CID Global Internship Program

1. International Development Workshop: Each year the program starts with an International Development Workshop taught by CID faculty and staff. The aim is to provide students with a fundamental toolkit of analytical and practical skills for international development, providing an overview of some current research questions for development economics and how the faculty approach these questions. The students learn about key current issues in international development and how to work with policy actors internationally. Students will also have a chance to meet their fellow interns, and build a cohort amongst themselves, forming a community we will cultivate throughout the internships. The workshop will take place May 1, 2023 at HKS.
2. International Internship: CID connects with the host organization prior to matching interns to understand internship needs and ensure consistent standards about the work product. Together, CID and the host organizations draft internship descriptions to guide students and help with matchmaking. Students will have a field supervisor to help them use the tools learned in the workshop and connect with others in their summer internship cohort as they develop their interests and expertise in international development.
3. On-Campus Debriefing: After students return to campus in the fall, they participate in a debrief session with the faculty and fellow interns. This will serve as a bookend to their internship experience and provide time to reflect on and document their experience. Alumni of the program are introduced virtually to the past cadre of interns, where they can use the alumni network to make contacts and seek advice in the pursuit of their development career

1. Blogs: Interns will submit two first-person narrative blog posts, the first after completion of the first four weeks of the internship and the second at the culmination of the internship, describing their experience. Each blog should contain at least two photos. The written pieces should focus on the impact of the summer work, a specific impactful challenge or moment, or how this experience will inform future studies and career. Blog posts will be published on the CID website and promoted on the center’s social media channels, at the discretion of CID staff. If students cannot share their work publicly, they can propose alternative forms of reporting. Blogs should not be longer than 750-1,000 words.
2. A Collection of High-Resolution Photos: After completing the summer internship, interns will submit 5-10 high-resolution photos of their internship that will be used to share their work with supporters and future participants.

The application cycle for summer 2023 is now closed.

• Undergraduate Internships: Internships are fully funded by OCS. The OCS funding amount is set by Harvard each year. OCS will not fund students who are interning in their home country and will only fund current students who are returning in the fall. By accepting this internship and OCS funding, students cannot accept any other Harvard funding over the summer. There are specific requirements students will need to complete to receive this funding. We will provide that information, but it can also be found here.  
• HKS Graduate Internships: HKS Students can apply for funding at HKS, either through HIDIF (for MPA/ID students) or SIF (all HKS students). The next deadline for funding is on April 19 at noon.

Additional Requirements For CID Interns: Students will need to complete the pre-departure requirements set forth by Harvard to receive funding and may also have to complete additional documentation required by your host organization.

Students will be responsible for booking their own travel and accommodations, as well as obtaining the necessary visa for travel. CID will be able to answer questions about this process.

Internship Details

Internship Opportunities: 2-4
Dates: 8 weeks, between June and August
Location: Bangalore, India or Agastya campus creativity lab located 120kms from Bangalore
Preferred Qualifications: Curiosity, initiative and adaptability; Interpersonal and interviewing skills; Ability to build and analyze data; Ability to offer creative actionable recommendations; Social media / digital communication and marketing skills; Familiarity and interest in sustainability / climate change

Open to Harvard Undergraduates and HKS graduate students

Organization Description

Agastya’s Vision is to create an India of "creators, tinkerers, solution seekers and leaders who are humane, anchored and connected. Agastya’s Mission is to spark curiosity (Aah!), nurture creativity (Aha!), and instill confidence (Ha! Ha!) and caring in economically disadvantaged children, government school teachers and communities through experiential hands-on science and arts education and teacher training via scalable and sustainable methods.

Founded in April 1999, Agastya International Foundation is a charitable education trust that runs one of the world's largest mobile hands-on science education programs for economically disadvantaged children and teachers. Through all its programs, Agastya has reached over 20 million children and 3,00,000 teachers in 22 states across India. Following the Covid-19 crisis Agastya has launched blended learning programs that integrate online/digital learning with physical learning at scale. By making practical, hands-on science education accessible to rural government schools, Agastya aims to transform the thinking of underserved and under-resourced children and teachers through its many flagship programs. Agastya Vision 2.0 plans to impact 100 million children and 1 million teachers in the next 10 years through its various innovative programs. Please refer to the following websites for detailed information on what Agastya does.

• www.agastya.org
• www.agastyausa.org
• www.myagastya.education

Professors, Scientists & Senior Executives from various Educational Institutions & Corporations across the globe visit Agastya Creative Campus to learn & impart creative knowledge. Please refer to the following links:

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3P_VGIyDD4
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdMwhH3l2qQ
• https://youtu.be/GRtlDQViEFE

Internship Responsibilities

The following opportunities are an initial set of projects. Other projects can be identified and explored based on the candidate’s skillset and interests in alignment with Agastya’s vision and mission.

