorities.
Hello! I’m Jessica Margovskiy, and I am currently pursuing my third year in the faculty of Arts, majoring in Human Geography, with a minor in Commerce. I just transferred into the Human Geography major and am really enjoying it so far, as I am learning a lot about how the world works! I am a first generation Russian-Jewish-Canadian, born and raised here in Vancouver, with the first language I learned how to speak being Russian. I have recently been accepted into the Arts Co-Op program, and am seeking potential opportunities in marketing, analytics or urban planning. I also have an interest in urban development and sustainability, which brought me to this group! I am interested in gaining knowledge in Southeast Asia, particularly our chosen topic of the city of Jakarta, as I am very unfamiliar with that part of the world. Throughout my life, I’ve only ever traveled to regions in the Global North, including Japan, Israel, France, Italy and various parts of the United States, so I think that taking part in this project will really open my eyes about this part of the world.
Hi, my name is Emma Wiebe, and I am in third year studying Environment and Sustainability in Geography. I was born and raised in Vancouver, and have lived here my whole life. I will likely graduate from UBC in 2019 with a Bachelor of Arts degree.
I plan to participate in UBC’s Go Global program next year, on an exchange to either New Zealand or Ireland. This summer I am participating in a field studies course to Belize, to examine ecosystems and culture. I chose to major in Environment and Sustainability because I have an interest in how natural systems work, and how humans interact, effect, and are influenced by the natural world. I think understanding the relationship between humans and the ecosystems we live in and are a part of is key to generating solutions to worldwide issues of sustainability. I love what I study because it connects me to the wider world and allows me to gain knowledge about and form an understanding of our planet. I am interested in this course because I believe it is important to learn about and connect the so-called global north and south to modern global issues and future solutions.
Hello/Aadaab/Namaste!
My name is Rohina Dass and I am majoring in International Relations with a minor in Economics. I was born and brought up in India, moved to Vancouver for University and will be graduating in 2019 without a pre-planned next destination!
At UBC I have been a student leader in the International Relations Students’ Association, Jump Start International Student Orientations, and Peer Assisted Study Sessions. These roles highlighted the importance of space and its use in community building and social immersion.
Being new to the field of human geography (having focused mostly on political science and economics) I am interested in the spatial frame of analysis it offers. To me, it creates a connection between habitat and sustainability (ecological as well as social) by discussing anthropogenic dynamics. It intersects with my international relations study of food, resource, and environmental policy especially in terms of sustainable development.
My course on urbanization in the Global South is teaching me to break the barriers of national borders, visualize and create a world that collectively problems solves with epicentres of knowledge and I am excited to share our ideas on Jakarta with you.
I’m Tiago de Souza Jensen. I’m completing my double major in International Relations and Geography in December 2017. After I graduate, I hope to move to a new city and pursue a Master’s in urban planning.
Throughout my university experience, I’ve focused on harmonizing my academic and extracurricular work. Based on a nascent passion in high school, I came to UBC with the intent to focus on sustainability and environmental activism. Through my undergrad, I was active with numerous sustainability-focused organisations on campus, and I helped kick off UBCC350’s Divest UBC movement. Today, I study how radical urban planning can deeply integrate sustainability and social improvement in communities while avoiding the woes of top-down master planning. I believe sustainability activism and environmental work can, should, and must create healthier, more tightly-knit and integrated communities in cities. I hope that my work in this course alongside Rohina, Emma, and Jessica will revolve around these values.
I was born here in Vancouver, BC, and grew up here as well. Though I have deep roots in the Pacific Northwest, my background is Brazilian and Danish. As I grew up speaking Portuguese and English, later my completing basic education in French, I grew a passion for languages. Today, I study Spanish, Japanese, and German in my free time, hoping to learn Mandarin and Arabic as time permits.