The purpose of APPG is to examine the use of drones (unmanned aerial vehicles) by governments, for domestic and international, military, and civilian purposes.
Both students decided to apply for the internship to further their personal development and apply the knowledge they have gained during their studies at Loughborough University. Lewis and Elliott both offer insight into their experience.
“As soon as we started at the APPG, we were made to feel welcome, introduced to lots of different stakeholders and really given the chance to contribute and collaborate.”
“During the internship, we were responsible for minute taking of meetings. These meeting minutes were being circulated to MPs and Lords so there was pressure to ensure everything was accurately captured and correct. We also made minutes at roundtable events and conferences to provide contemporary information on our subject area to the Secretariat and wider membership”
“The most interesting duties were the research driven tasks, for example during our time at the APPG, we were tasked with researching the targeting policies of a variety of different states in preparation for an upcoming brief to members of Parliament.”
APPG use parliamentary processes to try and increase transparency and accountability for the use and impact of drones in diverse military and civil contexts and contribute towards emerging policy. When asked about their most valuable achievement during their internship, Lewis and Elliott referred to a research brief they were both collectively tasked with completing. They both express a great amount of pride in being able to contribute to parliamentary documentation.
“The biggest achievement during the internship was probably collaborating with Elliot to research for a brief being produced by the APPG. The research was challenging as it meant scouring tens of policy documents to try and ascertain state policy and alliance policy on specific issues. This research will inform an upcoming brief being produced by the APPG so to have our research included in a document that will be circulated amongst MPs and key stakeholders is really exciting.”
“To be able to engage the skills Lewis and I had developed since the beginning of our internship and produce an extensive piece of work at the end of the experience was incredibly enriching.”
Upon completing the internship, both students highlight how the experience has benefitted their future career prospects and offer advice to any students considering a placement whilst studying at Loughborough University.
“Whilst my ongoing studies are incredibly important to my career prospects in the future, gaining that experience in the workplace, not least Westminster, is incredibly important. Indeed, not only did the internship reaffirm my ambition to pursue a career in policy and security, but it too provided me with an experience of working within a professional environment and in collaboration with several individuals from different fields of work.”
“Demonstrating that you can work with others and function well in a professional environment can be really encouraging for employers and could make the difference when getting a full-time job after University. I think internships are a good way to demonstrate your interest in a specific area or topic and allow you to expand your knowledge in your area of interest which you can then apply in your professional career.”
APPG on Drones and Modern Conflict highlighted how impressed they were with Lewis and Elliott, and how professional both students were. They noted the quality of the work done during the internship and how much effort both students had put into their work. Overall, APPG on Drones and Modern Conflict wanted to really commend both students and thank them for all their help.
Find out more information on our International Relations, Politics and History postgraduate courses here.