1. Creating a Social Return on Investment (SROI) framework: Agastya has an impact assessment process in place to measure the impact of its interventions. Interns would help develop a framework to measure the social return on investment of all the major programs that Agastya operates, which will help Agastya to fully/better understand Agastya’s social impact and present a compelling case to Agastya stakeholders.
2. Branding & communication Strategies for Agastya 2.0: As Agastya International Foundation transitions into its 2.0 phase of existence, there is need for: A new branding strategy including a well-designed style guide* that could be used in domestic and/or international situations as needed during fund raising initiatives.
   • Help with the development of Agastya’s Public Relations strategy and a playbook, which would include a project identified between the intern and supervisor within this topic.
   • Work on processes for managing Social Media content and its dissemination, such as developing a process for campaigns for programs to raise funds and build awareness using social media and other crowdfunding and giving platforms, contributing to the organization’s editorial calendar, guiding posting; dissemination timelines, and developing tailored dissemination plans for different platforms; as well as analyzing engagement and trends on social media platforms and tailor content based on such analysis.
   • Strategies, approaches and planning to help with fund raising initiatives from philanthropic establishments
3. Research & data analysis to make Agastya a “net zero” Organization: As part of Agastya’s operational delivery strategy to meet their vision/mission, they use vans, buses & motorbikes across 22 states of India, thus contributing to carbon emission. Agastya has a 172-acre ecology campus where they have developed green belts with thousands of trees, fauna and flora to neutralize carbon emissions to support sustainable development. Interns are expected to develop a strategy & framework to make Agastya a “net zero” organization.
4. Impact assessment of Teacher Training: As part of Agastya’s vision/mission, they engage with 6000-8000 teachers on capacity building & train them for a week on Agastya’s transformative hands-on learning pedagogy. Interns are expected to establish & document an executable process for measuring and assessing the impact of Agastya’s Teacher Training program on teachers and, through them, students and community.

Responsibilities

Interns will report to the respective functional head at Agastya. Work will consist of data gathering and analysis, meetings with stakeholders (teachers, field staff, students), surveys and brainstorming. Deliverables will include specific actionable data and recommendations.

An example (Impact Assessment of Teacher Training): What changes does Agastya need to make to its training to improve its impact on teaching practices? What percentage of government schoolteachers trained by Agastya implement its pedagogy in their classrooms? What quantifiable metrics should Agastya use to track and monitor the effectiveness of its teacher training programs?

Internship Details

Internship Opportunities: 1-2
Dates: 8 weeks, between June and August
Location: Tokyo, Japan*
Preferred Qualifications: Major in economics or public policy; Excellent English language and communication skills especially using email; Knowledge in energy sector is not required (as research work will be produced by experts), only an interest in the topic; General interest in issues related to the economic and financial development in Asia and the Pacific.    

Open to Harvard Undergraduates and HKS Students

Organization Description

The Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI) is the Tokyo-based think tank of the Asian Development Bank, which supports a multilateral development bank for Asia and the Pacific. ADBI conducts evidence-based policy research and capacity building and training programs for eliminating poverty and promoting sustainable, inclusive, and resilient growth across the region. 

ADBI conducts high-level research on issues with strategic implications for development thinking and policy making in Asia and the Pacific.

Research activities include hosting presentations by distinguished experts, organizing regional and international seminars and conferences to contribute to the development policy debate, and publishing books and papers that help to identify effective development strategies and improve the capacity for sound development in the region.

Selected topics are based on ADB’s priority sectors and themes, an annual needs survey, and inputs from regional policy makers and partners.

Internship Responsibilities

1. Future Hydrogen Society in Asia and the Pacific

Green hydrogen produced by renewable energy can help tackle sustainability challenges in sectors such as transportation, building development, and power generation, and enable larger-scale penetration of variable renewable energy when combined with emerging low-carbon technologies. Yet, global investment in hydrogen was only 0.5% of renewable energy investment in 2021.

Asia and the Pacific is leading the way in hydrogen investment, accounting for over 50% of the global total in 2021, and toward a hydrogen society in which hydrogen plays a vital role in daily life and economic activities. What is more, Australia, Japan, India, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea, and a growing number of other countries in the region are proposing national-level hydrogen strategies to accelerate the decarbonization of society and aiming to move forward with their adoption.

The outcome of this project will be an edited book, blog and possibly e-learning course.

2. Literature review on various digital constraints (e.g., socio-economic, regulatory, political) for expanding digital capacities, ‘Good practices’ in expanding digital connectivity and digital trade (e.g., trade facilitation, enabling policies).

