Evans receives master’s and honorary doctorate degrees

Jacqueline Evans, a renowned Cook Islands marine conservationist, recently enjoyed a double celebration – graduating from a year-long study at Harvard University and receiving an honorary doctorate from the Université de l’Oparre (ULCO) in Boulogne-sur-Mer, France.

Evans, winner of the Goldman Environmental Prize, known as the “Green Nobel Prize,” joined Harvard University in June last year.

Late last month, she received her master’s degree in public administration, with her son, Marino Evans-Vakatini, attending the graduation ceremony.

Two weeks later, on World Oceans Day (June 8), she was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of the Coast of Opalé (ULCO) in Boulogne-sur-Mer, France.

Evans received an honorary doctorate from the University of Boulogne-sur-Mer (ULCO) in France. Supplied/24061803

Evans, who founded the Moana Foundation after winning the Goldman Environmental Prize, said her year at Harvard was probably the best year of her life.

Before leaving the Cook Islands for Harvard University, Evans said her studies would focus on sustainable development.

“Being a university student has been a privilege because I love learning, meeting other students, the pressure of meeting deadlines and pushing myself to stay organized,” Evans told Cook Islands News.

“The Harvard experience is next level because the other students are usually at the top of their class, so the competition is more intense. Also, the experience is like attending a year-long conference, but with evaluations. Harvard hosts a lot of events where you can network and use their resources to achieve what you want to achieve.”

Evans, who played a key leadership role in the seven-year campaign to establish the Malaimoana Marine Reserve in the Cook Islands, said her favorite thing was spending time with the nearly 240 students in the Master of Public Administration program.

“Not only are they smart, but each of them is working to make the world a better place. Some are working to address poverty, some are working to address democracy, some are working on gender issues. They are all good people.”

She said graduation was a huge celebration, with hundreds of students parading through the streets of Harvard.

“I’m glad my son Marino is here.”

Evans said the University of the Coast, Opara (ULCO) contacted her through her Moana Foundation website to discuss awarding her an honorary doctorate.

“They first heard about me when I won the Goldman Environmental Prize in 2019 and have been following me ever since. They also read about my previous work on the Marae Moana Cook Islands Marine Park project,” she said.

“At first, I wasn’t sure if it was a scam because anyone could be contacted through the website, but after checking, I realised it was genuine.”

While at Harvard, Evans reaffirmed that marine research was her greatest passion.

“I’ve always had a passion for it even when I started working at the Department of Marine Resources in 1989. In fact, the reason I left there in 1992 was because I was stuck in an office managing foreign fishing vessel information, and the Department of Conservation was looking for someone to design and lead a coral reef research project.

“So, I took the opportunity. I went to the University of the South Pacific to complete my Bachelor of Science, but when I returned to the Conservation Service in 1996, the government was going through a financial crisis and our research projects were cut.

“I am very happy to see that the Department of Marine Resources now has a permanent marine research program.”

Evans hopes to leverage her relationship with the University of the Opale Coast to establish marine research partnerships for the Moana Foundation.

She said it was a lifelong dream to work with French marine scientists, leaders in the field.

“Now is an opportunity for a great collaboration between the Moana Foundation and the ULCO Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences to study plankton and carbon cycling, microplastics, marine microbiology, climate change, remote sensing, fisheries, coastal geography, marine geology, oceanography and many other topics.

“ULCO is pioneering new areas of research, including decarbonization technologies and artificial BroadCast Unitedligence technologies.

“I haven’t decided yet what type of marine research I’m going to do. I just hope it will be helpful to the Department of Marine Resources and other parts of the Cook Islands government and community.”