Altiorem welcomes you to the next post within a regular series where we profile the inspiring and generous people who are making Altiorem possible.
We are excited to introduce our intern profile on the amazing Ksenija Rykina-Tameeva.
Tell us a bit about yourself?
I am currently studying a Bachelor of Business at the University of Technology Sydney, majoring in Economics and sub majoring in Economics and Management Consulting. In my free time, I love going to the beach and watching movies.
What attracted you to Altiorem?
I am very passionate about all things sustainability and the environment and wanted to learn more about how this could be linked to what I am studying at university. I also saw that there was a gap in my education about these issues only having studied two subjects on these topics.
I was also drawn to how Altiorem was a not-for-profit organisation wanting to enact real change in the finance world, and it was a change that I wanted to be a part of.
How have you found the experience? How was it relevant to your studies?
I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at Altiorem as it gave me the opportunity to learn more about sustainability issues in the finance world focusing on diversification and qualitative analysis. It also allowed me to further develop my writing skills which I will carry on with throughout the rest of my university studies and into my professional life. The research papers that I summarised and organisation profiles that I completed have provided a more diverse understanding of issues facing the finance world.
I also worked on an organisation outreach project which was a new experience. I worked both independently and collaboratively to think up a new process to reach out to the organisations whose research is profiled on Altiorem. This involved brainstorming ideas and processes with the team, which I found very enjoyable and beneficial to design an efficient and smooth process. The individual work that I completed involved drafting emails and creating decision trees to visually explain the process so that any Altiorem staff member can execute the process.
My time at Altiorem was very relevant to my current studies at UTS, as the research summaries were covering both financial and economic concepts that I have been learning about for the past three years at university. It was also really interesting to see these concepts applied in the real world and how they can be used to create a more sustainable future in the finance world.
The organisation outreach project allowed me to hone my team working skills which is something that is very relevant to my studies as I often complete group assignments.
What is the most interesting piece of research you have come across?
The most interesting piece of research I came across is Financial services and modern slavery: practical responses for managing risk to people by KPMG and the Australian Human Rights Commission.
I found this paper very interesting as prior to reading it, I wouldn’t have associated modern slavery with the financial services sector. The paper outlined various threats that the industry could be facing, and provided frameworks on how best to mitigate these risks. The paper provided several examples of modern slavery occurring in the supply chains of the financial services industry, which could be any organisation outsourcing some of its processes to countries that have poor working conditions. I didn’t realise how widespread the issue was and I found that the studies and guidelines included proved to be very insightful for me.
Along with this research summary, I completed an organisation profile on the Australian Human Rights Commission, which involved learning more about the services that this organisation provides. This drew my attention to many other human rights violations that occur in Australia and what Australia is doing to prevent these violations and protect these people.
What would you say to other people thinking about contributing to Altiorem?
I would definitely encourage anyone to take on an internship or become a contributor at Altiorem. The team is amazing to work with, and they are always ready to help whenever you need it. They are always there to support you and your work and have such great energy and are all passionate about the work that they are doing.
There is a research paper for everyone in the Altiorem library, so you can focus on topics that you are passionate about. You really do learn a lot by completing the research summaries and organisation profiles and learn skills which will be needed throughout your life.
Altiorem is always looking for sustainability enthusiasts like Ksenija. If you would like to help build Altiorem please contact us here.
Become a member today! Head over to Altiorem and stay up to date with sustainable finance research.
