Oxford Pakistan Programme

WB IFC Pakistan-OPP
Work Experience Program

Are you a graduate or post-graduate student studying at Oxford University or at a Pakistani University aiming for a career in international development? Join the World Bank Group this November for the exciting new Pakistan Work Experience Program! We are launching this program as a pilot phase for now and will continue to expand our outreach.

The Pakistan Work Experience Program is targeted at highly motivated and qualified individuals from Pakistan and Oxford.

Selected candidates will be able to improve their own skills in a diverse environment dedicated to ending extreme poverty and boosting prosperity. They will benefit from:

  • (i) opportunities for onboarding and training;
  • (ii) networking, mentoring, and coaching from World Bank Group staff and the Oxford Pakistan Program.
  • (iii) hands on experience in select projects including client meetings and site visits.

The Pakistan Work Experience Program is targeted at highly motivated and qualified individuals from Pakistan. The scheme will be run in partnership with the Oxford Pakistan Programme (OPP), an Oxford University-based initiative that seeks to promote academic linkages between Oxford and Pakistan. Through a partnership with the OPP, the World Bank Group will offer up to seven short-term assignments for the first cohort starting this fall. For these assignments, students will be selected from local universities in Pakistan, while a selection of students will be engaged from the University of Oxford. The assignments will span a period of six to eight weeks (November – January 2022). The specific Terms of Reference for the first cohort of assignments will cover the fields of private sector development, agriculture, social development, climate change, and education.

Selected candidates will be offered paid short-term temporary consulting contracts with the WBG for the period specified by each hiring unit. They will be hosted by the Country Offices and Task Teams that have posted the task-based Terms of Reference. The call for applications was launched October 17, 2022, applications close on November 9, 2022, and selection will be finalized by November 23, 2022. Assignments begin on November 30, 2022.

Opportunities for Students:

General requirements:

To be eligible for an assignment, candidates must have an undergraduate degree and be enrolled in a full-time graduate study program (pursuing a master’s degree or PhD with plans to return to school full-time). There is no age limit.

Applicants should have a strong interest in and commitment to international development, and enthusiasm for working in multicultural teams and across borders.

Fluency in verbal and written English is required. Other skills such as computing skills are desirable. Knowledge of other languages, such as: Urdu, Arabic, other, are advantageous.

We value diversity in our workplace, and encourage all qualified individuals, particularly women, with diverse professional and academic backgrounds to apply. Our aim is to attract and recruit the best talent from Pakistan and Oxford.

Application and selection process:

The World Bank and IFC (Pakistan office) will accept applications through email from October 17 through November 9. Applications will be reviewed by the Human Resources team and recommended for longlisting. Individual hiring departments will review candidates and short-list them based on their respective business needs. Only short-listed candidates will be contacted for interviews. Final decisions by the hiring department(s) are expected to conclude by November 23, 2022.

All candidates will be required to submit a CV, proof of enrolment/completion of graduate program, a writing sample (of approximately a 1000 words) and a cover letter that specifies the assignment they are applying for and why their profile is suited for it

For students applying from the University of Oxford, please attach the above requested documents to:info@oxpakprogramme.org, cc’ing adeel.malik@qeh.ox.ac.uk and talha.pirzada@materials.ox.ac.uk, with the email subject title “Work Experience 2022 – TOR # and applicant’s name”.  Please use the TOR number that corresponds to the placement for which you are applying. The final date your application can be sent to will be November 9, 2022 noon BST. Please note that the pak_assignments@worldbank.org email is for students applying from Pakistani universities only.

For students applying from within Pakistan, please send your application documents to pak_assignments@worldbank.org with the email subject title “Work Experience 2022 – TOR # and applicant’s name”. Please use the TOR number that corresponds to the placement for which you are applying. Please note that pak_assignments@worldbank.org will become inactive on Wednesday, November 9, 2022, at 6.00pm, marking the close of applications for this period. Please be sure to submit your application in advance of this time. 

Students from Pakistani universities will be required to be recommended by their university. Each of the 20 universities will be able to recommend between 5-10 candidates.

Please note that applicants may only apply for one assignment listed above. The selection team will not be able to look at applicants who submit applications for more than one listed assignment.

Please note that pak_assignments@worldbank.org will become inactive on Wednesday, November 9, 2022 at 6.00pm, marking the close of applications for this period. Please be sure to submit your application in advance of this time.

Please note that applicants may only apply for one assignment listed above. The selection team will not be able to look at applicants who submit applications for more than one listed assignment.

Students from Pakistani universities will be required to be recommended by their university. Please refer to the FAQs for any additional questions on the program and application process.

Remuneration and duration:

The WBG will pay an hourly rate for all assignments. Participants are responsible for their own accommodation. Usually, work experience opportunities are for a minimum of four weeks and can extend up to six to eight weeks.

Q&A Webinar:

Please note that there will be a webinar held on Friday, October 28, 2022 for students with questions about the application process.If the FAQs below do not answer, we strongly encourage you to attend this session, as we will not be able to answer questions via the pak_assignments@worldbank.org email address.

