How an MSc in Development Studies led Yiwen Sun to a PhD in climate politics

Now a PhD student in Political Science at UCL, Yiwen Sun explains how the MSc Development Studies helped him develop the analytical tools, interdisciplinary perspective, and research interests that underpin his work on trade and climate politics today.

In what ways has your International Development degree shaped your path since graduation?

As a PhD student researching trade and climate politics, I am grateful for how the MSc in Development Studies shaped my understanding of the issues and challenges facing the international political economy. Throughout the programme, the relationship between the state and the market emerged as a central theme in my thinking. I still remember preparing for the DV400 written exam: revisiting the debate between Hayek and Polanyi, examining the economic, political and anthropological challenges of climate change mitigation, and considering the impact of North–South interactions. Although the experience was demanding at the time, it has proved immensely rewarding.

When I approach questions in political economy today, I continue to draw on the diverse and sometimes competing perspectives of the scholars I encountered at LSE. These learning experiences have also shaped how I study carbon tariffs. Under the state-and-market perspectives, I am interested in how policymakers and businesses engage with one another, and how their interactions influence policy design. While I am only beginning to explore these questions and do not yet have definitive answers, the training I received during the MSc was critical in helping me take the first step: asking questions that connect what we already know with the puzzles that confront us today.

What were your next steps after graduation, and what advice would you give students starting out?

My next step after graduation was to apply for PhD programmes. I developed several research proposals, each with a slightly different theoretical or thematic focus, and reached out to academics at various institutions whose research interests aligned with my own. For students who are similarly considering an academic career, I would encourage them to take full advantage of the breadth of courses offered by the Department of International Development. The wide range of topics can help you identify the issues you are most interested in, learn how to engage with them critically, and discover the analytical tools needed to answer your research questions. The MSc also provides exposure to a diverse range of research methods, allowing students to approach questions from quantitative, qualitative or mixed-methods perspectives. When developing a doctoral research proposal, this methodological foundation can help you design a project that is both flexible and feasible—and demonstrate to an admissions committee or prospective supervisory team that you can, in practice, carry it out.

Tell us about your current role (or further studies), what does a typical day or week look like?

I am currently a PhD student in Political Science at University College London. Each evening, I make a focused to-do list for the following day. My primary responsibility is advancing my doctoral research, but I also collaborate with co-authors on side projects, provide research assistance to faculty members, attend departmental seminars, and prepare for teaching. With this semi-structured, task-based schedule, I usually arrive at the office around 9:30am and work until noon before taking a lunch break. After lunch, I often go for a short walk around campus. When the weather is pleasant, I might sit in Gordon Square in front of my office or stop by the university shop for ice cream. I typically work until 7pm, which also allows me to avoid rush hour on the Tube. Sometimes, I enjoy a pint to reward myself before going home. I meet with my supervisors every two to three weeks, depending on my progress and their availability. Each week usually includes around four hours of teaching seminars plus office hours, along with (little) administrative responsibilities such as weekly teaching meetings.

What has been the best part of your career journey, and what has been the biggest challenge?

The best part of my career journey has been the freedom to explore the questions I care about. As a junior academic, I benefit greatly from the support of senior researchers at leading institutions. Academia can be an immensely inclusive and encouraging environment, where experienced colleagues help you refine the big questions you want to tackle. I also genuinely enjoy academic writing. It continually pushes me to weave ideas, arguments, and evidence into a clear and compelling narrative that engages readers and makes complex research easier to follow.

My biggest challenge has been constructing causal arguments. Because I tend to use quasi-experimental tools to answer social science questions, I must contend with the fact that controlled experiments are often neither ethical nor practical. For example, I could never randomly assign similar large companies to lobby the European Commission and then compare the resulting policy outcomes. The challenge, therefore, is to identify useful structures within social phenomena, the hidden pattern in the data, and construct credible quasi-experiments that can isolate causal effects. This process also requires me to think critically about measurement: whether numerical indicators are appropriate and what the numbers I observe are telling us about the world.

