ICHEM

CHILE

ICHEM

Anna Clemente,Green Templeton College,Second Year MPhil, MPhil in European Politics and Society, Remote Working

Work Projects

I was involved in a literature review project on the far-right in Latin America. The aim of the project was to understand when and what factors affect mobilisation from the far-right. This research question represents a niche study as most of the literature on the topic is concerned with Europe and the US. Therefore, I conducted a literature review in order to understand what factors could have explanatory power and should be tested in the Latin American context. For each academic article I had to compile an excel sheet review and I had weekly calls with my supervisor, who was in charge of the project, to discuss my progress.

Daily Life

The internship was remote and part-time, so it was perfect in terms of daily work-life balance. The fact I could work from anywhere was also a positive addition and because I was living at home, I did not feel particularly lonely during the internship. Moreover, ICHEM organises weekly zoom calls so I got to know the other people working in the organisation, despite not being able to meet them in person.

Lasting Impressions

I really enjoyed my internship; the research topic was fascinating, and it gave me a number of ideas to pursue during my PhD. My supervisor has proposed that I continue working on the project in order to publish an article on the topic, which is a fantastic opportunity for my future academic ambitions. Unfortunately, I was not able to conduct the internship in person, but I still learned a lot about Chile and Latin America by reading widely on the region. This was also helpful to allow me to reconsider my opinion on a number of issues and helped me to be conscious of my European bias. In short, it was a fantastic experience and I feel really lucky to have had the occasion to work on this theme as it was closely aligned with my own research interests.

What advice would you give to future interns?

I think interning for ICHEM is a great opportunity for those interested in research and in the Latin American region. It was evident from the zoom calls that it is a really nice environment to work in where everyone is friendly. It is also a good occasion to brush up one's Spanish. I definitely recommend applying if your interests align.