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iCES Internship 2009

Elena Smirnova comments on her iCES Internship

My name is Elena Smirnova and I am a student at the European Business School London.

During the Summer of 2009 I was doing my dissertation research for the MSc Global Banking and Finance Programme when I received a message from Regent’s College Careers Service about the intern position at iCES. I sent my CV to Dr Àngels Trias i Valls (iCES Senior Research Assistant) immediately, as the opportunity to assist in a research project was exciting and could help me a lot with my own research, time management, and my own professional development. Being accepted was a great honour and I felt increasingly satisfied and never regretted applying as the days went by.

Internship Tasks

My primary task was to assist Professor John Drew, a member of the iCES executive team, in the research he was conducting on the impact of the global 2007-2009 economic crisis on European business.  This topic is of great importance in current conditions, as the recovery is possible only if authorities understand fully the situation from the business perspective and develop a targeted and well-researched approach.  Moreover, the challenge that Professor Drew faced was to compress the pool of available information on business reactions throughout Europe by country, industry, size of the business etc into a short article summarising and bringing the key issues to the reader.

What we discovered in the research was that whereas company responses to the crisis across Europe were very similar, national government responses were very varied, leading to the need for closer liaison, cooperation and communication between government and business.  The results of this research project are contained in Professor Drew’s article published in Contemporary Europe, iCES Annual Review (pages 40-43). Contemporary Europe

I was given the opportunity to choose my working hours and be self-monitored as well. I had regular meetings with Professor Drew, where I presented my findings and we would have a discussion afterwards. That was also a unique learning opportunity for me, as it broadened my knowledge of Europe by far.

Pleasant & Memorable Experience

My work in iCES was a very pleasant and memorable experience. Dr. Àngels Trias i Valls together with Professor Michael Scriven (Director of iCES) provided me with all the necessary facilities and ensured all my questions were answered and problems addressed, being supportive and kind whenever I needed their help and advice. I felt really welcome at all times and appreciated the unique professional atmosphere. So even though I was free to work from home when I wished, the work in the office turned out to be very enjoyable and productive.

All iCES members are recognised professionals with immense experience and always with an interesting story to tell, so an internship here is a unique opportunity to meet the academic elite and to broaden one’s views on all sorts of subjects. It is very rewarding and each day I spent working was different from the others.

I feel really lucky that I had such an opportunity and would highly recommend iCES internship to all students.

Elena Smirnova