What skills have been most important in your career, and what skills should students focus on developing?

Practicing interdisciplinary thinking can broaden the scope of your research and deepen our understanding of global development and the world around us.

For me, one of the most important skills has been the ability to draw insights from different disciplines. Although the social sciences are divided into fields such as economics, political science, and sociology, these disciplines frequently intersect. Their interaction adds complexity, but it also brings us closer to understanding the real world, where social, political, and economic forces continually influence one another. Combining theories and research methods from different disciplines allows us to understand how society functions, rather than examining each of its components in isolation. This skill aligns closely with the structure of an International Development program, which gives students considerable freedom to explore a wide range of pressing social issues. As you take courses on different topics, ask yourself how a theory from one course might help answer a question raised in another. You might also consider what new insights emerge when you make those connections. Practicing this kind of interdisciplinary thinking can broaden the scope of your research and deepen our understanding of global development and the world around us.

How is your sector changing, including the impact of AI, and what should students be paying attention to?

One of the most significant changes in academia is the growing integration of AI tools. In my department, we have had extensive discussions about what AI means for political scientists. Although I do not believe that tools such as ChatGPT, Codex, or Claude can replace political scientists in the near future, they have significantly expanded the scope and efficiency of my research. They can reduce the time spent on labour-intensive tasks such as data collection, mining, and cleaning, allowing researchers to focus more of their attention on analysis and interpretation. However, AI must be used with caution. The processes through which these systems turn prompts into outputs are not fully transparent, and their responses can contain errors that are difficult to detect.

This creates an important challenge for researchers: benefiting from the efficiency of AI while maintaining the accuracy, transparency, and integrity of their work. Students should begin developing thoughtful workflows when using AI. This includes learning how to formulate clear and effective prompts, understanding which tasks AI can support, and building reliable processes for checking its outputs. Subject to their institutions' assessment policies, students should also become familiar with common risks, such as incorrectly recorded data, inaccurate or fabricated references, and inappropriate or redundant language use. In short, students should learn to work intelligently and responsibly with AI, treating it as a useful research assistant rather than an unquestionable authority.

What career options exist beyond traditional International Development organisations, and which transferable skills help most?

Academic institutions offer one path beyond traditional international development organizations, although the two sectors often overlap through research collaborations, policy engagement, and consulting work. Graduates may also find opportunities in government, think tanks, consulting firms, sustainability teams, and other organizations working in public policy and global affairs. I believe one of the most valuable transferable skills is the ability to continually update your expertise—whether by expanding your knowledge of the issues that interest you or learning to use emerging tools such as generative AI. Regardless of the specific career path you pursue within international development, a commitment to continuous learning will help you adapt more smoothly to new responsibilities and prepare for the challenges ahead.

What is one piece of career advice that has had the greatest impact on you, and what advice would you leave current students with?

formulate a work-specific self-identity before deciding where they want to work or study. Think about your interests, strengths, values, and preferred way of working. Knowing what distinguishes you, and in which environments you are most likely to thrive, will help you make more purposeful career decisions and find opportunities that are genuinely right for you.

When I was an MSc student, I received much encouragement and support as I applied to PhD programmes. One piece of advice from my academic tutor had a particularly lasting impact: look for programmes where faculty members will recognise and value your particular skill set. This taught me that finding the cohort with institutional and intellectual fit can be just as important as the reputation of a program. My advice to current students is to formulate a work-specific self-identity before deciding where they want to work or study. Think about your interests, strengths, values, and preferred way of working. Knowing what distinguishes you, and in which environments you are most likely to thrive, will help you make more purposeful career decisions and find opportunities that are genuinely right for you.

The views expressed in this post are those of the alum and in no way reflect those of the LSE International Development Department or the London School of Economics and Political Science.

Featured Image credit: Yiwen Sun