His projects span research and evaluation—project management, qualitative fieldwork (interviews, focus groups, workshops), and economic analysis using econometrics and big-data techniques. Much of his work focuses on education, skills, and labour economics, but he also contributes to high-technology sector development, Just Transition, climate risk in agriculture, and water & sanitation. “I translate evidence into decisions, helping clients design interventions and assess value for money.”
He chose the master’s because a graduate-level economics degree was essential for the career he wanted. “My career choices in development effectively required a Master’s in Economics,” he says. VU Amsterdam stood out for its applied approach to development and its integration of Global South perspectives. Before applying, he read Menno’s work and “felt VU would be the best place to investigate my interests, improving access to education and using bottom-up, community-based accountability to strengthen public services, while receiving rigorous training as an economist.”
On the programme, the development courses “hit exactly the right notes,” sharpening the intuition he now relies on when working at pace. The Big Data Analytics option proved especially valuable: “I use techniques from that course constantly,” alongside econometrics that grounds his quantitative work—skills that are “even more relevant as AI and computing power advance.” He also appreciated the thesis presentations: hearing peers present diverse research deepened both his knowledge and professional curiosity.
Studying at VU Amsterdam broadened his outlook beyond the UK and helped him work with global clients. He is currently collaborating with WaterAid and has worked with the FAO and UNICEF, including a project co-developing early climate-warning systems for agro-pastoralists in the Horn of Africa—“blending traditional and innovative methods, and drawing directly on what we covered about climate risk in the development module.” The master’s, he says, “solidified my direction and put me in a great position to hit the ground running.”
Day to day, he combines academic and grey literature with data analysis to inform policy design, and he evaluates interventions to quantify impact and value for money, for clients ranging from local and regional authorities in the UK to the Scottish and UK governments and the Government of Ireland. Looking ahead, he plans to return to his thesis themes, access to education and community-based monitoring. His advice to future students: “Make the most of the learning environment, engage with leading academics, and mix with the whole cohort, VU Amsterdam brings together people with diverse experiences that are invaluable if you want to work in development.”
