Harvard University student Ilona Stukalo completed her internship at Kyiv School of Economics
This summer, the Kyiv School of Economics (KSE) and the BRIDGE project hosted Harvard sophomore Ilona Stukalo as an intern
Over the course of several months, she joined the research team at the Center for Democratic Resilience, working on projects related to citizen participation during wartime, data analysis, and institutional development, including the BRIDGE project. Ilona shared her experience, impressions of KSE, and future aspirations.
– Please tell us about yourself.
– My name is Ilona Stukalo, I am from Kyiv, Ukraine. I am currently a second-year student at Harvard University, majoring in Economics with a secondary in Government. Before Harvard, I studied for two years at a boarding school in Canada (SMUS) and graduated from PL NTUU KPI in Kyiv.
I have always been passionate about economics because it combines both analytical and interpersonal skills. One of my long-term goals is to contribute to rebuilding Ukraine, so I am especially interested in development economics, infrastructure, international relations, investment, and democracy. I hope to work at the World Bank one day.
– What tasks did you work on during your internship?
– I was involved in the early stages of the research project: brainstorming the experiment design, developing research questions, and collecting data. My biggest task was creating a unique dataset on the heads of military administrations for KSE’s open-access repository Comprehensive Repository of Hromada-Level Data in Ukraine It was challenging because no ready or public lists existed, so I had to be creative and find alternative ways to collect information.
In addition, I analyzed Ukraine-Sweden cooperation agreements, coded qualitative data (such as presidential speeches), cleaned datasets, and worked on translations. This hands-on experience significantly improved my research skills.
– What are your impressions of the Kyiv School of Economics?
– I was most impressed by the teamwork — how important it is to bring together different perspectives and discuss ideas collectively. The atmosphere at KSE is very open: everyone is welcoming, ready to help, answer questions, and share advice. It is truly an innovative hub that sets a new standard for research in Ukraine. It was an amazing experience to be part of such work, and I hope to rejoin the team after another year at Harvard.
Oleksandra Keudel, BRIDGE project lead at KSE, shared:
“Our team is really grateful to Ilona for her analytical contribution and enthusiastic interest in everything we do. We wish her great success in her endeavors and hope that one day our cooperation will continue.”
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Research Executive Agency. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.