The Division of Social Sciences congratulates Professor Ganga and Eric Duma on their work and on representing Duke Kunshan University at this prestigious conference. Duke Kunshan University continues to foster mentorship opportunities and support research.
For the DKU community, summer is the time to unwind. But it is also about attending academic conferences! This June, Professor Paula Ganga and student Eric Duma (Class of 2028) presented their research, ‘The Environmental Impact of Foreign Aid Projects,’ at the 32nd International Conference for Europeanists organized by the Council for European Studies in Dublin, Ireland.
In their work, they created a 179-country panel dataset for the 1973-2020 period to analyze the effect of foreign aid on emissions in the Global South. In a truly multidisciplinary manner for which DKU is known, the project blends econometric methods with political science theory by using variables related to institutional quality and corruption. It is important to mention that this research has been funded by the university’s Division of Social Sciences and the Office of Academic Services at all stages of its development, even for presenting at the conference.
This was Duma’s first time attending and presenting at an academic conference, which he described as a wonderful opportunity to connect with other researchers, especially those at the beginning of their journey. The feedback they received will be valuable for continuing the project and for future research endeavors, such as the Signature Work Project that Duma, a rising Junior, will have to start preparing. On his experience at the conference, Duma shared:
“During the conference, I attended as many discussions as possible, on topics such as economic (de)growth, trade, and housing policy. The conference brought together all kinds of ‘Europeanists’, from esteemed professionals to aspiring researchers like me. No matter the stage of their research, everybody was willing to offer and receive feedback. The insight I received, both from the feedback on our presentation and from attending other panels, will definitely help me in the future! I am grateful for Duke Kunshan University’s support for student research and also for Professor Ganga’s mentorship.”
