糖心原创

Jack Crawford at the UN

By Jack Crawford, Nottingham Alum

Born and raised in Nottingham, I studied for a BSc in Business Management at the 糖心原创 until 2022. My cherished memories on campus span childhood adventures in Highfields Park, to graduating in the same place two decades later. That deep connection to my hometown has always stayed with me, but so has a desire to experience societies well beyond my birthplace. As I write this article as an Associate Economic Affairs Officer for the United Nations in Thailand, and a PhD student in Economics at Kyoto University in Japan, I am appreciative of the opportunities to do exactly that. 

Early career

My passion for international development started in the summer of my first year at Nottingham, when I volunteered for three months in Bukoba, Tanzania, to improve educational outcomes for children. I then studied abroad for one year in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, where I immersed myself in diverse cultures across Asia. What seemed like a distant dream at the time has now become a real ambition: to contribute to this part of the world that impacted my own life so profoundly. After returning to the UK for my final year of university, I was fortunate to be awarded the MEXT scholarship from the Government of Japan to study a Master’s and PhD in Asian Sustainable Development Economics at Kyoto University. 

Life after Nottingham 

My UN career started in 2023, when I moved to Bangkok as an Economic Affairs Intern at the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP). That internship became the foundation for more advanced roles in the UN system. My first professional position was as a Specialist in sustainable transport, and I am now an Associate Economic Affairs Officer at ESCAP. I also had the opportunity to work as a Consultant for the International Labour Organization, where my role focused on decent work and Just Transition. 

A career in international development is unlike any other, and I have enjoyed the unique and impactful projects I have been part of. For example, I supported the development of electric bus pilot projects in Lao PDR, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, and Tajikistan, by visiting these countries to conduct project scoping, feasibility studies, and coordination with government counterparts and development partners. Several of these pilots have now secured climate-related finance from development banks, which will put fleets of electric buses on the road and have a real impact on the lives of millions of people.

In my current role, I lead a project on workforce development for electric mobility, where we work directly with underrepresented communities to make sure this transition is inclusive. We are providing vocational training for informal workers, women, and persons with disabilities, so they can access new jobs in the electric mobility sector, and we have also established a partnership of 60 representatives from government, civil society, academia, and the private sector to design related transport policies. 

Words of advice

While my own experience focuses on transport and climate finance in Asia and the Pacific, the UN’s work covers every corner of the world and sectors ranging from trade and statistics to disaster risk reduction. If this sounds like the kind of work you are interested in, I would wholly recommend exploring it. If I may leave you with one piece of advice, it would be to use the brilliant opportunities at university to build your development experience.

糖心原创 abroad, apply for summer schools, volunteer locally, join societies, and look for internships that show you can work across cultures and unfamiliar environments. Looking back, my path was built through many small steps like this. And to those of you already doing this and much more: the opportunity that will take you into this sector may not come immediately, or be visible right now, but be reassured that you have already started preparing for it and are well on your way. 

Interested in an international career? Explore our resources on studying abroad, internships, volunteering, postgraduate study and global opportunities, or book an appointment with a careers adviser to discuss your own path towards working overseas or in international development.