Guy Shungu
Current Employer/Organisation Name
World Health Organization
What have you been doing since leaving Exeter, and what are you doing now?
Since I left Exeter I worked as an Expert for the German Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR) and joined World Health Organization(WHO) in late June 2022
Why did you choose this career? And what do you enjoy most about your work?
Contributing to tackle environmental challenges and promote sustainability has been my aim to join the University of Exeter in 2020. My studies at the Environmental and Sustainability Institute(ESI) built a solid expertise in addressing various environmental issues and implementing sustainable practices for a better world. My professional journey in the environmental sector has been full of learnings, dedication and satisfaction with regards to my goal of improving the environmental management in my country. Since I started working, I really enjoy being an important actor in raising environmental awareness, mitigating environmental impacts, fighting climate change and promoting sustainability to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in D.R.Congo.
What did you enjoy most about your programme and what was the biggest highlight?
The MEM programme is a well designed, structured and enriched course that equips students with an oustanding skillset covering natural, engineering and social science aspects of environmental management and mining sustainability. I really enjoyed the environmental landscape of the Penryn campus, the research facilities, the oustanding lecturers and extra academic support from the university.
Why did you choose to study at Exeter?
University of Exeter is one the prestigious Russell Group Universities and one the world best universities in environmental sustainability and mining studies. Also, in terms of student satisfaction , University of Exeter is always rated among the best in the UK.
What skills and experiences have been most useful for your career?
The technical skills and experiences that have been most useful for my career are planning, environmental risk assessment , drafting of technical reports , stakeholders’ engagement, partnership building, capacities building in environmental best practices, and environmental monitoring. Adding to this, skills such as team leadership and project Management, problem solving, critical thinking, time management, effective communication, flexibility, accuracy and good attention to detail, have also been so useful in my professional journey.
What advice would you give to a current student who wishes to pursue your career?
I would advice students to be proud of themselves for choosing this career that is highly contributing to a better world. They should be passionate and committed to aquire the most useful skills offered through the programme to be the best in the employement market. There are a lot of professional opportunities in the environmental and sustainabiliy sector.
What are your plans for the future?
I’ve always wanted to contribute to a better world by improving the natural world in a sustainable way, I’d like to work next time for multilateral organisations such as World Bank. Also, I’m still interested in pursuing a PhD later.
