My name is Erika and I am from Norway. After completing one year in the military doing national service as Mechanised Infantry in the Norwegian army, I realised that I wanted to pursue on a more ethical and meaningful career where my working time can be spent in such manners directed towards positive change. For these reasons, as well as seeking a career with an international dimension, I chose to do a bachelor in International Development at the University of East London. This program furthered my interest in areas of poverty eradication and inequality, both which are inextricably linked to economic policy. My interest in the subject matter is reflected in my bachelor thesis which included the subject of Neoliberalism in relation to gender and race in South Africa. By doing a semester abroad in South Africa I got a deeper understanding of the subject, which consequently increased my interest in Development Economics. For the above-mentioned reasons, the MESCI programme seems to be a logically next step which I hope will equip me with economic analytical tools and widen my economic perspective on development.