Close
Describe your time at UCL in three words: Stimulating, unexpected, empowering.
Amar Bhardwaj
MPA Energy, Technology and Public Policy
New York, USA
What attracted you to UCL?
I have a background in sustainable energy engineering from my undergraduate study, and when I came to the UK for graduate study through the Marshall Scholarship, I wanted a programme that would equip me to bring my technical expertise to government to help inform sustainable energy policy. UCL stood out to me for its Department of Science, Technology, Engineering and Public Policy (STEaPP), which sits directly at the intersection of the technical and policy worlds I hope to straddle.
Based on these interests, I felt like the Master of Public Administration (MPA) in Energy, Technology and Public Policy within STEaPP was designed just for me. This interdisciplinary spirit, formalised in UCL’s institutions, was highly attractive in my search for a program.
What aspects of your studies do you enjoy the most?
When I arrived at UCL, I found myself a part of a phenomenal cohort of students on the MPA programs. My classmates come from a diversity of countries, and it’s refreshing to be in an academic setting where American or British students don’t predominate. Many of my classmates come to the programme with years of work experience, often in government, bringing a wealth of practical insights on the topics we study in class. One of the most enriching parts of the programme is having the opportunity to swap perspectives with my cohort in and outside of class, and to learn about their countries and experiences.
What are some of the most interesting things you have done, seen, or got involved with while at UCL?
The MPA program at UCL culminates in a final project, in which we complete a major policy project with a partner organisation over the course of the spring and summer. For my final project, I was able to arrange a partnership with the International Energy Agency (IEA). I’ll be working on the IEA’s hydrogen team at their headquarters in Paris, conducting energy modelling analysis to inform policy guidance for national governments to decarbonize using hydrogen. The IEA is a global authority in energy technology and policy, and this work will provide a phenomenal opportunity to develop my expertise at this intersection. The applied nature and flexibility of the MPA final project were essential in enabling me to reach out and set up this exciting collaboration.
In what way has studying in London enriched your studies?
Being based in London, the seat of UK government, offers a thrilling degree of exposure to the federal government. Our course instructors have often spent much of their career at high levels of federal government, and can connect the policy theory they teach to their prior work in the places where the policy is actually made, including No. 10, Parliament, and federal government departments. This adds an exciting real-world dimension to our conversations and helps me visualize how I will apply my learning in future work in government.
What are your future ambitions and how do you think that being a UCL student will help you get there?
Through my career, I hope to leverage technical, social, and policy expertise in sustainable energy to help guide effective policymaking for tackling the climate crisis. I am interested in serving in policy advisory or policy analysis capacities in government or in government-adjacent organisations to provide input into the energy policy process. Following my time at UCL, I will begin a PhD in chemical engineering at Stanford University, where I will develop sustainable energy technologies and build technical understanding that I can leverage in policy settings. My experience at UCL will be integral to supporting this vision—across my core policy modules, my energy modelling specialist track, my final project at the IEA, and learning from my outstanding classmates, I’m gaining a deeply valuable, multidimensional education that will translate directly to my policy career.
Describe your time at UCL in three words.
Stimulating, unexpected, empowering.