Embracing Change: The Story Behind ISPP’s Full-Time Internship Programme

Indian School of Public Policy (ISPP) was founded in 2018 with a vision of creating next-gen policy leaders for a rising India. Established by visionary leaders Parth Shah and Luis Miranda, ISPP was designed with a guiding principle that could evolve over time—an internal compass known as SPELL, which stands for 

S – Skill

P – Political Economy

E – Ethics

L – Leadership

L – Lifelong

Now in its fifth year, ISPP has taken a significant step forward, introducing a full-time, two-month internship for the first time. This shift marks a new chapter in our flagship Postgraduate Programme in Policy, Design, and Management (PDM), a chapter deeply rooted in the ‘S’ and the last ‘L’ of our SPELL compass: Skill development and Lifelong Learning.

The idea of a full-time internship didn’t emerge overnight. It was a response to the voices of our esteemed industry partners, our Career Advisory Council (CAC), and our own scholars. Previously, our scholars worked remotely on various policy issues with external organisations, dedicating about 10 hours per week to these projects. While valuable, these experiences couldn’t fully capture the unique culture and nuances of policy work.

Through regular engagement and collaboration, our industry partners expressed a clear need for a more immersive experience. They believed that only through a full-time internship could our scholars truly grasp the intricacies of policy work. Recognising this, our Career Advisory Council—comprising top professionals from the policy industry—strongly recommended this shift. They emphasised that the demand for policy practitioners in India is emerging, making it the perfect time to provide our scholars with this crucial experience.

Our scholars themselves played a pivotal role in this decision. The career and placement representatives of the batch of 2024 shared invaluable insights and perspectives. Their feedback underscored the necessity of a full-time internship to bridge the gap between academic learning and real-world application.

Thus, from this year onwards, the full-time internship will be an integral and mandatory component of our PDM programme. This two-month engagement with external organisations will provide our scholars with hands-on, experiential learning opportunities. It is designed to be one of the primary anchors of the experiential learning component of the PDM program, focusing on skill development and lifelong learning.

Through this internship, scholars will apply the theoretical knowledge gained in the classroom to real-world scenarios, developing their skills and competencies in a professional environment. This experience will prepare them for successful careers and cultivate lifelong learning habits essential for their personal and professional growth. 

The internship also includes an academic component, requiring scholars to submit a capstone report. This report will encapsulate their experiences, learnings, and reflections, marking the culmination of their intensive engagement.

The introduction of the full-time internship marks a significant milestone in ISPP’s journey. It is a testament to our commitment to evolving and adapting to meet the needs of our scholars and the policy industry. We have already received an amazing response from the industry with extensive participation for this year. As we move forward, we are excited to see how this experience will shape the careers of our scholars and contribute to their lifelong learning journey.

At ISPP, we believe that true learning extends beyond the classroom, and with the introduction of the full-time internship, we are one step closer to realising that vision.

– Office of Career Services, Indian School of Public Policy

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