Lucy Hunt, DPhil candidate in Education
Description and purpose of the placement
I completed a remote internship with Terre des hommes’ Children and Youth in Migration programme, as a Research Intern. I worked with one main supervisor and a further adviser, with whom I was able to shape the exact nature of my terms of reference. I completed a background paper on youth empowerment for staff working with youth across the organisation, and then used this as the basis for a ‘toolkit’ with methodological advice. This covered participatory methods – the theory behind them, examples and suggested indicators for measuring the ‘empowering potential’ of future CYiM research with migrant youth in Europe.
This links to my research interests in youth and migration, and especially finding new ways to engage youth in the research process.
Setting up the internship/placement
I applied via the Oxford Summer Internship Scheme. Tdh had advertised a summer position. I was motivated by the fact that it was close to my research interests (it was on youth and migration), it involved research with young migrants (meaning more practice of interviewing and generally working with this population in Europe) and it was an opportunity to learn more about translating theory and more ‘academic’ research into practice to make a difference in their lives.
Benefits and challenges of the internship/placement
As well as discussing the potential for further work within the organisation, I learnt about how to translate academic theory and methodologies into practical, actionable advice. I had many beneficial conversations with my supervisor, who advised on how to make any contributions as practical as possible. He also taught me about more how the organisation works, which will be useful in future work. One challenge, however, was that it was all conducted online due to COVID-19. This meant that direct research with youth could not take place, and I could not get involved in the office and wider Tdh network in Budapest. My supervisor made up for this by connecting me virtually with colleagues and being generous with his time in calls and messages.
Advice for other researchers
I would recommend ensuring that the terms of the internship match the skills/knowledge you wish to build, as well as giving scope for you to contribute to the organisation.
