Looking forward to my research project I have several goals that I want to set for myself in terms of the research project itself as well as my international experience.
Pre-Trip: Before leaving for my trip, I hope to learn a little about the issue of food waste and food sustainability here in Houston, because, upon returning to Rice, I would like to continue my involvement in food policy. I recently heard about the Houston Food Policy Workgroup, an organization whose focus is to nurture the growth of a sustainable local food system by tackling food policy issues in Houston. My goal is to attend at least two meetings and hopefully learn some valuable information that I could translate to my research project abroad.
Social Issue: When it comes to the social issue of food waste in Bulgaria, I have a very basic understanding of it based on my work with the BFB last summer and on some light research that I have done myself, but there is still so much I do not know. Specifically, before arrive in Bulgaria, I want to understand the concrete definition of food waste and its extent worldwide. To do this, I want to read a research article on this topic once a week so that by the time I begin my research I will be well educated in the background of the social issue I will be looking into.
Language: Although Bulgarian is my first language and I go back home every year, I only really use Bulgarian with my family and for the couple of months I visit. Therefore, I suspect that at the beginning I may have some difficulty with the more technical terms that I am not accustomed to using. The project requires me to look through English-language sources, but because I want to improve my language skills, I will make sure to be able to translate my findings back into Bulgarian, this way I am making it much easier for everyone to be on the same page, including those who may not be as proficient in English, and I myself get to work on the language. I will also use English as little as possible, which I don’t foresee to be a challenge.