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Ryan Francis is a PhD Student at the Department of Science and Technology Studies at University College London (UCL). Here he reflects on his Policy Internship with CSaP, which he completed in 2021.
I applied for a Policy Internship at CSaP because I wanted to see how my degree in Epistemology (Philosophy), which is very theoretical and abstract, could be used in intellectual settings outside of academia such as science policy.
During my placement, I was involved in many projects including writing research articles about the Centre’s workshops or seminars, attended by policy professionals working in government and high-profile academics. One of the highlights for me was organising Policy Fellowships, where I was lucky enough to take part in meetings and witness first-hand the bilateral exchange of knowledge between researchers and policy makers.
You can also watch and listen to Ryan's case study below.
I represented CSaP at many networking events, the most notable of which was a UK Innovation Strategy evening at the Royal Academy of Engineering in London. It was a great opportunity for me to gain valuable exposure and I really enjoyed meeting senior officials within government. Attending events such as these helped me to understand what specific part of policy I'd like to work in; the area that deals with more of the abstract problems within government decision-making like biases, values, and judgments.
While working at CSaP, I learnt how to write in the language of policy. Before, I was already proficient at writing in the language of academia, but as I progressed through my placement, I was producing engaging research articles for non-specific policy audiences too. UCL have noticed the work I was doing, and they want me to teach two modules in science policy and science in government. I will cover: big science, risk and uncertainty, technology and innovation, and science and expertise. Most of the subject material taught directly relates to first-hand experiences I have had at CSaP.
The opportunity massively influenced my entire ‘Cambridge’ experience because I managed to gain affiliation and live at Downing College during my placement. I joined the College’s football team and this year we competed in a crunch final against Girton to win the 2022 plate, which was fantastic. Next academic year I will captain the First Team which I am really excited about.
Both personally and professionally, interning at CSaP has been a genuinely life-changing experience. After my placement, I received an offer to study a master’s degree in public policy (MPP) at the Department of Politics and International Relations (POLIS) at the University of Cambridge. Completing a successful placement with CSaP, outside of philosophy and academia will, I hope, give me an advantage when making a career transition from academia to governance.
I continue to stay in touch with the senior academics and government officials I met as a Policy Intern, and I hope that these relationships will be fruitful along my professional policy journey.