Bangor University has awarded a prestigious Honorary Doctorate of Science degree to Susan Chomba, who graduated from the University with a forestry MSc in 2012. This is in recognition of her outstanding contribution to public service. Susan is a climate scientist, who is internationally recognised for her work protecting and restoring forest landscapes. Her work is also contributing to transforming Africa’s food systems and thriving rural livelihoods, as well as giving women a platform in addressing the climate emergency. She is Director of Vital Landscapes for Africa at the World Resources Institute, leading the Institute’s work on Forests, Food Systems and People.
Susan previously led the Regreening Africa programme at the International Centre for Research in Agroforestry (now known as CIFOR-ICRAF), a research-in-development initiative aimed at greening one million hectares of land, reaching more than half a million households, in eight countries across Africa.
Susan’s achievements have previously been recognised by her inclusion in the BBC’s 2023 list of the World’s 100 most influential women, alongside former US First Lady Michelle Obama and human rights lawyer Amal Clooney. Before that she had been identified as one of 16 women restoring the Earth by the Global Landscapes Forum.
In her inspiring acceptance speech on receipt of her Bangor Honorary Doctorate, Susan emphasised the exceptional forestry education she had received at Bangor, and how this had motivated her to build her career working with farmers, researchers, governments and businesses across Africa to transform the lives and landscapes of communities. She then challenged the whole assembly of graduates, telling them:
“The world awaits you …. to help us address the immense challenges that confront us from the realities of climate change, to declining biodiversity, to growing inequality and poverty, to broken food systems, you are urgently needed.
The world class education that Bangor has given you is more than enough to propel you to climb to the top of any professional ladder. The day you become uncomfortable about the way things are around you, know that that is the moment when your moral compass is stirring you into action in the direction that you are meant to serve a greater good.”
Susan also made a special point to all the women scientists graduating that day:
“The world is still very gender biased, especially against women when you rise to the top, but these things are getting better. You quickly learn to push and pull many doors of opportunity without apologies.”
