Interview with colleague Matthijs – student of an International Political Economy Masters

 

This interview dates from early 2023. Meanwhile, Matthijs has graduated and works full-time at Pondera.

The Pondera team works hard to take sustainable energy projects a step forward. In order to actually make this possible, growth is necessary. The Pondera team consists of juniors and seniors who contribute their expertise and knowledge to sustainable and future-proof projects. In addition, Pondera also employs students who have not yet graduated. Matthijs is one of them. Matthijs works for the Development team where he carries out work to support the team. We sat down with Matthijs and asked him a few questions.

 

Matthijs, what kind of study do you do?

I am currently doing a Masters in International Political Economy. This is a combined Master of International Business Economics and Political Science. For this I completed a Bachelor’s degree in International Economics and Business. While studying for this degree, however, I discovered that my interests lie more in (international) politics, that is, the consequences of how countries interact with each other, the consequences of certain restrictions or the economies of certain countries. That’s why I chose to do the International Political Economy Masters.

 

What exactly are you doing for Pondera?

I support Pondera Development by adding structure to the project list. This means that I clearly map out all the projects. In addition, I support my colleagues during the meetings by taking minutes. I also translate various documents, and I do market research.

 

What did you learn during your studies that you can now apply in practice at Pondera?

My acquired knowledge and qualities are especially useful when doing market research. For example, I am currently doing research into the world of hydrogen: to what extent is this world getting bigger, and in which countries are the opportunities located? In addition, Pondera operates on an international level. My knowledge of International Politics will be of added value when compiling overviews between these countries.

 

What does your future look like? What are your wishes and dreams?

I still find it difficult to say what my future will look like. I do know that I still want to learn a lot. I also see my position at Pondera as a great opportunity to learn as much as possible about the professional field. As well as that, Pondera’s international development really attracts me; where are the opportunities in terms of energy transition/sustainable energy, and how can we at Pondera make this possible? I think it would be really exciting to be involved with this in the immediate future.