Alumni Profile: Irina Fedorenko-Aula

Irina Fedorenko-Aula (MSc Nature, Society and Environmental Policy, 2011) is a NASDAQ Milestone Maker and a serial green tech entrepreneur. While in Oxford, she co-founded the first tree-planting drone company and ran ecosystem restoration projects in Asia and Africa.

Irina is a consultant for the World Bank and a Steering Group member of Initiatives of Land Lives and Peace, a programme of IofC International. She is a co-founder at Vlinder which develops Social Blue Carbon mangrove projects, and Flying Forests, a climate tech company that uses innovation to empower local communities.

Irina is an expert on carbon finance and nature-based solutions, having obtained a DPhil in Geography from the University of Oxford as a recipient of the Weidenfeld-Hoffman Trust Scholarship.

While in college Irina contributed to the Emerging Markets Symposium and worked with the amazing college team led by Associate Fellow Ian Scott to host one of such high-level events.

Irina Fedorenko-Aula writes

My favourite memories of GTC

I first arrived at GTC to study for my MSc in Nature, Society and Environmental Governance in 2011, and on the first day, I felt how welcoming the college was and all the caring porters and staff felt immediately like a family. I was also very happy to meet the crowd of like-minded students and I plunged into the College life. I was elected to be an Environment rep for the GCR, became Vice President for the Human Welfare Conference and I even volunteered for the Ball. This was a highlight of my year, since I lived in the Doll Building on site, and the Ball took place the night before my exams in front of my windows. Instead of trying to sleep I decided to stay up all night and went to the Examination School in the morning. Somehow I still managed to pass!

I returned in 2013 to do a DPhil in Geography and I was so happy to come back to GTC. Throughout the ups and downs of my Doctorate, I felt supported and inspired to continue working on Nature-Based Solutions to Climate Change. With the support of the College, I established the interdisciplinary research group CHEW (China’s Health, Environment and Welfare) and ran the inaugural conference. I have been awarded the Nautilus awards twice: for College life contribution and for Academic achievement. If I missed out on something, I have to say it was sport. It took me one taster session of rowing to understand I can’t do it all.

Over my time in GTC, I made friends for life, wrote my Dissertation during long evenings in the Rotonda, shared wonderful meals with peers and supervisors and met my husband at the final Ball of my time as a student in 2018. So you could say, I left on a high note. This is why I am so happy and honoured to come back as an Oxford alumni group coordinator and I hope to remind those of us still in town that we can create a vibrant community and reconnect with the College.

Reach out to me if…

…you are interested in Climate Change and Sustainability. I am currently working on mangrove restoration projects in Africa and South-East Asia, and I am consulting on carbon finance, innovation and climate tech. I am also a mentor for Weidenfeld-Hoffmann Trust Scholars and the Work on Climate Community.

Most importantly reach out if you are based in Oxford and want to contribute to building links between GTC and the alumni community.

Contact Irina via alumni@gtc.ox.ac.uk