Deliverables May Include

• Research dissemination: An intern will help disseminate the results from research papers written by experts to policymakers in the form of a blog, a policy brief, assistance with coordination of an e-learning course or creating visualization. Interns will receive guidance on their work. Here is an example of an e-learning course produced with support from an intern in 2022. 
• Literature Review: An intern will conduct a literature review and summarize key takeaways. This may include editorial work on literature if needed.

*ADBI staff will likely continue its work from home arrangement, and therefore, students will only need to come to the ADBI offices as needed, maybe once or twice a week depending on agreement and discussion with the supervisor.

Internship Details

Internship Opportunities: 2
Dates: 8 weeks, between June and August
Location: Lahore, Pakistan
Preferred Qualifications: Major in Education, Economics, Social Sciences, Public Policy, Sociology, or a related discipline; Excellent organizational and data management skills (either Excel, Stata, R or Python); Strong interpersonal communication skills, with an ability to communicate well and develop effective relationships with a wide range of stakeholders; A can-do attitude and a strong willingness to learn; The ability to speak Urdu and Punjabi a plus.

Open to HKS graduate students

Organization Description

The Centre for Economic Research in Pakistan (CERP) is a nonprofit research center in Pakistan that promotes the use of rigorous quantitative research and actively engages with policy counterparts to answer key questions in public policy. CERP was founded in 2008 by renowned Pakistani economists based at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, the University of Chicago, Pomona College, and Lahore University of Management Sciences.

The Day Labor Project at CERP looks to understand how casual laborers search for and find work. The project seeks to understand how to improve the working conditions for casual laborers in construction, agriculture and manual labor through market-based solutions. Funding for the research comes from the International Growth Centre (IGC) and Private Enterprise Development in Low-Income Countries (PEDL). The principal investigators on this project are Christina Brown and Maryiam Haroon, both of the University of Chicago.

Internship Responsibilities

The Centre for Economic Research in Pakistan is seeking up to two qualified applicants for internships with its Day Labor project.

The research agenda of this project is to understand why employers hire workers from their social network and which of the following mechanisms matter: 1) individuals within employer’s social network are, in fact, more productive; 2) employers are more well-informed about the productivity of connected individuals; 3) gift exchange/reciprocity; 4) employers are better able to monitor those they are connected to and 5) employers enjoy working with those they are connected to.

The aim of this project is to test the aforementioned questions through three fundamental treatment arms. First, random information about above-average productivity workers is provided to contractors. Second, bonus payments are provided randomly, based on the productivity of the particular team. Lastly, the contractor’s requirement to monitor on-site is varied.  We test for these solutions by collaborating with construction firms in Lahore, Pakistan. We developed a consistent and unique measure to quantify worker’s productivity, with the help of an observation tool for workers involved in tilework, brickwork and paintwork.

The interns’ primary responsibility could include: 1) Supporting data management, analysis and data cleaning, as well as survey development and implementation, and stakeholder management 2) cleaning and analyzing data using software such as R, Stata, or Python 3) Assisting the Team Lead with project management 4) Research support such as grant reporting and policy briefs. 

Interns will likely have the opportunity to visit Lahore’s urban labor stands, private and/or public construction firms/institutions hiring day laborers. Interns will also have the opportunity to meet a variety of stakeholders as well as partners.

Candidates may have to take a stata test during the interview process.

Internship Details

Internship Opportunities: 2 
Dates: 8 weeks, start date of June 10, 2023 
Location: Bangalore, India 
Preferred Qualifications: Knowledge of and experience with business development in B2B environment; knowledge of developing pricing strategy; knowledge of and experience with process improvement; strong documentation and communication skills. 

Open to HKS graduate students 

Organization Description

Good Business Lab (GBL) was founded in 2017 as a research-based startup by two academics from the University of Michigan and the head of organizational development at Shahi Exports, India's largest apparel exporter. GBL uses rigorous research methods to drive wellbeing outcomes for all workers across various supply chains. The lab has conducted several rigorous studies that show how a firm's investments in its workers can improve worker welfare while contributing measurably to the bottom line. Through this work, GBL tries to find a common ground between worker wellbeing and business interests. 

This internship is housed at GBL Ventures, a unit of Good Business Lab that develops innovative, user-centered workplace technologies (e.g., in HR technology, financial technology) for the labor-intensive manufacturing sector. GBL Ventures' vision is to improve the lives of workers by bringing innovative solutions that impact day-to-day processes (e.g., communication between workers and managers) to the fore. Along with building G.R.E.A.T (good, research-based, enabling, accessible, transformative) products, which are backed by rigorous research, GBL has a culture of care, empathy, and flexibility. In the past year, the startup has received funding support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Caterpillar Foundation, among others.

