Yi Pan

Before coming to IE, I was a trained lawyer. I studied my Bachelor in Law with a focus on civil law at Sun Yat-sen University in Guangdong. I later studied my Master in Law at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, studying international economic law. There I developed an interest in international trade, investment and dispute settlement while maintaining my long-held passion for environmental law. I’ve run a Green Power Now summit in Guangzhou and have been an ambassador for the Jockey Club Museum of Climate Change in Hong Kong.

While international trade law and environmental law tend to be seen as incompatible with each other, I believe there is a connection between the two. One of the main reasons why I chose to study at IE University was to find the convergence between the two areas and build my career in it. IE University’s mission statement of “reinventing higher education” made me confident that it would provide me with a good base to discover this new professional industry.

The Master in International Development combines a lot of my interests and gives me advanced insights into the workings of international organizations. The diverse classroom—my classmates come from over 20 different countries—is the perfect environment to learn in, especially in the field of international relations. Students are constantly exchanging cultural insights, enforced by the cooperative and teamwork-oriented teaching methods. It’s the perfect opportunity to experience the multiculturalism of working at the United Nations. The professors bring to the class a blend of academic knowledge and practical experience for students, which has given me a new perspective on learning.

I would like to join an international organization as a lawyer in the development sphere after I graduate from IE. My ultimate goal is to contribute to the completion of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 17: Partnerships for the Goals. I am most passionate about SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions, which aims to promote peaceful and inclusive societies, provide access to justice for all, and build accountable and effective institutions at all levels.

“Students are constantly exchanging cultural insights, enforced by the cooperative and teamwork-oriented classes. The IE University classroom is the perfect opportunity to experience the multiculturalism of working at the United Nations.”