Among the students studying in the Syracuse Abroad London program, Abdulai Jibril Barrie ’26, an industrial and interaction design major in the College of Visual and Performing Arts, was selected for a unique research opportunity as a Lender Global research fellow. Since the semester began, he has engaged in hands-on learning by visiting famous environmental sites and examining social justice topics focused on the environment.
The Lender Global program expands existing Lender Center for Social Justice student research opportunities, offered on campus or at sites in the U.S., by broadening the scope of social justice research to include examinations with global dimensions. London is the inaugural site for the Lender Global program.
After arriving in the U.K., “Green Britain” course participants visited several environmentally designed and redeveloped sites in Wales, led by Becca Farnum, London Center instructor and Syracuse Abroad’s community engagement specialist, and Lender Center Director Kendall Phillips. They toured the Welsh Parliament, Cardiff Bay, Principality Stadium, the National Museum, St. Fagans Museum of National History and Big Pit National Coal Museum to learn about geographies, ecosystems, climate challenges, environmental preservation policies and cultural practices, as well as sustainable design.
Barrie plans a career in footwear and product design geared toward addressing community challenges and creating solutions.
He says past visits to Ecuador, Senegal, Egypt, Germany and Jordan, and time living in both Guinea and the United States, have informed him on how differently various countries can regard environmental issues. Visits to museums and historic sites since he’s been in London have shown him how history, culture, natural resources and politics affect the ways a locale addresses environmental issues, such as the coal industry’s importance in Wales, yet its eventual shutdown due to environmental concerns.
“I’ve learned that preserving the environment is not just about recycling. It’s also about saving the trees and the oceans, where much of our air comes from. I think educating kids from an early age about the environment can be quite impactful, too.”