The World Bank and IFC in Pakistan

Pakistan has been a member of the World Bank since 1950. Since then, the World Bank has provided $40 billion in assistance. The World Bank Group’s program in Pakistan is governed by the Country Partnership Strategy for FY2015-2020 with four priority areas of engagement: energy, private sector development, inclusion, and service delivery. The current portfolio has 59 projects and a total commitment of $14 billion.

The International Finance Corporation (IFC) in Pakistan has been operational since 1956. IFC is the private sector arm of the World Bank Group. Over the decades, IFC has cumulatively invested $10 billion in Pakistan including short term financing and mobilization. IFC has a committed portfolio of  $1.3 billion across 46 companies in the country.

About the Oxford Pakistan Programme

The OPP is a development vehicle based at the University of Oxford which aims to enhance graduate access for Pakistanis and build productive academic links between Oxford University and Pakistan. The program includes a number of coordinated offerings, including graduate scholarships for Pakistani and British-Pakistani students, research grants, and a visiting scholars’ program. Further details about the OPP and its offerings are available at the following website: https://oxpakprogramme.org/

FAQ

Start Date?

November 30, 2022 

Location?

Virtually, excellent internet connectivity will be required throughout the assignment period. Every selected candidate would be required to work from the World Bank Group office in Islamabad for a period of at least 2 weeks during the assignment. 

Who can apply: Courses?

Social Science

MSc & DPhil Economics

MSc & DPhil Public Policy 

MSc & DPhil Social Policy 

MSc & DPhil Anthropology

MSc & DPhil Sociology 

Science

MSc & DPhil Computer Science 

MSc & DPhil Geography and Environment

DPhil Material Science

DPhil Engineering Science 

MSc & DPhil Mathematics

MSc & DPhil Energy Science 

MSc & DPhil Physics

MSc & DPhil Water Studies

Finance & Management Sciences:

MSc Finance

MSc Management Sciences

Master’s in Business Administration

Universities?

Are the assignments paid?

Yes.

What do these assignments involve at the World Bank and IFC (Pakistan)?

The job descriptions for assignments will vary depending on the Terms of Reference for each placement listed on the main page. Some assignments involve research projects or helping to plan projects, and some involve World Bank/IFC missions. The selected students may also participate in conducting economic work, preparing drafts and presentations, and contributing to projects at the team level.

What are the areas of work?

The areas of work include agriculture, environment, transport, education, private sector development, and economic reform

How many hours of work will be required per week?

For the duration of the program, a full-time commitment will be required, with a minimum of 35 and a maximum of 40 hours a week.

Are there any possibilities for visa support?

The Oxford Pakistan Program will help facilitate the visa process for the University of Oxford students if required.

What are the selection criteria?

Applicants should be familiar with qualitative and quantitative research methods as well as analytical write ups and drafting. They should be able to observe trends in diverse information sources to reach data-driven conclusions. Proficiency in MS Excel, PowerPoint and basic knowledge of programming, such as Python or R, is required.

 

What does the application process look like?

All candidates will be required to submit a CV, proof of enrolment/completion of graduate program, a writing sample (of approximately a 1000 words) and a cover letter that specifies the assignment they are applying for and why their profile is suited for it

 

For students applying from the University of Oxford, please attach the above requested documents to:info@oxpakprogramme.org, cc’ing adeel.malik@qeh.ox.ac.uk and talha.pirzada@materials.ox.ac.uk, with the email subject title “Work Experience 2022 – TOR # and applicant’s name”.  Please use the TOR number that corresponds to the placement for which you are applying. The final date your application can be sent to will be November 9, 2022 noon BST. Please note that the pak_assignments@worldbank.org email is for students applying from Pakistani universities only.

 

For students applying from within Pakistan, please send your application documents to pak_assignments@worldbank.org with the email subject title “Work Experience 2022 – TOR # and applicant’s name”. Please use the TOR number that corresponds to the placement for which you are applying. Please note that pak_assignments@worldbank.org will become inactive on Wednesday, November 9, 2022, at 6.00pm, marking the close of applications for this period. Please be sure to submit your application in advance of this time. 

Students from Pakistani universities will be required to be recommended by their university. Each of the 20 universities will be able to recommend between 5-10 candidates.

 

 

Please note that applicants may only apply for one assignment listed above. The selection team will not be able to look at applicants who submit applications for more than one listed assignment.

I submitted my application. Now what?

Once the deadline passes, applications will be sent to the Human Resources team and recommended for longlisting. Individual hiring departments will review candidates to short-list based on their business needs. Only short-listed candidates will be contacted for interviews. Selections will be finalized by November 23, 2022.

 

Will I be notified if I am not selected?

We do not send out any notice if you have not been selected. Unfortunately, given the volume of applications, we will only be able to contact those selected

Any further questions?

Please note that there will be a webinar held on Friday, October 28, 2022, for students with questions about the application process. If the FAQs document does not answer your question, we strongly encourage you to attend this session, as we will not be able to answer questions via the pak_assignments@worldbank.org email address.

Timeline?
  • Call for applications: 17th October
  • Online webinar: 28th October
  • Deadline for applications: 9th November
  • Application review and decision: 23rdNovember
  • Start date for work experience: 30th November