Institute for Governance and Sustainable Development (IGSD), Washington D.C.: October 2, 2019 – February 7, 2020

István’s work at IGSD included website and social media platforms management, various research tasks, participation in webinars, proofreading and editing documents and articles, drafting social media strategies for the organization, and monitoring news related to climate change and environmental policies. István also had the chance to completing online courses on various topics, including ‘Climate Change and Health; ‘Climate Change: The Science and Global Impact’, among others. István also had the chance to attend public hearings, and participate in several roundtable discussions or seminars. István was also instrumental in helping the Coalition with its preparations for the annual Mikulás Dinner and its Annual and Board Meetings.

“The John N. Lauer Leadership Training Program provided a unique opportunity to learn about the American work attitude, society and culture. Besides, it was also a great journey of self- discovery. Summing it up, I would recommend this program to someone who is brave enough to get along on his own in a foreign country and who is keen on discovering a new culture, a way of life, a totally different work attitude and a buzzing professional atmosphere.” 

István Zoltán Bán has recently obtained his undergraduate degree in International Relations from Corvinus University Budapest (Budapest, Hungary). István has strong interests in Hungarian-American relations, and he pursued an internship at the U.S. Embassy in Budapest from September 2018 to March 2019: he spent three months at the Facility Management section and then three months at the Political and Economic section. He has a great interest in getting to know the life stories of Hungarian 56-ers living in the United States. István is interested in U.S.-Hungarian relations, democratic development, international economics, and sustainable development. He speaks English and Spanish on an intermediate level.