Internship Responsibilities

The interns will work on a growth strategy for scaling our SaaS product Inache, a worker voice tool for large multinational apparel brands with global supply chains. The tool enables HR and organizational development teams in large apparel manufacturing factories to record, track, and manage anonymous worker communication. This directly feeds into GBL’s goal of aiding and enhancing worker voice as a critical part of an equitable and inclusive workplace for employees across levels of work. For low-income workers, Inache contributes to the creation of an intentional safe space by serving as an outlet for workers’ personal agency to express and advocate for their needs, priorities, and grievances at work. It also allows for transparent and quick resolution, while protecting workers’ identities to allow for honest communication without the fear of retaliation. 

Inache is uniquely positioned as a tool for change through business. It has the capacity to affect business policies as it allows for workers’ voices to be heard and in turn influence change through grievance resolution and suggestions. This can affect a wide range of worker wellbeing issues, from improving workforce nutrition by making canteen food better to taking action against sexual harassment on the factory floor. 

Inache is currently live in 39 factories across India. GBL's aim is to scale Inache with more brands in India and abroad in order to impact more workers, and advance the business case for worker wellbeing. For employers, worker voice contributes to greater productivity and organizational improvement, reducing attrition and turnover. For workers, it increases job satisfaction, inclusion, and a sense of “mattering.” To achieve this, we require assistance with strategy in business, growth, and operations. 

Responsibilities could include:  

• Create, test, and implement varied customer acquisition/distribution strategies for South Asia and Europe to help meet impact targets. Additionally, build a business case for expanding into new markets.  
• Refine and test the pricing strategy for three product lines and recommend incentive strategies to increase conversion. 
• Assist in improving resource allocation for operations, sales processes, and negotiation to increase team productivity. 
• [Low priority for this SOW] Assist with content creation (e.g., case studies, blogs).  

The interns will work out of the office in Bangalore, India. The office is located inside a garment factory, but it is run independently. GBL is a remote-first organization and team members come to the office when needed. Employees have flexible working hours because the team recognizes that a better work-life balance can improve employee motivation, performance, and productivity, and reduce stress. GBL uses Slack for all internal communications and hosts meetings on Google Meet or Zoom. The interns will have opportunities to meet and work with different teams. They will also get a tour of the garment factory and will have opportunities to speak with users and potential customers of the technology. 

As an organization, GBL is committed to ensuring the wellbeing of anyone who decides to join the team and to creating a thriving work environment--because that gives the best chance of achieving the shared mission and sparking joy at work. GBL does this by partnering with organizations such The Mindclan and Therapize, among others, for workshops and other wellbeing-related initiatives. Interns will also have access to informal virtual and in-person hangs and activities! 

Internship Details

Internship Opportunities: 1-2
Dates: 8 weeks, between June and August
Location: Patna(Bihar)/Delhi/Raipur(Chhatisgarh)
Preferred Qualifications: Bachelor’s degree in Economics / public policy / related fields; Interest in public policy and economic development in low-income countries; Intellectually curious with a growth mindset; Working knowledge of STATA / R is preferred; Comfortable traveling in rural areas for primary data collection activities; spoken Hindi preferred. 

Open to HKS Students

Organization Description

Inclusion Economics India Centre at IFMR/Krea University works in close collaboration with Inclusion Economics at Yale University, based at Yale University’s Economic Growth Center and The Whitney and Betty MacMillan Center for International and Area Studies. Drawing upon economics, political science, and related fields, they conduct cutting-edge research to understand how policy can promote inclusive, accountable economies and societies. Core research focuses on gender as it relates to labor economics and broader economic empowerment; political economy and governance; and environmental economics. They also aim to build a culture of evidence and increase data literacy in the public sector, strengthening leaders’ ability to identify and implement evidence-informed policies. Throughout the research life cycle, they engage closely with policy counterparts to ensure they address questions of immediate relevance, and regularly communicate data-driven insights with policy counterparts and the general public. 

IEIC provides an excellent environment for its interns to learn and work on projects within country research teams. They get an opportunity to actively contribute to the data collection activities, learn from an in-country research team as well as principal investigators of the research project. 

Internship Responsibilities

There are several research projects which are looking for an intern. Intern assignment to projects will be based on an internal assessment of skills. Please find a brief overview of each project that is interested in hiring: 

• D3 project: Aims to understand the barriers (including norms) at household and community women face in participating in the economy, specifically in the labor force and financial decision making. What are the mechanisms which can help women overcome these barriers? 

