January 16, 2024
My name is Åse Rage and I have been an intern in the Strategy and Communication department at Norfund. I have learned so much about the world of development finance, and I am super excited to continue in Norfund as an analyst.
The First Weeks
I have a background in Political Science at the University of Oslo, and came straight from Copenhagen where I worked as an intern in the Norwegian Embassy. I have previously worked with global energy systems, sustainable development and public affairs, but the finance aspect was completely new to me. Therefore, it has been of great value to learn how investments in private capital serves as an efficient and impactful way to foster long term development in and speed up the net zero transition in developing countries.
During the Norfund Week we gained insight about Norfund’s work, values and investment dilemmas, which laid a solid foundation for the rest of our internships. We also got to know people from across the entire organization and learn about their cultures. It didn’t take long before I felt truly at home.
Strategy and Communication
After receiving the necessary training in various systems and tools, I became involved in different strategic projects as well as Norfund’s daily operations. Our department leads development and implementation of different strategies, analysis of development effects, additionality, gender and climate, and external communications. I worked mostly with stakeholder relations, which included civil society, politicians, journalists, businesses and the MFA. Writing about lots of different investments was a great way to dive into interesting aspects of Norfund’s work. I also managed the intern project, where we investigated how Norfund best could benefit from implementing AI in our daily work.
The Internship Experience
Being an intern at Norfund for the last five months has been beyond all expectations, and I have learned so much more than anticipated. One of the best aspects of working in Norfund has been collaborating with a team of experienced, goal-oriented, and passionate colleagues. Despite the size of the organization and and the 25 different nationalities, there is a really strong sense of a common goal. This is of course due to the important mandates, but also because of the unique work culture here at Norfund.