Johanna Kosak is a first-year student reading Human, Social, and Political Sciences (HSPS).
Johanna’s research team was among the top ten finalists in the 2025 Entente Cordiale University Challenge.
The team – comprised of Johanna alongside Asha Metcalfe (Clare College) and Johana Trejtnar (Emmanuel College) – was selected from over 300 participants across leading institutions in the UK and France. Their paper, “Tuvalu, the First Digital Nation: Cultural Preservation in the Face of Climate Loss,” earned them a place in the final round, where they presented their work to a jury at the London School of Economics.
The team’s report offers a fresh perspective on the implications of climate change, examining not only the environmental and economic impacts but also the often-overlooked loss of culture. Using Tuvalu as a case study – a Pacific island nation threatened by rising sea levels – their research interrogates the feasibility and limitations of the country's Digital Nation initiative. Drawing on interviews with Tuvaluan Indigenous Knowledge Holder and climate activist Taukiei Kitara, as well as Australian Indigenous researcher Robert McLellan, the team explores how virtual preservation efforts may fall short without the physical presence of land.
Their findings advocate for innovative policy responses, including:
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The establishment of a Climate Harm Accountability Court under the jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice.
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The creation of Cultural Loss Funds, as part of the UN’s Loss and Damage framework.
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Acknowledging the limitations of technocratic solutions to what is also a deeply human and cultural crisis.
Reflecting on the experience, Johanna shared:
“All too often, climate change makes me feel despair. But the Entente Cordiale Challenge gave me the chance to turn that despair into action – to collaborate on meaningful research, and to explore solutions rooted in justice and cultural preservation.”
The Entente Cordiale University Challenge fosters Franco-British academic collaboration, inviting students from selected UK and French universities to address pressing global challenges through interdisciplinary research. This year’s theme, “Climate Change, Biodiversity, and the Developing World,” inspired Johanna and her team to focus on the intersection of climate displacement and Indigenous heritage.
Their journey to the final has not only included months of research and writing but now culminated in a series of prestigious events in London, including:
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An oral presentation at the London School of Economics
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A lunch debate at the House of Commons with the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Climate Change
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An interactive Q&A at the Foreign & Commonwealth Office with Professor Rachel Kyte, HM Government’s Climate Special Envoy
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A concert by the LSE Choir and a gala dinner at Hatfield House
Johanna also expressed deep gratitude for the support that enabled her to take part:
“Thanks to the Far East Horizon Scholarship, awarded by Lucy Cavendish College and alongside my Cambridge Trust Scholarship, I’ve had the opportunity to fully immerse myself in this incredible project. I am endlessly grateful – studying here and being part of such enriching academic endeavours, simply wouldn’t be possible without this support.”
We warmly congratulate Johanna and the team.