• GFA Project: It works to set up and test the impact of the EWS on ex-ante adaptation behaviour, and consequently, post-flood physical and mental morbidity via an RCT across some of Bihar's flood-prone districts. 

• AOSC project - a portfolio of projects on gender and education- Current research questions involve: 1. Can career exploration programs (CEP) help students to make better career choices? 2. Developing an RCT with a partner: Understanding role of career advancement program and internship in facilitating labor market entry for women 

Responsibilities could include: 

• Assist the research team in day-to-day implementation of field-based research, developing survey instruments and field protocols, and in data collection and data quality management 

• Support the research team with service providers and partner management 

• Interns will be required to submit a 5-page report on your two-month assignment at the end of the term, and may be required to make a presentation to your manager and team, at the end of the assignment. 

• Other responsibilities assigned by your manager 

Interns will be required to complete the IRB Human Subject Certification within the first week of their internship start date. 

Internship Details

Internship Opportunities: 3
Dates: 8 weeks, between June and August
Location: Jakarta, Indonesia or other cities
Preferred Qualifications: Background in economics or a related subject. Skills in quantitative analysis are desirable. Soft skills such as being adaptable to new environments and being able to work in teams are also desirable.

Open to Harvard Undergraduates

Organization Description

Launched on January 26, 2018 in Jakarta, Indonesia Bureau of Economic Research (IBER) is a consortium of several faculties of economics and business of top Indonesian state universities and research centers. Inspired by a view of a platform of economist research network for Indonesia, IBER wishes to support quality research in economics for publication in national and international journals by providing intellectual input through high-level professional engagement; building capacity for younger economists; and building a platform to contribute to evidence- based public analysis of key issues for Indonesia and objective policy input.

IBER has collaborations with the Faculty of Economic and Business at 9 Universities and 3 Research Institutes in 7 provinces of Indonesia, each with its own specialization. At FEB UI itself, IBER collaborates with researchers from the Institute for Economics and Social Research and the Demographic Institute.

Internship Responsibilities

IBER has collaborations with the Faculty of Economic and Business at 9 Universities and 3 Research Institutes in 7 provinces of Indonesia, each with its own specialization. At FEB UI itself, IBER collaborates with researchers from the Institute for Economics and Social Research (LPEM, https://www.lpem.org/ ) and the Demographic Institute (LD, https://ldfebui.org/ ).

IBER aims to match interns to projects that fit their interests. Within internship interview, candidates will be assessed on which areas of research and policy they are specifically drawn too. Supervisors will be professors and senior researchers based within universities and think tanks that are members of the IBER consortium. 

Responsibilities could include:  

• Literature reviews on topics/ policies of interest. 

• Statistical analysis of survey data (requires basic skills in statistical analysis, the use of statistical software such as Stata. Interns will be able to ask for guidance and advice from their supervisors on this). 

• Possible interviews with stakeholders (if interns join a project with government stakeholder or community leaders, they might be required to join in interviews and/or FGDs). 

• Writing up an internship report (this could be in short paper form, i.e., 1,500-2,000 words) or presented in a power point presentation. 

The main deliverable for the internship would be the intern’s final report in the form of a power point presentation and an oral presentation with IBER Directors and their supervisors. This will be arranged at the end of their internship. 

Please make sure to include your expression of interest in reasons behind your intention to work in Indonesia in your personal statement.  

Internship Details

Internship Opportunities: 5
Dates: 8 weeks, between June and August
Location: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Preferred Qualifications: Strong academic standing; Strong writing skills; Interest in policy research and the multi-faceted causes and potential solutions to the issues tackled in this field; Demonstrated strength in qualitative and quantitative research, with interest in sharpening your existing research competencies as well as learning other methodologies.

Open to Harvard Undergraduates

Organization Description

The Khazanah Research Institute (KRI) carries out research on the pressing issues in Malaysia. They then recommend policies to improve the well-being of Malaysians based on that research. Broadly, their research agenda covers: growth and structural transformation, inclusive and sustainable development, and urban and regional development.

They do all this through:

• Rigorous impartial analysis founded on data

• Convening discussions, amongst those who are relevant, to illuminate understanding of the issues

• Serving as advocates of the knowledge they acquire

More information about their research is available on their website.

Internship Responsibilities

1. Policy Research on Labour Market: Malaysia faces a range of labour market challenges, which includes an inadequacy of quality jobs and low worker bargaining power. The labour team aims to provide policy solutions for these challenges. The intern would work on literature reviews, data collation and cleaning, data analysis, drafting research documents, making PowerPoint presentations, and other research-related duties that may be assigned to you.

