Leo Nyein Zaw Ko
Academic qualifications
B.Sc. Biomedical Engineering and Business Management, Bucknell University, US
M.Sc in Environmental Management, NUS
M.Phil in Conservation Leadership, University of Cambridge
Research areas
Conservation Finance, Sustainability Education, Science Communications
Research interests
Leo’s research interest lies in science communication and message-framing methodologies that 1) mainstream and popularise conservation financing tools, such as nature-based solutions, nature-performance bonds, carbon/biodiversity credits, and 2) innovate pedagogical methods for course delivery and capacity building in executive education.
Biography
Originally from Myanmar, Leo was an environmentalist, advocating for increased protection of endangered Irrawaddy dolphins (Orcaella brevirostris), their habitats, and the indigenous knowledge of ‘Cooperative Fishing’ with dolphins. Building on this work, his research focus during postgraduate studies shifted to conservation marketing and stakeholder engagement that centres around pro-environmental behaviour change. He became increasingly interested in financial incentive-based conservation approaches that align business processes with nature-positive outcomes. At the NUS Centre for Nature-based Solutions, Leo is currently working on curating and facilitating training courses and workshops for executive education under the ‘Continuing Education & Training’ programme, mostly focused on enterprise sustainability, decarbonisation strategies, and carbon market mechanisms.
Features and publications in popular media