I did an internship at the Business Council for Sustainable Development (BCSD) Singapore between February and May 2016, that is, during my fourth semester of the Master in Public Policy at the Lee Kuan Yew School. The BCSD Singapore was established in 2013 as a partner organization of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development. Its mission is to provide business leadership as a catalyst for change towards sustainable development, and to support the business license to operate, innovate and grow in a world increasingly shaped by sustainable development issues. In order to pursue these goals, the organization seeks to exert influence in policy development with the aim of creating the right framework conditions for business to make an effective contribution towards sustainable development in the Southeast Asian context.
My main assignment for the BCSD Singapore involved managing the publication of a white paper on sustainable agriculture in ASEAN from inception to launch. The document is aimed at key public and private policy-‐ makers in the region. It outlines the challenges and opportunities for the agriculture sector as a key contributor to ASEAN economies in the road to 2050, and it showcases best business practices that can help address these challenges. Several companies, including Syngenta, Monsanto, Accenture, and April, together with non-‐for-‐profit organizations such as Croplife Asia and Grow Asia, and two representatives from academia (Nanyang Technological University) contributed with their inputs to the white paper.
My role encompassed content editing and review, coordination of internal communications with contributors and sponsoring parties and oversight of the design and printing by external providers. The paper was officially launched in a panel discussion during the Responsible Business Forum that took place in Jakarta between 25 and 26 May 2016, which was attended by more than 400 delegates from leading companies, NGOs and knowledge institutions operating in the region. The launch event represented the pinnacle of my internship and left me with a great sense of accomplishment.
Panel discussion with Prof Paul Teng (NTU) and representatives from Accenture, Monsanto and April (left to right)
NGOs and knowledge institutions operating in the region. The launch event represented the pinnacle of my internship and left me with a great sense of accomplishment.
The internship with the BCSD Singapore was extremely rewarding as it allowed me to develop stakeholder management and communication skills. Being involved in the white paper helped me expand my knowledge in the field of agricultural development and business strategies for socio-‐
environmental sustainability in ASEAN. The internship was also crucial to widen my networks, establish connections with key players in the agribusiness sector and get better positioned for job opportunities after graduation. All in all, I warmly encourage all prospective and current students to undertake an internship and obtain hands-‐on experience as a policy practitioner in the area of their interest.
A few classmates from the LKYSPP (left, right) attended the RBF in Jakarta with me (center)