Can you give a brief summary of your career to date, and the journey that brought you here to us at the University of Edinburgh Business School?
I’m glad to say Scotland has been my home away from home, having arrived on a SUNNY day in September 2009 to study engineering at the University of Edinburgh. Having realised that sustainable development, data and finance can come together under the field of sustainable finance, I was glad to come and study for our own MSc in Carbon Finance (now MSc Climate Change Finance and Investment). The rest is history really! This great programme allowed me to continue on a DPhil track in Oxford’s Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment, followed by a postdoc in University College Dublin and Assistant Professorship in Queen’s University Belfast. Of course, I couldn’t resist coming home, so here I am!
If you had to give your ‘elevator pitch’ and explain in layman terms what your research focuses on, how would you answer?
Mostly, I focus on the data and decisions that inform us and put us on a trajectory to leave the world in a better state than we found it in the first place.
With regard to your work, is there anything exciting in the pipelines that you are working on?
I am very excited to work with my colleagues in the School of Geosciences, as well as data scientists in general, to understand how we can incentivise the protection of biodiversity through financial markets in addition to traditional environmental policies.
What do you enjoy most about your teaching research?
Certainly the discovery of new knowledge.
What do you enjoy most about working at UEBS?
Being surrounded by so many like-minded colleagues.
What advice would you give to your younger self, about to leave home and embark upon further education?
Don’t worry, Scotland will be great!
What one book, piece of music and beloved item would you take with you to a Desert Island?
If it is a Desert Island, it would have to be a survivor guide and a guitar (both as beloved item and music source).
If you could invite anyone over for dinner (past/present) who would it be and why?
It would have to be Nelson Mandela, as he has been a big inspiration to me for his selfless pursuit of public good.
If you could visit anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?
The sovereign territories which we know will be submerged in the years to come due to climate change, such as Kiribati.
UEBS Research - Theodor Cojoianu
Theodor Cojoianu discusses his research on the contribution of finance to sustainable development. His engagement with the EU platform on Sustainable Finance has influenced the design of environmental disclosure legislation, providing clarity on green investments and empowering institutional investors. Through his work, he aims to address climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution prevention while shaping the economy of tomorrow.
Senior Lecturer in Sustainable Finance