Ashania Rahmadhani is a second-year MPP student at Harvard Kennedy School. She was accepted into the Growth Lab’s 2026 Summer Internship Program and contributed to the ongoing project in the Kingdom of Morocco.
Why did you apply to the Growth Lab Summer Internship?
The Growth Lab internship satisfied my criteria for a summer internship: 1) a development project on site, 2) new geographical exposure—in this case, Morocco and Africa—and 3) room to integrate my previous backgrounds in engineering, investment, and policy.
What did you work on?
I worked on one of the ongoing joint projects between the Harvard Growth Lab and Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P) on powershoring, which assesses the attractiveness of green energy opportunities in Morocco to invite energy-intensive industries (both from manufacturing and non-manufacturing) to locate and build their operations in the country.
In what ways were you challenged?
There are many interesting aspects that we could deep dive into within a specific industry, let alone multiple industries at the same time, so the scope of the work could become very broad. When I did the industry research, I tried to put myself in the shoes of the broader powershoring research team at the Growth Lab, asking myself multiple times what would be most helpful to move the research forward and fill existing gaps. Identifying your focus early made life much easier.
Another challenge was that I had never learned about Growth Diagnostics in class before this internship. That challenge became an opportunity to explore not only how to translate what I read on paper into the research, but also other potentially alternative/complementary approaches. For example, I used system dynamics to map the interlinkages between different factors in one of the industries I looked into and displayed how they connected with one another.
What was your most exciting/surprising experience?
Immersing myself in a new society and meeting people both within the university complex and outside of it. At the same time, getting to see the different and beautiful landscapes of Morocco made the internship even more memorable.
People were incredibly friendly, warm, and welcoming. There were many occasions when I was welcomed by total strangers in cities I was visiting over tea and Moroccan snacks, and we ended up having meaningful conversations—from understanding the culture and beliefs to discussing living challenges and politics. These experiences built up my perspective on Morocco, not only in terms of its economic priorities, but also the broader social norms and dynamics.
The timing of the internship was also interesting, as it coincided with the World Cup and Morocco made its way to the quarterfinals. Seeing how emotionally tied and connected people were to football, and experiencing the vibrant atmosphere around it, was memorable. I also saw firsthand some of the government infrastructure projects connected to Morocco’s preparations to host the 2030 World Cup.
What advice would you give to future interns?
Taking relevant classes on growth diagnostics before the internship will prepare you with technical skills that can be helpful throughout your internship, so I would really recommend doing so!
I also found that the internship work environment accommodated English-speaking interns well, even as someone with limited French and Arabic. Outside the university, I did not find normal day-to-day conversations to be much of a hassle either. Moroccans in general are known to be multilingual, and many young Moroccans have been learning English. So, do not hesitate to apply if you are worried about the language barrier!
What’s next for you?
The project expanded my view beyond renewable energy and the specific industries we studied. I was particularly drawn to the development of the digital economy in Morocco and Africa more broadly, where the areas I had previously researched can, in a way, play a role as foundational infrastructure. Therefore, I am planning to dig deeper into this topic and explore it further for my final-year PAE.
