Francesca Gottschalk G'16: Making a Difference in Education through Policy
Francesca Gottschalk has built a meaningful career in global policy from a range of experiences, moving from her hometown of Toronto to Paris and its international organizations. Currently working as an Analyst at the OECD, her interests have focused over the years towards education. Francesca credits her own educational path as instrumental to the development of her passion for the field. As part of the OECD’s 21st Century Children project, she studies the nature of modern childhood and explores how education systems can effectively support and guide children while allowing them the space to take risks and learn from their own mistakes.
Upon completing the MA in Public Policy and International Affairs, a program that has since been supplanted by the MA in International Affairs, Francesca did an internship at UNESCO before joining the OECD. She says she felt very prepared for both of these rigorously international work environments. “My master’s at AUP prepared me well for my next steps following graduation. The coursework of my program instilled a keen interest in pursuing a policy-related career path and I felt that I had the content knowledge and analytical skills to be able to do so. For example, my courses on econometrics and economics for policy making were particularly relevant to future career moves.”
The combination of demanding course-work in an intimate setting and experiential learning such as the Summer Institute for Human Rights, which Francesca completed after her first year at AUP, offered “a balance between theoretical and practical elements.” She also points to the modules on conflict negotiation and on international diplomacy as pivotal, and describes them as intense, enriching experiences where she could stretch her skills and knowledge in a less traditional classroom environment.
The Summer Institute involved traveling to the Hague to witness the trial of Ratko Mladić, a former military officer during the Yugoslav Wars, followed by a one-month stay in Oxford. “It was an amazing opportunity to travel and spend time with the other AUP students who also participated in the course. I loved also having the opportunity to learn alongside master’s and law students from other universities around the world.”
[The Summer Institute] was an amazing opportunity to travel and spend time with the other AUP students who also participated in the course. I loved also having the opportunity to learn alongside master’s and law students from other universities around the world.
The Summer Institute involved traveling to the Hague to witness the trial of Ratko Mladić, a former military officer during the Yugoslav Wars, followed by a one-month stay in Oxford. “It was an amazing opportunity to travel and spend time with the other AUP students who also participated in the course. I loved also having the opportunity to learn alongside master’s and law students from other universities around the world.”
Experiences like these, along with the support system offered by AUP professors and staff, helped solidify Francesca’s desire for an global career and encouraged her to build a future in Paris. While the Summer Institute was not a requirement for her particular degree, Program Director Susan Perry encouraged her to participate because of her interest in law. In addition to Dr. Perry’s influence, Francesca describes her professors as “very engaged and motivated to support students in their learning and career goals,” alongside the support of AUP’s Careers Office, which offered, as she says “amazing assistance” in revamping her CV and cover letter before she started applying for internships. “This helped me feel much more confident in my future internship and job applications.”
Coming to Paris and to AUP for her own “personalized learning experience,” she is now helping improve the learning of others through research, engagement with stakeholders (member countries, other international organizations, foundations, researchers etc.), and the organization of international events such as expert meetings and webinars. In addition to work on children, her path in research has also centered around teachers’ general pedagogical knowledge, and equity and inclusion in and through education, and has offered her numerous opportunities to present her work, ranging from giving keynote presentations at international conferences to participating in panel discussions online and producing written outputs. Her recent papers have included work on cyberbullying and child participation in decision-making.
Ten years after graduation, Francesca Gottschalk has clearly made the most of her AUP experiences to launch a career of which she can definitely be proud.