2. Policy research on digital technologies: The digital policy team at KRI is exploring several areas related to digital transformation and technology adoption, including but not limited to digital health records, digital finance, teacher training and AI governance. The intern would work on performing library research on specified topics; tabulating and/or organizing collected data into tables or graphs; note-taking/rapporteuring of webinars and meetings; processing data from various sources of large data sets using statistical analysis software; collecting and analysing data using standard statistical techniques such as multiple regression and factor analysis and providing assistance in the preparation of statistical reports and data presentations; assist in the production of research reports, presentations, articles and other publications; and other research-related duties that may be assigned to you.

3. Policy research on inequality and multidimensional poverty: Study the well-being of different segments of the members of society and implication on inequality, poverty and social protection. The intern would work on literature reviews, data analysis, writing of research paper and publication, and other research-related duties that may be assigned to you.

4. Policy research on industry and climate adaptation: Engaging with industries in critical segments of the economy on their climate vulnerabilities. The intern would assist in interviews, literature reviews, data analysis, research writing and PowerPoints, and other research-related duties that may be assigned to you.

5. Policy research on food security: We will be exploring how to measure the status of food security within the various regions in Malaysia, using international guidelines and standards. We will be working closely with various indicators related to food availability, affordability, food utilisation, and environmental sustainability. So this will be a data-driven project. The intern would work on literature reviews, data analysis, research writing and PowerPoint work, and other research-related duties that may be assigned to you.

Responsibilities – all internships could include the following in addition to the above:

• Performing library research on specified topics

• Tabulating and/or organising collected data into tables or graphs

• Processing data from various sources of large data sets using statistical analysis software

• Collecting and analysing data using standard statistical techniques such as multiple regression and factor analysis and providing assistance in the preparation of statistical reports and data presentations

• Assist in the production of research reports, presentations, articles and other publications

• To undertake any other research-related duties that may be assigned to you

Internship Details

Internship Opportunities: 1-2
Dates: 8 weeks, starting the week of June 5th
Location: Rabat, Morocco
Preferred Qualifications: Major in economics, public policy, or a closely related field including training in empirical research methods is required; Excellent writing skills; In addition to fluency in English, working proficiency in French is a strong plus; Strong interest in international development or public policy through coursework, study abroad, or previous internship experience; Excited to learn and enthusiastic about taking on a broad range of assignments.

Open to Harvard Undergraduates

Organization Description

The Morocco Employment Lab seeks to create a culture of evidence-based policymaking through rigorous impact evaluations and capacity building in collaboration with a wide range of public and non-governmental organizations. The Lab is led by J-PAL and Evidence for Policy Design (EPoD) at the Harvard Kennedy School, and based at the Policy Center for the New South, a Moroccan think tank.

The Morocco Employment Lab will work across four complementary components that contribute to building a culture of evidence-based policy and ensuring that labor market programs are informed by evidence:

• Identify policy priorities:  The Morocco Employment Lab works with policymakers to diagnose key policy challenges, especially those compounded by COVID-19, identify data, highlight and prioritize knowledge gaps.
• Build capacity for evidence use:  The Morocco Employment Lab hosts training workshops and events on how to generate and use evidence in policymaking. Tailored trainings are delivered to researchers, civil service trainees, NGOs, and government officials at different levels to create a broad understanding of how evidence can be used in the policy and program design.
• Conduct impact evaluations:  Together with its policy partners, the Morocco Employment Lab co-designs and implements a portfolio of impact evaluations that address the identified policy priority issues.   
• Share evidence to inform policy:  The Morocco Employment Lab disseminates research results to a wide range of stakeholders through a large-scale policy symposium, policy briefs, and online communication channels.

Internship Responsibilities

Interns will be involved with the policy team at the Morocco Employment Lab. Their tasks could include desk reviews, policy writing and creating social media content:

• Communications: Assist in the drafting and preparation of materials for MEL’s outreach work, including content development for presentations and social media.

• Policy writing: Write notes that translate research into lessons for policymakers in the sectors of labor, education and/or social protection.

• Stakeholder engagement: Participate in initial conversations with prospective partners to identify promising opportunities for randomized evaluations or evidence dissemination activities. Support and attend convenings designed to bring policymakers, practitioners, and researchers together to spur new research or scale-up collaborations and share policy lessons from completed research.

• Event support: Contribute to the organization of policy events in Morocco, such as conferences, policy webinars, and/or trainings.

The MEL team works in a hybrid format. Some team members work fully remotely while others work at the office. Interns will get to interact with the team, including other interns and associates.

