The Center for New Structural Economics (CNSE) invites applications from highly qualified Graduate and Undergraduate students for Research Assistants (RAs) positions on the international team. The international team works on applying the Growth Identification and Facilitation Framework (GIFF) to developing countries and producing cutting edge research in development economics. We are looking for exceptional students with a sense of curiosity and a passion for international development.

Key Facts about the Role of RA and the International Team:

The working language on the team is English, providing a great opportunity to deepen language skills and demonstrate proficiency on your resume Each RA is assigned a Project Research Specialist (PRS) to be their mentor and provide them with research assignments Work is varied and includes both qualitative and quantitative analyses. Although economics is the core discipline, the work of the international team is highly multi-disciplinary and touches on international development, politics, and statistics to name a few The international team creates policy proposals and analysis that contribute to real decisions by political leaders in developing countries The international team partners with development organizations and global partners such as the UNDP, World Bank, and the IFPRI Work is fast paced and intense, requiring a high degree of commitment and flexibility to respond to the demands of the job and rapidly evolving priorities.

International Team Culture:

The international team strives to create a bold and intellectually adventurous environment. Individual contributions and independent thinking are valued and entrepreneurship is strongly encouraged. The unofficial motto of the CNSE is ‘learning by doing’ – and the emphasis is solidly on the side of action and execution. Rather than clinging to perfectionistic fear of failure, the team strives to inculcate a spirit of experimentation and iteration. The CNSE has 5 P’s and that guide our work and form the foundation of our shared culture.

Passion: Have a great passion for advancing frontier research on structural change and promoting economic transformation in developing countries;

Professionalism: Act proactively and entrepreneurially; complete tasks on time and with high-quality

Partnership: Work together with teammates to create synergies within the team; Collaborate with external partners to amplify our impacts

People: Put people at the center of our mission, helping people in need both in China and abroad

Publication: Publish high-quality project reports, policy briefings, flagship think tank report, and academic papers to establish the reputation of CNSE in both academia and policy practice

Benefits:

Internship Certificate is granted upon the satisfactory completion A monthly stipend is provided A bonus may be provided based on the performance Opportunities to attend internal training sessions on academic writing, data collection, etc. Opportunities to attend international conferences organized by the CNSE Dedicated candidates may be eligible for opportunities to conduct the fieldwork in China or overseas

Minimum Requirements:

Current enrolled or recently graduated graduate students (exceptions may be made for excellent undergraduates on a case-by-case basis) Ability to work at least one month on full-time, or 3 months on a part-time Academic proficiency in written and spoken English Comfortable with data analysis in excel Academic background in economics, international development, or related disciplines Ability to work independently and with a team to complete research tasks

Qualities Appreciated:

Ability to work till the end of assigned project Skills in statistical packages such as STATA, SAS, R and SPSS Research background in value chain analysis, industrial systems engineering, operations planning, or logistics Experienced with database design and data visualization

Application Procedure:

The following documents should be submitted:

 One-page statement of interest
        Resume
       Writing Sample
       Academic Transcripts (Chinese is ok)
       Letter of recommendation (optional)  

Applicants who pass the preliminary selection will be given a case study task for evaluation of their analytical and writing ability Interview.

Please submit application materials in English to nseadmin@nsd.pku.edu.cn. The application materials should be put into a compressed file, named in the format ‘Name_University_Availability’, such as ‘Mike_Peking University_September 1-December 30’. The title of the email should be ‘International Project Intern Application’.

The application deadline is August 31, 2016 (Wednesday). We are currently running the recruitment on a rolling basis and encourage interested applicants to submit an application as soon as possible.

Center for New Structural Economics at Peking University

August 12, 2016