Ben Mylius

Ben Mylius is an Australian teacher, lawyer, and writer. His Ph.D. thesis, On Human Separatism, critiques techno-utopian approaches to climate change (according to which Humanity can use technology to "separate" from nature), and explores alternatives as they emerge out of non-European cultures' narratives and stories about human nature. He has an LL.M. from Yale University and a Ph.D. from Columbia and is a recipient of several of Australia’s most prestigious postgraduate scholarships, including a General Sir John Monash Award (Australia’s homegrown equivalent of Rhodes Scholarships).

Dr. Mylius is the founding convenor of Columbia’s Climate Imaginations Network: a group of creative folks who support and inspire one another to imagine just, resilient, and dynamic climate futures. He is also an enthusiastic ceramicist and novelist. At Columbia, he has taught courses in environmental political theory (EPT), general political theory, international law, and human rights, and was a finalist for Columbia’s Presidential Awards for Teaching for his EPT course, Humans, Nature and the Future.

Dr. Mylius's work revolves around four key questions: 

1. How can we use stories, and other ways of sharing ideas, to imagine more just and ecological futures?
2. How can we relate to one another in ways that nurture belonging and community?  
3. How can we learn and teach in ways that nurture and regenerate?  
4. How can we who grew up in historically dominant and dominating cultures follow others in ways that honor their resilience, creativity, and integrity?

Students and others, including members of communities outside Columbia, are welcome to get in touch with Dr. Mylius if they are interested to share and discuss ideas or community-building activities around climate, imagination, and creativity.