Learning at the Intersection of Education Policy and Artificial Intelligence: CID Intern Angeli Sharma

The Harvard Center for International Development (CID) is pleased to offer the Global Internship Program (GIP) for undergraduate and graduate students at Harvard. The CID Global Internship Program offers meaningful development opportunities worldwide during the summer to expand students’ horizons, gain practical training and experience in a new country context, and explore potential international development career pathways following graduation. This post is from Angeli Sharma, one of CID's 2025 GIP interns.

This summer, I had the privilege of serving as a Harvard Center for International Development intern with UNESCO’s International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP) in Paris. I joined the Knowledge Generation and Management team, a specialized group focused on advancing research and strengthening global capacity in education planning. For me, this was both my first time working abroad and my first experience in a multilateral environment. It proved to be a transformative experience.

Exploring the Intersection of AI and Education at UNESCO

My fellowship centered on two projects at the intersection of education policy and artificial intelligence.

The first project involved laying the foundation for a research initiative on AI in education planning across ten countries. I developed methodological guides, analyzed national strategies, and produced an internal report highlighting how governments are experimenting with digital tools for tasks ranging from class scheduling and teacher assignment to financial management.

The second project required me to scope the technical, logistical, and content requirements for a future UNESCO-IIEP massive open online course (MOOC). The course is designed to help policymakers understand not only what AI is, but also how to govern it responsibly and apply it as a practical tool in education planning. I mapped content needs, and reviewed technical options. Together, these projects pushed me to think critically about how technology can be harnessed in a sector that often lags behind others in digital transformation.

Connecting Coursework to Practice

Working on these projects allowed me to directly apply insights from my Harvard Kennedy School coursework. In my Policy Design and Delivery class, I learned to think holistically about the policy cycle—from development through implementation. At IIEP, I saw this unfold in practice: while many countries aspire to use AI in education, their ability to do so depends on infrastructure, institutional trust, and digital readiness.

I also drew heavily from my Digital Governance and Leadership class, which emphasized frameworks for managing emerging technologies. UNESCO and other UN bodies have already developed global frameworks for digital governance. My work gave me a front-row seat to how countries adapt these models to their own contexts, balancing innovation with concerns about equity, privacy, and institutional capacity.

Learning from a Technical, International Community

One of IIEP’s most distinctive strengths is its role as a specialized technical agency. My colleagues brought expertise from diverse fields—sociology, environmental policy, advanced statistics, and more. All of the interns were graduate students, many pursuing master’s or doctoral degrees at top universities worldwide. Conversations over coffee ranged from data visualization in Latin America to education access in Sub-Saharan Africa. This environment broadened my perspective on education policy and gave me new ways to think about global development challenges.

Living and working in Paris added another layer of growth. It was my first time living abroad, and the international community at IIEP made the transition both welcoming and enriching. Many of my colleagues had studied or worked in multiple countries, and their perspectives encouraged me to think more expansively about career paths that span borders.

Impact on My Career Trajectory

I entered this fellowship enthusiastic about the role of AI and digital tools in public administration. I leave with a deeper appreciation for the complexity of implementing them in practice. The challenges are not only technical, but also institutional, cultural, and political. This experience will shape how I approach my next steps at MIT Sloan and beyond.

My long-term goal is to work at the intersection of strategy, infrastructure, and development finance. Whether through blended finance models or in collaboration with multilateral institutions, I see enormous potential to apply rigorous analysis and innovative tools to pressing public challenges. This summer sharpened my understanding of how digital innovation can support effective governance, while also reinforcing the importance of grounding ambitious projects in the realities of context and implementation.

Gratitude

I am deeply grateful to the Harvard Center for International Development for sponsoring this fellowship, and to the Shorenstein Center and Women in Public Policy at Harvard Kennedy School for providing additional financial support. Their generosity made it possible for me to pursue this opportunity in Paris, and I will carry the lessons from this summer into the rest of my studies and career.