UNUnexions

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	December 1998

A parting note

Editors' note: Mr. Kühr sent this "farewell greeting" to Nexions in June to express his experiences as a young researcher at the UNU. Because such perspectives are often neglected in favour of event-oriented information and coverage of the projects of senior staff, we include this to speak for the current dozens and, in the longer term, thousands of researchers who access the University's resources on a short-term basis. He will return to the UNU for another period of research in early 1999

By Rüdiger Kühr
Reaching the revolving door at the entrance of the UNU three months ago, it seemed to me that I had not been away from the Headquarters for three years. I had left in autumn 1995, after five months as an intern with the environmental team around Dr. Juha Uitto.

Since those days, I became a lecturer on environmental politics at Germany's University of Osnabr�ck. My current dissertation on Japan's and Germany's publicly funded environmental technology transfers to fast-growing economies brought me back to the UNU community this year, with the support of fellowships from the Sasakawa Foundation and the German Academic Exchange Service.

At the beginning of an academic career it is very useful to have the UNU in one's background if one's research work depends mainly on empirical analysis, such as interviews I conducted for my research. The kind assistance of UNU staff members helped make my work successful and I was able to revitalise old contacts and make new ones through the networks of my UNU advisers.

Also, the very informal meetings of the newly established evening environment seminars help promote exchanges of information among personnel with environmental interests in the UNU Headquarters, the Institute of Advanced Studies, and the Global Environmental Information Centre. This group also helped me enjoy life in Tokyo and Japan through the day and night activities we shared.

Leaving the UNU's door for the last time in 1998, I was happy to escape from Tokyo before the real summer started, but I left hoping that not only my research work but also many friends at the UNU and in Japan might bring me back soon.