It was at the Griffith HDR induction day in April of 2018 that Naima Iram met Giulia Lepori and Micha艂 Krawczyk. Naima had previously finished two master’s degrees at the University of Sargodha in Pakistan and was set to begin her doctorate in water, wetlands and marine resources management. The three were struck by each other’s friendliness and enthusiasm as they bonded over discussions of their PhD projects. Giulia was doing a PhD in environmental humanities, and Michal in environmental studies.
They would continue to meet at Griffith workshops and training events, and all took part in the 2018 Walk and Talk for Reconciliation Week. Giulia and Micha艂 often invited Naima to any parties they were throwing. While she couldn’t attend due to her fieldwork commitments, Naima was grateful for the invites.
As her own fieldwork started up and the Covid-19 pandemic forced people into isolation, Giulia wouldn’t meet Naima again until they bumped into each other on Nathan Campus at Caf茅 Rosa. After months of isolation, the familiar face was a welcome sight and they joyfully reconnected, promising to keep in touch and remain friends.
“As time passed, our friendship evolved as I got close to Micha艂 and Giulia for their passion for making the world a better place through their actions of kindness and volunteer work.” Naima says.
The three would catch up for coffee and lunches at each other’s offices and continue to participate in various charity events like the 2021 Fun Run at the Logan Campus, raising funds for children with autism. They went to each other’s graduation ceremonies in December 2022, with Naima moving to Singapore the day after hers.
Despite the distance, Naima continued to keep in touch with Micha艂 and Giulia over messages and video call. “This way we have been able to follow our main life events, including the latest wonderful news of Naima’s son being born,” Giulia says. “It feels beautiful to know that our friendship lives in our hearts.”
Naima is now in charge of a team of researchers at the National University of Singapore, working to conserve and restore the coastal wetlands across Southeast Asia. Giulia is teaching social science and communication at the Queensland University of Technology and Micha艂 is a filmmaker and researcher. He and Giulia are still living in Brisbane, working together on their collaborative archive, tarra tarra, where they display their environmental research projects, as a storytelling space on the relationships between humans and the earth.
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