Continuing the previous article on how to navigate COP, a host country provides numerous opportunities to explore.

In general, while COP is happening within eleven days, the country’s exploration is manageable to plan. It makes little difference whether to attend COP for five or four days, but it makes a huge difference whether to explore Azerbaijan for one or zero days. As such, with Jacob Wilentz, Duke ’24 alum, we had the pleasure of seeing the gorgeous sceneries of Azerbaijan. From the flame mountain with the constant burning of natural gas to the mesmerizing Caucasus Mountains, we couldn’t stop being impressed by the beauty of local views.

We also couldn’t avoid noticing lots of oil and gas extraction sites. One of the pictures I didn’t take was the COP29 sign in front of a petrol jack pumping oil. Not to diminish the critiques of a country’s economy, which is primarily fueled by oil and gas export, it’s important to see a broad picture (e.g., Azerbaijan’s oil and gas export is less than 1% on the world’s market).

Some other notable observations around Azerbaijan include countless surveillance cameras, metal detectors in the metro, and manicured Baku. As I have visited over 40 countries, I recall only three cities where one should take a bag through a metal detector when entering public transport, such as the metro: Baku, Moscow, and Shanghai. This peculiarity of having a high level of security plays a role in organizing such a sizeable event. Not a single time have we waited in line for security or badge checks for longer than a minute or two. The accreditation, security and shuttle organization of the conference were flawless.

Finally, the last part is after the COP. When prospective students reach out to me for advice, the one idea I always emphasize is thank you notes and follow-ups. When someone gives me their business card, I try to write a few words on the card right away, like ‘COP29, date, and a few topics we discussed.’ Starting with the people who impressed me the most and with whom I want to stay in touch, I would send a note to most of the people whom I met. As with so many things happening at the conference, it’s never too early to follow up.

The impression of COP29 results were highly polar. The presidency claims breakthrough and delivery of a new financial goal. However, opposite to the hosting country, many call this year’s COP a failure: ‘Three hundred billion dollars till 2035 is a joke, and it’s not something we should take lightly. I do not think it’s something we should clap our hands and force us to take it’ – said a delegate from Nigeria, Nkiruka Maduekwe, NPR reporting.

To conclude, despite many calls for the COP to set our society back, as a student, one still greatly benefits from observing such a vital event, however successful or not the outcome is. From pure learning while attending events to getting to know other delegates, COP is like any other conference but more.