Lexie Watson ’21 is a Highland Capital Management Tower Scholar and recipient of the Hamon Internship. She applied this internship at Emergent Risk International in Dallas where she was able to gain practical experience for a career in international affairs. Find out more on her experience in the post below.
Coronavirus has significantly impacted all of our lives. Many students searching for internships this summer felt the impact as companies placed holds on hiring or transferred employees completely online. I was lucky enough to intern for Emergent Risk International (ERI), a risk intelligence and advisory firm based in Dallas. As an International Studies major, this was right up my ally. I was excited to learn more about international risk analysis through the business lens and learn from ERI’s expert employees. I especially hoped to work on Asia related projects, since Asia has been a focus within my major. However, the most interesting and challenging part of the internship ended up being evaluating the effects of COVID-19 within the internship. Interning for ERI—a company that specialized in analyzing global risks—during a global crisis gave me a new perspective that gave me unmatched practical experience for a career in international affairs.
ERI has client companies in a variety of sectors, all of whom were and continue to be concerned with the impact of coronavirus. Everyday ERI would research changing coronavirus laws around the world, from increased or decreased travel restrictions to changing laws regarding the scope of government power. The research included broad and well as in depth analysis into certain issues relating to the pandemic. One country I researched was Hungary, a country I knew very little about before starting my project. Hungary approved sweeping government powers during the pandemic. However, Hungarian leaders may not have taken these measures solely to implement coronavirus measures. Indeed, the government has used the new powers to arrest and later release government criticizers on Facebook or to fine protesters. The move to accumulate power is not a new trend in Hungary as Prime Ministers Orban’s government has made moves in this direction since coming to power in 2010. Hungary is also the only EU country to be ranked “partially free” by Freedom House, which reports on democracy.
Working with ERI while researching Hungary and other effects of coronavirus taught me how to understand the various risks emerging from such situations. In the case of Hungary, one impact may be eventual protests which could disrupt traffic, workdays, or lead to property damage should the company be located there. It is also an example of how a government’s response to coronavirus can trigger domestic issues, something to look for in similar countries. Hungary could provide a point of comparison to countries like New Zealand, who’s people approve of the government response to COVID-19. Interning for ERI gave me a new perspective on how to evaluate problems. In school, I had never focused so much on evaluating risks for the private sector. Through this experience, I have developed a more well-rounded view of international issues which will serve me in a career in international affairs.