PSIA Students amongst those selected for the World Bank Group's First Pioneers Cohort

by Michal Barszczak 

Hanlin Zhang (PSIA), Lars Erik Rehbach (PSIA), Yankai Huang (EMI), Tercy Nyabagabo (EDR) and Alberto Padroni (EAP) were selected for the inaugural edition of the World Bank Group's flagship internship programme.

This year, the World Bank Group launched the first edition of WBG Pioneers, its flagship internship programme for university students, offering hands-on exposure to real project work across the institution's operations and corporate functions. Among an exceptionally competitive applicant pool, five Sciences Po students were selected for the inaugural cohort, including Hanlin Zhang and Lars Erik Rehbach from PSIA.

We spoke with them about their journey to the programme, what their work looks like day to day, and what advice they would give to PSIA students considering applying.
 

From the PSIA Classroom to the World Bank Group

Hanlin Zhang, International Energy Transition Master’s at PSIA

Hanlin completed his BA in Economics, and spent a year at UNIDO Indonesia as a research assistant, studying the country's nickel industrial policy. 

That experience, he explains, made something click: critical minerals sit at the centre of the energy transition, yet the policy questions around them remain largely unsettled. It was this realisation that brought him back to PSIA, where he majored in International Energy Transition and built his coursework, essays and research projects specifically around the mineral sector.

At the World Bank, Hanlin now works for the trust fund dedicated to critical minerals, monitoring markets and policies, conducting research, and supporting fund operations. “The biggest surprise has been the autonomy,” he says. 

Asked what he would tell future PSIA students considering the programme, Hanlin points first to specialisation: “The World Bank Pioneers programme is competitive, but it is very much worth applying for. My biggest piece of advice is to find your passion early and build real expertise around it.

On the application itself, his advice is direct: “Be specific about what you want to do and why the World Bank is the right place to do it. Show that you know the institution and have thought seriously about how to contribute.”

Lars Erik Rehbach,  International Economic Policy Master’s at PSIA

Lars is pursuing PSIA's Master's in International Economic Policy, where his coursework has focused on geoeconomics and the changing role of multilateralism in today's world order. The Pioneers vacancy appealed to him precisely because it combined two fields: labour markets, with which he was already familiar, and migration, an area he had explored less. 

“Ultimately, this combination allows me to return to economic research and policy advisory from a more macroeconomic perspective, aligned with my studies and drawing on the knowledge I acquired at Sciences Po,” he explains.

Although hired as a Labor Economist Intern, his unit's mandate covers a wide range of policy topics, giving him the chance to work not only on labour migration but also on trade policy and global imbalances. 

What has struck him most was “how close the work can be to senior level discussions”. They work directly with senior management, and therefore they get a much clearer sense of the strategic discussions taking place within the whole World Bank Group.

Lars’ advice to fellow PSIA students centres on fit and preparation: “I would advise to look for a vacancy where you can show that you can genuinely contribute.” 

He also encourages students to see the programme as a window onto the institution as a whole: “The Pioneers Programme is a good way to get a first insight into a very large and multidimensional institution.”

Many paths, one mission 

Hanlin and Lars were not alone: three other Sciences Po students were selected for the inaugural Pioneers cohort, too. 

Yankai Huang, a student in the Finance and Strategy programme at the School of Management and Impact (EMI), joined the International Finance Corporation to support its Global Trade Finance and Global Supply Chain Finance work across Asian markets. Tercy Nyabagabo, pursuing a Master's in Economics at the School of Research (EDR), works as a Trade Economist contributing to research on global economic integration. Alberto Padroni, a Master's student in Public Policy at the School of Public Affairs (EAP), joined the programme underlined: “what mattered was that I could demonstrate my interest in the subject” - which in his case was more important than an extensive CV.

We warmly thank Hanlin, Lars Erik, Yankai, Tercy and Alberto for sharing their experience.