In Conversation With Apoorva Bose, Communications And Community Engagement Expert, UNEP

Tell us a bit about yourself. What made you choose a career in law? And how was the experience of studying law? 

I was born and raised in Kerala, India until I moved to Switzerland to pursue my post-graduate studies. I did my under graduation in law at the prestigious NUALS in Kerala where I had the opportunity to work with various non-profit organizations like CRY, Kudumbashree, Lok Sabha, etc. which paved way for my love for human rights and policy research. 

My love and passion for travelling, movies, dance and music were kept alive during my years at NUALS by playing the balancing act as well as I could. I consider myself blessed to have been a part of 6 movies in Malayalam. Music and dance have helped me immensely to express myself and as a mode of catharsis to relieve stress.

After my 5 years at NUALS, I was certain I wanted to work with the United Nations to get a sneak peak of the world of international law. I’ve had the honour to work on several projects in association with UNRCO, UNDP and UNIC. After this brilliant experience, I pursued my masters in international law at the Graduate Institute in Geneva where I specialised in environmental law, human rights and humanitarian law. Living in a hub of international organizations and multilateral diplomacy, I was given the opportunity to work with UNEP as a Communications and Community Engagement Expert. 

If you could suggest one reform in the legal education system, what would it be?

When I moved to Geneva for my masters, I struggled in my first year to come to terms with the new kind of learning that was entirely based on critical thinking and analysis. Suddenly my rot learning was considered obsolete and absolutely useless. Though it took time and patience to adapt to this new world of education, I was fascinated by how much I actually learned and questioned everything around me. In India, legal education is purely based on rot learning and semester exams.

A new system that encourages students to question everything, critically analyse and think would be something I urge for. Also, a system that focuses on practical education would be helpful. 

Please tell us about your specialization and the array of work you handle in your current role.

I currently work as a Communications and Community Engagement Expert at UNEP and in the past one year have been blessed to be a part of brilliant projects as part of the Disasters and conflicts branch. I have had the opportunity to be a part of a team of experts that led the UN mission to Nigeria to assist the Government in the biggest oil spill clean-up project in Ogoniland. During this period, I have organised several workshops on stakeholder engagement and social media activism to the Nigerian government-instituted team known as HYPREP. 

Additionally, I have leveraged my social media platform to promote the importance of Nature-based Solutions for climate resilience and disaster management and why disaster risk reduction is the need of the hour. I have always worked on a MOOC on Nature-based Solutions on the edX platform which became the second most popular course on the platform for the year 2021.

What advice would you give law students seeking the best internships in their area of interest?

During my 5 years in law school, I identified my area of interest through the process of elimination by interning as much as possible. Internships help you understand the practical aspect of what you are studying and gives a peak into the actual work that goes on in courts, law firms and other offices. I cannot stress the importance of internships in law school. Other than giving you a taste of professional work in your realm, it provides a space for you to network and find yourself a mentor. 

I know the process of finding internships can be stressful, especially in a highly competitive field, but don’t be afraid to reach out to people and express your interest by through cold emails. And most importantly never lose hope!

Many Congratulations on joining the BW Legal World Elite 30 Under 30 Club of Achievers 2021. What to your mind has helped you get to where you are and what advice would you have for others who want to set off in a similar direction?

A question I get asked very often is what is it that I do for a living. Most have seen me act in Malayalam cinema - for them I am Apoorva Bose, the actor. Some know me as a lawyer, and fewer still as a human rights lawyer. And if you have ever glanced through my Instagram profile, you might think I am an influencer, dancer or singer. So there’s this perpetual confusion regarding what it is that I actually do. Even so, I have always found myself struggling to come up with a definitive answer to this seemingly straightforward question. This is probably because I have never really associated myself with any one single activity so far in my career. It has always been a juggling act between all the different passions that I hold dear to me. In this sense, I have always been a jack of many trades but never a master of one. Today, I see my versatility as a superpower.

My only advice for young students is to stop stressing if you haven’t found your specialisation, honestly, it's fine to want to try different things. Being ravenous about wanting to learn new things and brave enough to test new waters is indeed something to be proud of!

As a final note, would you please recommend to our readers your favourite book that left a lasting impression on you?

Do You Remember Kunan Poshpora? is a book that left a last impression on me. As a student of law, it made me understand the ongoing conflict in Kashmir and even led me to do my masters dissertation on Breaking the Silence on Sexual Violence in an Armed Conflict in Kashmir: An International Law Perspective.