By Kasey Stelter
This summer I used my summer grant to stay in DC and intern for the Bretton Woods Committee. The Bretton Woods Committee is a network of global citizens who work do demonstrate the value of international economic cooperation through multilateral institutions including the International Monetary Fund, World Bank, and World Trade Organization. My experience interning for the Bretton Woods Committee this summer has been truly enriching. My first month was exciting because I spent the bulk of my time preparing for our annual meeting at which prominent speakers such as Treasury Secretary Jack Lew, U.S. Trade Representative Ambassador Michael Froman, and World Bank Managing Director and COO Sri Mulyani Indrawati spoke on current issues and opportunities in the global economic environment. Through my role as a research, social media, and program support intern I have learned a great deal about the nexus of economic cooperation and security.
How will this experience help you in your job search and career?
My experience working for the Bretton Woods Committee has equipped me with in-depth knowledge about the connection between many international financial institutions and the political and security conditions on the ground in countries where they issue loans and grants and give guidance on regulatory policy. I know that this knowledge will help me in my career to understand how the broader economic landscape and financial power players affect security in a given country.
How does your internship sponsor or agency contribute to the mission of national security?
The Bretton Woods Committee was born out of the Bretton Woods Conference in 1944 which aimed to create a more peaceful world after WWII through economic cooperation, transparency, and commitment to a rules-based international system. The Bretton Woods Committee still upholds these goals and continues to be an incredibly outward looking organization in a time of increasing isolationist sentiment around the globe. They support the IMF, World Bank, WTO, and regional multilateral development banks in their efforts to encourage mutually benefitting economic growth and cooperation to prevent conditions for conflict. At the close of the Conference in 1944, Secretary of the Treasury Henry Morgenthau said, "A revival of international trade is indispensable if full employment is to be achieved in a peaceful world and with standards of living which will permit the realization of man's reasonable hopes." A mission of peace and security through these means is still very much at the heart of the Bretton Woods Committee.
What was the biggest lesson you took away from this experience?
The biggest lesson I took away from my experience is the value of diving into an area that is out of your intellectual comfort zone. Coming from a predominantly political theory and security background, the role of economics in security had not been something that I had spent much energy trying to understand. My first day of my internship I was told to write framing questions for the annual meeting to international economic leaders on topics I had yet to study in depth. Additionally, I near immediately was charged with implementing the Bretton Woods Committee’s twitter strategy and supporting an event where hundreds of people would come to hear world leaders. Learning on the job at times was stressful, but also fast-paced and exciting. While I learned that economics is not the area I want to focus on in the future, I discovered that I really enjoyed the challenge.
How will this experience help you in your job search and career?
My experience working for the Bretton Woods Committee has equipped me with in-depth knowledge about the connection between many international financial institutions and the political and security conditions on the ground in countries where they issue loans and grants and give guidance on regulatory policy. I know that this knowledge will help me in my career to understand how the broader economic landscape and financial power players affect security in a given country.
How does your internship sponsor or agency contribute to the mission of national security?
The Bretton Woods Committee was born out of the Bretton Woods Conference in 1944 which aimed to create a more peaceful world after WWII through economic cooperation, transparency, and commitment to a rules-based international system. The Bretton Woods Committee still upholds these goals and continues to be an incredibly outward looking organization in a time of increasing isolationist sentiment around the globe. They support the IMF, World Bank, WTO, and regional multilateral development banks in their efforts to encourage mutually benefitting economic growth and cooperation to prevent conditions for conflict. At the close of the Conference in 1944, Secretary of the Treasury Henry Morgenthau said, "A revival of international trade is indispensable if full employment is to be achieved in a peaceful world and with standards of living which will permit the realization of man's reasonable hopes." A mission of peace and security through these means is still very much at the heart of the Bretton Woods Committee.
What was the biggest lesson you took away from this experience?
The biggest lesson I took away from my experience is the value of diving into an area that is out of your intellectual comfort zone. Coming from a predominantly political theory and security background, the role of economics in security had not been something that I had spent much energy trying to understand. My first day of my internship I was told to write framing questions for the annual meeting to international economic leaders on topics I had yet to study in depth. Additionally, I near immediately was charged with implementing the Bretton Woods Committee’s twitter strategy and supporting an event where hundreds of people would come to hear world leaders. Learning on the job at times was stressful, but also fast-paced and exciting. While I learned that economics is not the area I want to focus on in the future, I discovered that I really enjoyed the challenge.