Introducing Abby
Hallo! My name is Abigail, and I am a sophomore from Houston, Texas. I’m excited to get to know you all and traverse the socio-political & economic landscape of Germany together this spring!
I plan to concentrate in economics here at Babson, and I look forward to exploring the intersection of economics, politics, and business in this course. My recent semester in Micro with Professor Wong sparked my interest in environmental and energy economics disciplines. Naturally, I’m curious about the role of German firms and political institutions in affecting sustainable development outcomes, especially surrounding renewable energy use and carbon emissions reduction. To that end, what exactly is “green politics”?
I’m fascinated by what John Kampfner refers to as the “‘social market’” system of Germany, in which long-term employment and “co-determination” are the norm, he explains. I am also intrigued by the Pfand recycling system, as I grew up in a state without bottle return laws. I’m most excited to explore these and other topics under the Environmental Sustainability module, both in class and in the city(-state!) of Berlin—which is also where Google says I might find the best German chocolate.
Part of the reason I applied for this course is my (somewhat distant) paternal German heritage. When I was younger, my father flew to Germany on business. There, he came across a tall structure with my family name, Gunter, engraved on its face in capital letters. I was amazed! Maybe one day I’ll return to Germany with my parents and sisters: my dad can take us to see the building, along with the Porsche AG headquarters in Stuttgart (God knows that man adores his 911), and I can tell them all about the federal nation’s political economy of sustainable development. ☺
Bis bald!~
Abby Gunter
