UC San Diego Alumna Makes an Impact on the International Stage

At no point during her four years on campus, however, did Gargash imagine that her education in chemical engineering would lead to an award from the president of the UAE — for her work in climate change negotiations.

“You don’t have to over plan your future,” she realizes now. “Even if you change majors or end up working in a field other than the one you studied, UC San Diego gives you the tools to thrive no matter what you do.”

Engineering is a notoriously challenging field, and at first Gargash loved the feeling of accomplishment when she developed new skills and mastered the coursework. But somewhere along the way, she realized her heart was no longer in it. She didn’t want to give up on her major entirely, but she also didn’t want to make a future out of it. So, she decided to ease up on the pressure, add a psychology minor, and opt for balance instead.

“My life at UC San Diego became about more than just relentless academic striving,” she says. “I kept up with my grades, but I was also making new friends, learning about myself, and exploring all the fun spaces on campus.”

After graduation, Gargash returned to Dubai and began applying for a variety of jobs, some of which would utilize her technical skills in chemical engineering, and some that would not. Eventually, she joined the team preparing for the UAE’s presidency of the 28th United Nations climate change conference, or COP28, working first with the director general and then later, as a negotiator.

COP28 was the biggest of its kind, drawing 85,000 people to the UAE from 197 countries, including 150 world leaders, as well as governmental agencies, policymakers, Indigenous peoples, other stakeholders, and researchers — including a contingency from Scripps Institution of Oceanography — to address the pressing issue of climate change. Gargash, the youngest member of her team, spent long days with representatives from other countries and leading negotiations on behalf of the COP28 presidency for a brand-new work program on just transition.

“Once I got settled in negotiations, I saw it was something I wanted to potentially do in the long run,” Gargash says. “In this work, you’re not only benefiting your country or your community, but you’re also connecting to a wider world and serving a better future for all.”

Although the work did not employ her technical skills as a chemical engineer, Gargash used just about everything else she learned at UC San Diego. For one, her role required that she become an expert in her negotiation topic, and she directly connects her ability to dive deep into that research to the resourcefulness and creative thinking she learned in college. And as a negotiator she had to maintain a position of neutrality both inside and outside the negotiating rooms.

“A lot of things are heavily scrutinized during the process, which also includes who you choose to stand with or talk to — people notice these things,” she says.

Living on UC San Diego’s expansive campus provided Gargash with countless opportunities to navigate intricate social dynamics, and this — along with her psychology minor — proved beneficial in her position at the conference. During her time on campus, she also developed skills in time management and collaboration and learned to leverage her natural strengths to accomplish her goals.

“I became a lot less scared of going after what I want to do, and I think that counts for a lot,” she says. “There are so many things we learn at university that people tend to overlook, but they matter.”

In the end, COP28 was a success, not just for the UAE, but also for the tangible climate progress it generated, so much so that Gargash and the negotiations team were awarded with the First-Class Order of Zayed II by the president.

“It was a huge honor, and I really wasn’t expecting it,” she says. “I am always thankful for my years at UC San Diego, they prepared me for my life beyond.”

For Gargash, this is just the beginning.  Although she can’t promise a lifelong career in climate change negotiations, she is enjoying her postgraduate experiences and knows she is equipped to take on whatever else life may bring her way.