Internship Details

Internship Opportunities: 3
Dates: 8 weeks, between June and August
Location: Bangkok, Thailand
Preferred Qualifications: A team player; Ability to work independently; Quantitative and analytical skills; Good communication and writing skills; Knowledge of the Thai language is a plus

Open to Harvard Undergraduates

Organization Description

The Bank of Thailand (BOT) founded the Puey Ungphakorn Institute For Economic Research (PIER) to foster economic research, provide a centralized platform for disseminating high-quality research, and connect researchers with necessary resources. PIER is a quasi-independent institution governed by a board composed of senior BOT officials and distinguished external members.

PIER’s mission is to produce, coordinate, and maximize the impact of research as follows:

• Produce in-depth research and support BOT’s conduct of policy in the areas of economics and related fields
• Coordinate research and foster academic collaboration by strengthening research networks and pooling resources such as knowledge, data, seminars, and research funding together
• Disseminate research and synthesize key findings to the general public to raise the prominence of research among policymakers and society at large

Internship Responsibilities

The specific project details are not confirmed; however, the potential internship topics are design and use of RCT to test interventions that 1) aim to nudge farmers to repay loans as well as multi-dimensional interventions for sustainable debt solutions to farmers 2) promote financial literacy and encourage good financial behaviors as well as 3) map the landscape of rural financial markets and explore roles in promoting financial access and stability and 4) the use of big data to create better credit scoring for Thai farmers.

Additionally, the interns will have a program designed specifically for them which will include:

1. Learning from various departments (e.g. Monetary Policy Group, Financial Markets Group, Financial Institutions Policy Group) within the Bank regarding central bank work
2. Working at PIER regional offices for roughly 1-2 weeks

Responsibilities include: Working together with PIER colleagues to conduct literature reviews and summarizing research findings, write research summaries as well as other reports as needed, analyze data and preparation of presentation materials, present research/findings at weekly update sessions, write final report regarding findings with regards to the project, and where the project entails, the interns may also participate in field research.

Internship Details

Internship Opportunities: 4
Dates: 8 weeks, between June and August
Location: Barranquilla and Cartagena, Colombia
Preferred Qualifications: The intern should be familiar with working with diverse forms of quantitative and qualitative data. Spanish language is essential - Capacity to communicate and work with local communities is essential to the project. Knowledge or interest in urban issues. Furthermore, sensibility working with vulnerable communities and passion for fieldwork and practical activities is highly desirable.

Open to HKS graduate students

Organization Description

The Fundación Santo Domingo leads high-impact projects for social transformation in the country through 4 main areas: education, health, environment and urban development. With more than 200 employees and a wide spectrum of action, the Fundación Santo Domingo is one of the leading social institutions in Colombia. Along its 60 years history, the Fundación has implemented numerous social projects with a special focus in the Caribbean region and more specifically in the cities of Barranquilla and Cartagena. It has also collaborated with the national government and led the introduction of substantial reforms in the sectors of education and environment. Besides its focus on education, health, and environment, the Fundación leads an innovative approach to Urban Development, in which the construction of housing and infrastructure is acompassed with the implementation of social programs that aim to provide a solid platform for people to thrive.  

The Fundación Santo Domingo’s Department of Urban Development focuses on designing and building sustainable urban environments that provide infrastructure and services that promote the communities’ social and economic prosperity. The Fundación leads the development of two masterplans in the cities of Barranquilla and Cartagena, with the potential of building more than 60.000 homes and 740.000 m2 of public space. Alongside of the construction of housing and public infrastructure, the Fundación implements numerous social programs with an emphasis on education, healthcare, environment, and community development. To date, the two masterplans are home to more than 45.000 people. Although these communities belong to low-income levels, in the masterplans they find a solid platform with guaranteed access to public services and quality infrastructure to develop their life projects.  The Fundación also supports the consolidation of grassroots organizations promotes local economic development and employment opportunities for the masterplan’s residents. 

Internship Responsibilities

The masterplans of the Fundación Santo Domingo have been under development for more than 10 years. Throughout this time, more than 10.000 homes have been built and the projects house more than 45.000 people. Furthermore, more than 16 public facilities, including schools, hospitals, parks, libraries, and cultural centers are now in service and numerous social projects have been implemented to help people thrive. In the implementation of the projects and programs, data has been collected through different tools and in different formats.  

Project topics: 

• Employment and local economic development                                       
• Community development 
• Access to housing and sustainable urban environments 

Interns will be tasked with collecting and organizing the data emerging from different sources and finding the best ways to analyze it for decision making. Interns will also be asked to use this data to shape recommendations and ideate new projects that can improve the performance and impact of existing projects, as well as create new possibilities to improve the lives of people in the masterplans. The knowledge of the interns will be essential to give the Fundación’s team a fresh look at the work they are implementing on the ground and to produce innovative ideas for the future. 

