Jason Garcia-Portilla

I earned my PhD in Organization Studies and Cultural Theory at the University of St. Gallen (Switzerland). My mixed-methods interdisciplinary doctoral research sought to understand the prosperity differences between countries in Europe and the Americas by elucidating the hegemonic and emancipatory religious factors leading to these dissimilarities. My study contributes to existing research in the sociology of religion field by demonstrating — for the first time — the effect of the mutually reinforcing configuration of multiple prosperity triggers (religion–politics–environment). My research project studied the differences in the institutionalization of Roman Catholicism and Protestantism by applying quantitative and qualitative methods and by performing a Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) in 65 countries.

In addition to my work on the religion–prosperity–environment nexus, I also hold a degree in ecology and have extensive research experience on climate change. My previous research has studied climate change and environment policy from a scientific perspective and in terms of policy-making responses and dynamics. My second MSc thesis bridged climate scenarios and migration studies in the case of Colombia. Although previous studies had explored climate change on the one hand, and migration and forced displacement on the other, the interrelation between these disciplines was under-researched at the time. My study contributed to closely this gap by examining this missing linkage. It was the first time this nexus had been studied in Colombia. Its main finding was that the provinces responsible for the majority of migration are the same areas that are highly sensitive to the impacts of climate change.

I also have a broad range of teaching experience, from undergraduate courses in environmental issues and political science to extensive tutoring and mentoring of undergraduate and master’s students. My teaching and research have also benefited from academic and practical experience gained across several disciplines (environmental science, sociology of religion, political science, cultural studies, international relations).

Beyond academia, I have over 12 years of professional experience in the field of climate change and environment. I spent over two years working as an official negotiator of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Among other roles, I have worked as a government officer, UN officer, and researcher on climate change. I was appointed as a reviewer of the 5th Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change – IPCC Assessment Report.