Manal Bidar, from Class of 2025 at Duke Kunshan University, has been awarded a full scholarship to the Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters, one of the world’s most competitive graduate programs.
“I was overwhelmed with gratitude,” she said. “My life purpose has always been to fight climate change, Now, I have a higher chance to win this fight.”
The EU-funded program offers prestigious scholarships to students pursuing joint master’s degrees in at least two countries.
Bidar, from Morocco, began her climate advocacy journey shortly after her country hosted COP22 in Marrakech—held in the wake of the historic Paris Agreement. It was then, at just 13 years old, that she realized how much more needed to be done to address climate change, and how behind climate governance is at delivering solutions. By age 15, she represented Morocco at the G20 Youth Summit in Japan, and at 16, she took part in the first United Nations Youth Climate Summit at UN headquarters in New York.
Since then, she said she has worked with more than 30 organizations, completed internships with UNESCO, the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), and founded two national initiatives in Morocco—The Moroccan Regional Youth Governments Initiative and the Moroccan Youth Climate Council—mobilizing over 20,000 young people to engage in local and national governance, especially on issues like drought and water scarcity.
At DKU, she pursued a dual degree in Institutions and Governance, pairing political science with environmental policy. Her Signature Work—a 50-plus-page thesis—analyzed youth participation and influence in the UN climate negotiations. It included insights from 30 interviews, a decade of her activism and fieldwork at COP28 in Dubai and COP29 in Azerbaijan.
“Our generation is inheriting a planet in crisis—with climate change at its core,” Bidar wrote. “But we are not powerless, we are building a better future, and we won’t stop until it’s unstoppable.”
Bidar said Coraline Goron, assistant professor of environmental policy, chair of DKU Sustainability Committee and vice chair of the Executive Committee of the DKU Climate and Sustainability Initiative, played a key role in guiding her research.
“None of this would have crystallized without Professor Goron,” said Bidar. “I am very grateful for all her support with my thesis. Her climate governance research and campus sustainability leadership showed me impact takes countless forms—that universities, professors, and especially students like us all hold power to drive change.”
She also credited Annemieke Van Den Dool, assistant professor of environmental policy and co-director of the Center for the Study of Contemporary China at DKU, for her guidance during the master’s application process.
“They have both inspired me more than I can say. I hope one day to lead with the same passion, wisdom, and dedication they have shown me.”
According to Bidar, the program will take her to Italy, South Africa, and a third location—or multiple— for her thesis and internship.
“The past four years revealed how much I still needed to learn,” she said. “This program will help me to bridge the gaps between policy, science and the lived realities of communities affected by and adapting to climate change impacts.”
Her reasons for choosing the South Africa track were very personal.
“I come from southern Morocco, where my community is enduring the worst drought in our recorded history.Across the rest of the African continent, many more are vulnerable and underprepared to deal with climate change,” she said. “The most affected are often the least protected, and I want to change that.”
Her path has not been without hardship. After returning to campus post-COVID, she endured two major surgeries and a car accident.
“It was an incredibly difficult period, but it changed the way I define resilience,” she said. “Life can be overwhelming, and everyone has their own struggles. True resilience is believing in your ability to overcome these struggles while still being kind to yourself, too. I think that holds a lot of power, and we all have the courage to claim it.”
As she prepares for her first semester in Padua, Italy, Bidar says she’s eager to support others hoping to follow in her footsteps.
“If anyone wants help applying or finding opportunities, needs advice, or is just struggling, I am very glad to stay in touch,” she said. “The path to making the world a better place is long and challenging—but it’s one we walk together.”
