My Internship Experiences at the Green Climate Fund (GCF)

I spent my last winter (October 2015 – January 2016) in South Korea working as an intern at the Green Climate Fund (GCF). GCF is a new multilateral fund created to make a significant and ambitious contribution to the global efforts towards attaining the goals set by the international community to combat climate change.

Last week, Katie Black, Internships and Research Consultancy Officer at King’s Careers & Employability, King’s College London, published my internship experiences at GCF under King’s Internship – Case Studies. Here are some excerpts.

What did you study/are you studying at King’s College London?
“MSc on Emerging Economies and Inclusive Development.”

What internship did you apply for and why did you apply for it?
“Internship at the Green Climate Fund (GCF). I am passionate about climate change and economic development. Once I saw this internship announcement, I applied immediately.”

Please tell us more about your internship? (Where were you based, what did you do, what were you responsible for, what projects did you work on?)
“My internship took place at the Green Climate Fund’s HQ which is located in Songdo, Incheon, South Korea. I was working under the supervision of the Country Programming Division of the Green Climate Fund. My main task is supporting the role CPD in readiness and preparatory programme, e.g. I developed and maintained key databases for the Fund, maintained online readiness system, and reviewed readiness proposals.”

As this was an internship abroad, can you tell us about the experiences you gained outside of the internship? I.e. where did you live during the internship, what did you do when you weren’t working?
“It was my second time visiting Korea. In my free time, I travelled around and meet with my old friends who are currently residing in Korea. In my first month, I stayed with a Korean family. They are super nice host and they invited me to explore Incheon and Seoul. In my third month, I invited my wife to Korea for our honeymoon. We travelled around and visited many places both in Incheon and Seoul area”

What additional benefits do you think an international internship offers?
“It was my first experience working in a multicultural environment, people at the Fund are coming from all over the world (Europe, Asia, Africa, Latin America, and North America). I learned a lot of being a professional in the area of climate change, particularly in climate finance. In general, the international staff at the Fund have more than 10 years of experience. So it was a very good chance to gain more from those who have done a lot of things in this field. And it was also a good network for future career as well.”

What did you learn from your internship?
“I love the working atmosphere at the Fund. It’s quite demanding, but also fun to hang out with the rest of the team. My time at the Fund exposed me climate change and climate finance industry, and people who are working behind the desk of this big thing. I’ve been inspired by how much I can accomplish in my only three months internship period at the Fund. I’m also inspired by people behind the Fund who put their energy in making the world a better place for our generation to come.”

What skills and experience have you developed that you feel are valuable and will be useful for the future?
“I learnt how to effectively use my time in delivering my task, managed to learn about data management using spreadsheets and interact with the Fund’s staff from different cultural background.”

You can read full article via King’s Internship Case Studies under King’s Internships Off Campus – International Internships.

Note: The Green Climate Fund internship program provides a unique learning opportunity for students and recently graduates from diverse academic backgrounds. GCF encourage qualified women and men, in particular, nationals of developing countries, with diverse professional, academic, and cultural backgrounds to apply. The program is designed for talented and motivated individuals skilled in areas relevant to GCF’s operations. The program allows selected candidates to gain insight into the work of the Fund and provides assistance and training in various professional fields in a multicultural environment. Find out more about GCF Internship Programme here.

First published 22 April 2016
Last update 17 April 2020

17 April 2020
Update the link to GCF Internship Programme