Institute of Development Studies

Private sector ambitions: IDS students discuss their future career plans

12 August 2011

This summer, 127 MA students are leaving IDS for new job opportunities, internships, further study or to return to previous employment. Time spent studying at IDS has had a crucial impact on many students’ career decisions, and brought a fresh approach to their future goals and plans. 

Here, three students from 2010/11 explain their current roles, and how IDS has shaped their thinking about their career direction.

How the private sector can impact on development

Two students from the MA Globalisation and Development, Kaustuv Chakrabarti and Miwako Takasuna, believe the course helped shape their future goals. Kaustuv Chakrabarti begins a two-month internship with foreign investment organisation ProMexico this summer, and says the scope of the MA course inspired his decision, as it looked at topics as diverse as foreign investment, international policies, infrastructure and renewable energy.

During the Spring term, Kaustuv chose to study Climate Change as his programme option. He said, 'I am fascinated by renewable energy, the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) and technology transfer. This inspired my dissertation on wind power technology in China and India.' Kaustav is hopeful that his career path will now lead to working in the renewable sector, and this internship will be a step in the right direction.

Miwako Takasuna, an investment officer at Japan International Cooperation Agency's (JICA) Office for Private Sector Partnership, came to IDS with private sector business and finance experience. She hoped that her choice of MA would deepen her understanding of development issues, giving  a clear idea for turning plans into reality. It succeeded as Miwako says it was her experiences at IDS that helped her decide on her current role at JICA. 'I learned through lectures and dynamic discussions that development actors can leverage the private sector for development, by taking proper care of the poor.'  Miwako gained a deeper insight into issues such as poverty alleviation and climate change, which she only understood broadly before studying at IDS. She says, 'IDS played a role as a 'connector' between my previous job and my current job, to realise my future dream.'

Transferring skills and experience

In September, MA Development Studies student Nicki Goh will begin four months in Burkina Faso as a volunteer consultant for Technoserve, an organisation which helps entrepreneurs in the developing world to build businesses. Her role will be to identify opportunities for Burkina Faso’s agricultural sector to develop its industry and become more competitive in the region.

Having previously worked as a management consultant in the private sector, Nicki says ‘the role will allow me to transfer my skills and experience across to the agricultural sector, which is also the subject of my dissertation.’ Nicki will assist towards developing strategic plans for the agricultural sector, laying out the actions and objectives for smallholder farmers and others.

Studying at IDS

IDS offers eight MA programmes, focused on applied policy and practice, small class sizes, and high levels of Fellow contact time, making IDS uniquely placed to nurture the decision-makers of the future.

Find out more about studying at IDS