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Amna Babar
(Pakistan – GLODEP cohort 2018-2020)

Written on . Posted in Alumni.

How did you use GLODEP to get where you are now? What is your current position?

GLODEP gave me an insight into the development sector and by the time I graduated, I knew I had to either work in health or education. And so I did. J I landed my first job in public health after coming back to Pakistan and since then I have been working in the sector. My current position is that of a Programme Manager/Research Fellow at IMPACT, Institute of Psychiatry for multiple projects in collaboration with the University of York. I am also currently pursuing a distance learning MSc Program in Health Economics for Policy Makers by the University of York.

How did GLODEP help you to achieve your career goals?

GLODEP helped me switch from economic theory to development economics because I have always been driven by social change and policy impact to make a difference in the lives of the marginalized.

How do you use the experience from the GLODEP program?

GLODEP has been a life changing experience particularly in terms of the exposure it offered. To be able to sit in a classroom with over 20+ nationalities in three different countries has been an unmatched experience. I distinctly remember going to NYU Abu Dhabi for a short course in disease elimination last year and it was indeed my experience in GLODEP that enabled me to interact with every single one of the representatives of 15+ countries!

What did you learn? Which knowledge, skills and competences did you acquire?

While there is no one specialized skill that GLODEP offered, what it did offer to me was an insight into a wide variety of aspects of development. I have particularly made use of the analytical discussions about development esp in UPol. The qualitative and quantitative skillset touched upon in University of Clermont Auvergne have also proved helpful to me in my further studies in Health Economics.

How did you like it in Olomouc?

The best thing about Olomouc for me was that everything was accessible. I liked how as our first station in GLODEP, Olomouc did not overwhelm us and was easy to navigate our way around.  While it was not as diverse and had a language barrier, the fact that it was very close to Prague made it an easy and convenient to travel.