This summer, the Humanitarian Collaborative is supporting a cohort of UVA Batten MPP students through practitioner-engaged internships with HC Practitioner Fellows and partner organizations. The cohort is designed to move beyond traditional academic research by connecting students with practitioner-led humanitarian work, where their research, writing, and strategy support active projects with practical value for partner organizations.

The 2026 cohort includes three internships: 

• Education Research and Strategy with Lissett Babaian, strategist and advisor on international education programs.
• Child Wellbeing and Humanitarian Research with Charles Bradley, researcher focused on refugee studies and institutional sociology, and early learning programs for refugees.
• Youth Engagement and Planetary Health with Nazia Ahmad, Head of Operations, Partnerships and Programmes Implementation, Sunway Centre for Planetary Health in Malaysia.

What makes the cohort distinct:

• Practitioner-Engaged Learning: Students work closely with HC Practitioner Fellows and partner organizations on projects shaped by real organizational priorities and evolving needs in the humanitarian and development field.
• Applied Research and Strategy: Interns turn research, data, and field-informed insights into practical materials that help partners communicate impact, guide decisions, and strengthen future programming.
• Mentorship and Professional Growth: Through guidance from experienced practitioners, interns gain a deeper understanding of how research is translated into strategy, policy, and programming.

Stay tuned for upcoming features on a few of the students involved in this summer’s cohort.