UofG Centre for Public Policy

17 December 2025: At the time of her internship, Kristina Kurincova was completing an MSc in Finance and Management at the University of Glasgow. In this blog, she shares her experience as an intern for the Centre for Public Policy in summer 2025, where she supported the refresh of the Centre’s website and digital communications. 

Blog by Kristina Kurinkova, CPP Web and Digital Communications Intern

During my internship at the Centre for Public Policy, I worked closely with the Communications Lead and the wider team to support the refresh of the Centre’s website. My tasks included gathering and editing content, building pages using the University’s content management system, and helping shape the visual identity of the site using Canva. I also created a pool of reusable images to support future communications.  

Alongside the technical work, I had the opportunity to join team discussions and attend meetings with colleagues across the University, which gave me valuable insight into how the Centre collaborates to connect research, policy, and public engagement. One of the most meaningful aspects of this internship was being trusted to take creative ownership of sections of the website’s visual design. While I had some prior experience through training, I don’t have a formal background in design, so being given that level of responsibility was both empowering and a challenge. It pushed me to think beyond aesthetics - to consider how the website could be made accessible and user-friendly for a diverse audience that includes academics, early-career researchers, policymakers, and members of the public. The Centre plays a unique role in Scotland’s policy landscape and knowing I contributed to how it presents itself and communicates its work to the world is something I’m really proud of.  

Although my academic background is in Finance and Management, and my career path is focused on public sector auditing, this internship aligned closely with my professional goals and academic interests. I gained a clearer understanding of how institutions like the Centre communicate research and foster transparency, and I saw firsthand how public-facing communications support trust and accountability.   

Beyond that, being part of wider conversations about policy engagement and research impact reaffirmed my long-term aspiration to return to academia - this time with a deeper understanding of how knowledge can be translated into meaningful public outcomes.  

For any students considering applying for an internship through the Student Opportunities Hub or with the Centre for Public Policy, I’d encourage you to go for it, even if your background doesn’t seem like an obvious fit. I came in as a Finance and Management student and still found the experience incredibly valuable. The Centre values curiosity, initiative, and a willingness to learn over perfect experience. Be open about where you are, highlight what genuinely interests you, and don’t be afraid to step into new territory. That’s often where the most meaningful growth happens.  

Author  

Kristina Kurinkova, CPP Web and Digital Communications Intern, Summer 2025 

The refreshed Centre for Public Policy (CPP) website Kristina worked on is the current CPP website, which was published in Autumn 2025.

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Internship opportunity – Communications Intern 

The Centre for Public Policy is hiring a Communications Intern to start in March 2025. This is open to postgraduate research students in the University of Glasgow College of Social Sciences.  

The intern will join us in the lead up to the Scottish Elections in May 2026, as we work to inform debate and raise the profile of academic expertise and analysis. You’ll support with our communications work, from our blogs and Policy Insights programme to our UofG Spotlight podcast and online and in-person events.  

Applications close Sunday 18 January 2026. 

Find out more and apply

First published: 17 December 2025