Dev Bahra has joined the FDA for a six-week paid internship, where he’ll be focused on a project looking at the future of international development. In this post, Dev introduces himself and offers some more detail on the project.

Hi, my name is Dev and I’ve just finished my first week as an intern at the FDA and I am really enjoying getting involved in the innovative and exciting work that the FDA does. I first applied for the internship at the FDA back in April when the position was first advertised. What persuaded me to apply was the opportunity to experience the work of trade unions, and how that was tied to wider public policy changes.

Going through the interview process I was even more intrigued by the internship, as it would offer the chance to work on an innovative project which addresses what the future of international development will look like. Needless to say, this made me even more excited about the prospect of potentially becoming an intern, and was grateful to have found out that I had been successful.

The project that I will be working on focuses on what the future of international development looks like, and how the FDA and our members can contribute to setting the agenda. It’s a big question to ask and an even bigger question to answer. This will involve me seeking out and incorporating a whole variety of perspectives, including the views of our members on issues facing the International Development agenda and the key priorities to address. Additionally, I will also be gaining external perspectives by speaking to academics and NGOs, and looking at the approach taken by other governments internationally. I am very excited at the prospect of interviewing leading figures from across the sector.

Within this project, there will be opportunities to explore a whole range of priorities and debates that need to be considered, ranging from career progression in the newly merged FCDO, through to the role of climate change and interactions between aid and trade.

I will also have the chance to work closely with the FDA communications team to help build press interest, write copy and gain a deeper understanding of effectively engaging with members and external stakeholders.  Aside from the main project, I am also looking forward to attending some of the webinars on offer through FDA Learn.

From this internship, I am hoping to pursue a career in policy research and am excited by the opportunities that the FDA have in store for me to provide me more insight into this career path.  As well as this, I am eager to explore the numerous other possibilities within the wider public sector, and I am sure the wide range of experiences and skills that I will develop will most certainly aid in my future career development.