In the first phase of the project, interns will be encouraged to review and understand the programs and projects managed by the Foundation´s team, as well as the tools and methods used to collect data, and the outcome developed indicators. 

In the second phase of the summer project, interns will have the opportunity to do field work with the Fundación’s team to shape recommendations on existing programs and how to measure social impact and ideate new projects and programs that promote inclusive prosperity in the masterplans.  

Students can also collect new data if needed to achieve the desired goals. Interns will have the possibility to provide insights on policies needed to unleash the growth potential at a municipal scale. In this project, the interns will analyze and collect data, work with communities and the Fundación’s team on the ground to improve its projects and programs, and therefore have a meaningful contribution to the organization and the communities in general.  

Responsibilities include:

• Collecting and analyzing the data collected by the Fundación or data available from private and public sources that can be useful for its development.
• Analysis of the information that was found in the research phase and describe main points that can lead to recommendations for existing programs or ideas for new programs and comment on how information and data can be collected in the future.
• Working with the community on the ground, to verify and contrast the information analyzed from collected data with the realities of the territory.
• Together with the Fundación’s team, take part in workshops and activities and write a report of the participation in community activities/create a presentation with recommendations to improve existing programs and ideas for new programs that can help people thrive. 

Interns will work with the Fundación’s Department of Urban Development team. The Department’s team is diverse and composed of architects, engineers, economists, and social workers. The Fundación has its headquarters in the city of Barranquilla, a city located on the Caribbean coast. The intern will work in the headquarters but visits the satellite offices in Barranquilla and Cartagena. Although the intern will be supported by the Fundación’s team, autonomy will be encouraged. Interns will need to take a personality test prior to starting their internships, as well as a security assessment test.  

The work of the Fundacion’s Department of Urban Development promotes an integral approach that intersects the construction of housing and public infrastructure and the implementation of multiple social programs so that the people can rely on a solid platform to develop their life projects. Please answer the following questions in your statement of interest when applying: What is your interest in working with vulnerable groups in Colombia? What is your previous academic or practical experience working in developing contexts? How can urban infrastructure trigger social development and prosperity? 

Internship Details

Internship Opportunities: 2
Dates: 8 weeks, between June and August
Location: Prishtine, Kosovo
Preferred Qualifications: Courses in economic development and quantitative research, and experience with R or Python preferred. The intern should also possess strong communication, attention to detail, and critical thinking skills.

Open to HKS graduate students

Organization Description

University for Business and Technology (UBT) was established in 2001. UBT is a small-scale, entrepreneurial innovation-based ecosystem university in Kosovo with more than 150 accredited majors, 10,000 students, 1,000 staff, a science and technology park, research and development institutes, centers, entrepreneurship and innovation labs, various technology hubs, and spin-offs.

Since its establishment, UBT has consistently kept up with socioeconomic and technological trends and advancements, while also taking the lead on forward-thinking projects and solutions. With its Augmented and Virtual Reality Platform, UBT has started two initiatives in virtual and augmented reality valued at 30 million euros. Faculties (students and staff) can contribute through research and study to the platform's efforts to simplify and improve daily life.

UBT has been recognized for excellence and was awarded by EFQM, a member of EUA, a Positive IMPACT Rating: First Worldwide – Level 5 - Pioneer, 1st in Western Balkan THE Impact Ranking, 1st innovation prize for technology in education / classroom 3.0.

UBT's research and development strategy involves research activities at the institutional, departmental, and individual levels. These research activities are categorized into the following:

Applied Research: Using the ICT in Health Care System, Energy Efficiency, Managing Industrial/Enterprise Zones in Kosova, Media, City Planning, etc.

Opinion Research: Quality Product/Service Perception, FDI, Diaspora, etc.

Basic Research: Intelligent Systems, Robotics, Innovation, Transportation and Logistics, Complex Systems Design and Management

Education Research: University Management Models, University – Industry Cooperation, Curriculum Development, Learning Outcomes, Capacity Building and Quality Assurance, Knowledge Management, etc.

Internship Responsibilities

Research and data analysis work will focus on the following topics:

• Growth Diagnostic of Kosovo/Binding constraints to the development of Kosovo.                             
• Which economic sector has potential in Kosovo, and how to develop it?
• What impact for growth can generate a small-scale innovation-based ecosystem/case of UBT ecosystem?

Internship duties will include: conducting desktop research,  gathering and analyzing data, analyzing and interpreting patterns and trends, conducting field research, writing reports, etc.

UBT has campuses in different cities around Kosovo as well as hundreds of laboratories and office spaces. Part of the work environment may also include fieldwork suitable for research.

Interns will be encouraged to engage with other staff, as exchanging experiences will be a valuable part of the internship.