World House Student Fellows Present at Annual Conference

On Friday, February 28, Perry World House hosted the annual conference for its World House Student Fellows program. The World House Student Fellows program is a deep engagement program for Penn students interested in careers in global policy. Each year, ~30-35 students work together in small teams on policy relevant research projects that they then present to policymakers and academics. This year, they are working with clients on projects that are directly involved in policy processes to help drive impactful change. The policy project process shows how Perry World House provides unique opportunities to Penn students focused on its mission of bridging the gap between academia and the global policy world.

Friday’s conference featured the 8 student fellow teams presenting their work thus far to Penn faculty, and policymakers, including Perry World House Distinguished Visiting Fellows, Penn alums, and other policymakers eager to hear their insights and give feedback. The students presented on issues such as energy and security, proposed regulatory approaches to artificial intelligence, democratic backsliding in central and eastern Europe, actions cities can take to combat extreme heat, and more.

Melissa Lee, Klein Family Presidential Associate Professor of Political Science and director of the World House Student Fellows program, described the conference as an “incredible opportunity for our students, who have worked so hard on their projects all year, to get helpful feedback from our faculty and policymakers with real world experience working on these topics.” 

The students will now revise their projects and finalize them for clients around the world.