By Essien Oku Essien, a Nigerian scholar at Drexel University, earns top global fellowships for his research examining Indigenous knowledge systems and climate change.
United States, 6th May 2025 – Essien Oku Essien, a 26-year-old doctoral student at Drexel University’s Communication program, has gained international recognition for his pioneering work in climate communication and cultural studies. His innovative research deconstructs dominant narratives around climate change by incorporating Indigenous knowledge systems and cultural frameworks from Africa and the Americas. In doing so, Essien is reshaping global academic and policy conversations around climate interpretation, cosmologies and resilience.
At the 17th International Conference on Climate Change: Impacts & Responses, held in 2025 at Florida International University, Essien received the Emerging Scholar Award for his critical project, Misrepresentations of Climate Change as Cultural Crises: The Case of Africa. The study critiques how spiritual and cultural understandings within Indigenous communities are often mischaracterized or dismissed in global climate debates, emphasizing the need for an empirically grounded, culturally inclusive approach.
Recognition Across International Fellowships and Academic Institutions
In addition to his award-winning research in Miami, Essien was invited to present a guest lecture at the Federal University of Amazonas in Brazil. His growing academic influence led to his selection as one of the top 25 global fellows for the Climate Leaders Fellowship—an interdisciplinary program hosted by Faith For Our Planet (FFOP) in partnership with Duke University’s Divinity School. Chosen from over 5,000 applicants worldwide, Essien’s work on Indigenous frameworks in climate science stood out for its global applicability and intellectual rigor.
Further extending the reach of his research, he will present a workshop at the 15th International Conference on Society and Environment at Sapienza University of Rome. The workshop will explore how visual culture and symbolic language shape spiritual narratives—insights that also inform his core investigation into climate change, Indigenous knowledge systems, and cosmological interpretations.
In a significant academic milestone, Essien has also been selected for the Doctoral Summer Fellowship at the Swedish Centre for the Impacts of Climate Extremes (CLIMES), Uppsala University—recognizing his contributions to interdisciplinary climate scholarship in Europe.
Cultural Semiotics and Visual Media Analysis
Essien’s academic portfolio includes a robust engagement with visual culture and semiotic theory. He recently led a collaborative analysis of the 2024 Netflix film Mary, where his team explored the evolving representation of archetypal figures using Charles Sanders Peirce’s Semiotic Theory in combination with color theory. This project reflects his broader interest in cultural interpretation within contemporary media, offering balanced insights into how symbolic frameworks influence societal understandings of complex issues like indigenous/cosmological interpretations of climate crises.
Ongoing Research Projects: Coastal West Africa and Global Climate Communication
His ongoing ethnographic project, Class War: Indigenous Cosmological Interpretations of Climate Change and the Scientific Paradigm in Coastal West Africa, investigates the intersections and tensions between traditional knowledge systems and scientific environmental models. By highlighting how Indigenous cosmologies offer alternative interpretive lenses for climate phenomena, Essien’s work bridges cultural epistemologies with mainstream scientific discourse.
In tandem, Essien authored Climate Models: The Politics of Theory Consumption, a cultural sociology study analyzing the distribution, reception, and socioeconomic stratification of climate information audiences. This research addresses how media framing, public policy, and class influence environmental literacy and denialism, contributing critical insights to global discussions on equitable climate communication.
Global Leadership in Climate Advocacy and Education
Outside academic institutions, Essien has assumed active leadership in climate education and sustainability efforts. As a trained Climate Leader under The Climate Reality Project—an internationally recognized climate initiative based in the United States—he continues to promote sustainable development and environmental literacy. He also holds a specialization in Education and Climate Change from the Inter-American Development Bank, reinforcing his multidimensional expertise.
Currently serving as President of the International Graduate Students Association at Drexel University, he advocates for the needs and welfare of global student communities. As a committed advocate for young people, Essien has served as a delegate at major international platforms—including the Global Youth Climate Summit, the Global Landscapes Forums, the International Youth Conference and the World Bank Group Youth Summit—amplifying youth voices and advancing inclusive approaches to climate governance.
Honorary Distinction and Academic Impact
In recognition of his contributions to climate scholarship and global advocacy, Essien received an honorary doctorate of humane letters in Communication and Climate Change from the American Management University in California in 2025.
He was also ranked among the top 6% of more than 2.18 million authors on the Social Science Research Network (SSRN) based on readership and citation metrics. At Drexel University, he earned the 2025 Research Excellence Award (Pre-Candidacy Category) from the Office of Graduate Studies, solidifying his academic standing as a leading emerging scholar.
Vision for Inclusive Climate Discourse
Looking ahead, Essien is completing a scholarly monograph titled Cultural Materiality and the Semiotics of Altered Logics, which examines how metaphysical belief systems and visual culture intersect in environmental discourse. Through his participation in academic symposia, media commentary, and public forums, Essien promotes a vision for climate dialogue that prioritizes diversity in knowledge production.
“Climate change is not only an environmental problem; it is also an interpretive challenge,” Essien stated. “How we conceptualize and respond to climate issues often reflects our foundational worldviews and societal structures.”
His interdisciplinary work deconstructs traditional and cosmological interpretations of climate change that obscure its scientific reality and hinder effective, resource-driven climate action, emphasizing the importance of integrating diverse perspectives in research and policy.
About Essien Oku Essien
Essien Oku Essien is a doctoral student at Drexel University, Philadelphia, specializing in climate communication, media theory, and cultural studies. His research investigates the relationships between climate science, Indigenous knowledge systems, and cultural semiotics. Through both academic and advocacy efforts, he is committed to promoting inclusive, interdisciplinary approaches to global environmental challenges.
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