International Women’s Day: Dr Ariadne Collins

An interview with Dr Ariadne Collins, Lecturer in the School of International Relations, about her experiences and influences as part of International Women’s Day, Tuesday 8 March 2022.

What was your childhood ambition?

My childhood ambition was to become a veterinarian.

What inspired you to get involved in your area of research?

I was inspired and, quite frankly terrified, by the vulnerability of Guyana, the country I grew up in, to climate change. I had hoped that learning more about climate change would help me to ‘save’ the world and Guyana as part of it.

Is there a particular woman who has positively impacted your career?

My PhD supervisor, Dr Guntra Aistara, made an outsized impact on my career. She challenged me and guided me on my quest to learn more about climate change and its impact on developing countries. She also inspired me to pursue a career in academia on my own terms by doing so herself.

Whose voice would you like to amplify this International Women’s Day?

I would like to amplify young, female, energetic voices addressing the overlapping issues of social injustice and climate change, like that of young Ugandan activist, Vanessa Nakate, and the 12 female activists featured in Global Citizen.

Back to International Women’s Day in St Andrews.