Yiqi Yu
Yiqi is a first-year Master of Public Policy student at Harvard Kennedy School with a strong commitment to the intersection of climate adaptation, energy transition, and international development, particularly in emerging economies. Her interests include solar PV, electricity markets, energy storage, and climate finance. She holds a Bachelor’s degree from Renmin University of China and participated in an exchange program at Sciences Po. Prior to HKS, Yiqi gained experience in international climate partnerships and China’s green transition. At the EU Delegation to China, she drafted reports on China’s green transition policies and coordinated high-level EU-China climate dialogues, including organizing Executive Vice-President Timmermans’ visit. During her time with UNICEF, she collaborated with multiple UN agencies, country offices, and external partners to strengthen ESG and CSR capacity-building efforts within Chinese enterprises. Her research at the IRENA-China Cooperation Office focused on developing international cooperation strategies and contributing to the 2023 Energy Transitions Index Blue Book. Most recently, at Huatai Securities, she conducted research examining the balance between ecological protection and socio-economic development in vulnerable communities within China’s Sanjiangyuan National Park. Looking ahead, Yiqi is committed to leveraging innovative policy solutions and public-private partnerships to decarbonize the energy sector, advance climate adaptation, and promote an equitable green transition, with a focus on vulnerable communities in the Global South. In Yiqi’s free time, she enjoys playing basketball, jogging, and board games.
The Salata Institute
The Salata Institute supports interdisciplinary research that leads to real-world action, including high-risk/high-reward projects by researchers already working in the climate area and new endeavors that make it easier for Harvard scholars, who have not worked on climate problems, to do so. Faculty interested in the Climate Research Clusters program should note an upcoming deadline for concepts on April 1, 2024.