University of Oxford
11a Mansfield Rd
OX1 3SZ
UK
MBiol Student
Shivi Gupta
Background
Hello! I’m a fourth-year undergraduate student currently completing my Master’s research jointly with ICCS and WildCRU. My work lies at the intersection of ecology, policy, and human behaviour: exploring how public perceptions and political narratives influence conservation outcomes.
Growing up in New Delhi, I was surrounded by the contrasts of urban life and the wild. From playing with stray dogs in crowded streets to hearing stories of tigers roaming India’s forests. Those early encounters sparked my fascination with how humans coexist with nature, even in unlikely places.
This curiosity has since evolved into a broader interest in how governance and policy shape our relationship with the environment. During my internship as a policy advisor at the UK Department for Transport, I gained first-hand experience of how evidence is translated (and increasingly lost) in policymaking, deepening my commitment to integrating scientific insight into decision-making processes.
I’m particularly motivated by the challenge of bridging the gap between science, society, and governance - ensuring that conservation policy is informed by both data and empathy. Ultimately, I hope my research contributes to more inclusive, evidence-informed environmental policy that recognises the interconnectedness of ecological and human wellbeing.
Growing up in New Delhi, I was surrounded by the contrasts of urban life and the wild. From playing with stray dogs in crowded streets to hearing stories of tigers roaming India’s forests. Those early encounters sparked my fascination with how humans coexist with nature, even in unlikely places.
This curiosity has since evolved into a broader interest in how governance and policy shape our relationship with the environment. During my internship as a policy advisor at the UK Department for Transport, I gained first-hand experience of how evidence is translated (and increasingly lost) in policymaking, deepening my commitment to integrating scientific insight into decision-making processes.
I’m particularly motivated by the challenge of bridging the gap between science, society, and governance - ensuring that conservation policy is informed by both data and empathy. Ultimately, I hope my research contributes to more inclusive, evidence-informed environmental policy that recognises the interconnectedness of ecological and human wellbeing.
Current Research
My Masters project explores how foreign media portrayal and political discourse of trophy hunting shapes domestic public perceptions, influencing conservation policy with potentially negative international sustainability outcomes. Working with Dan Challender and Amy Dickman, I aim to understand how narratives around controversial conservation practices – often simplified or emotionalised by media – affects both ecological and economic systems which rely on wildlife management.
Ultimately, my research seeks to link social perception and public sentiment to sustainability, highlighting how influenced and biased global narratives can unintentionally undermine local conservation efforts, and how evidence-informed communication can promote more effective policy solutions.