ZHAN Wen, Anna (UNDP China, 2025)

Name: Anna Zhan

Degree: MSSc Public Policy

University: The Chinese University of Hong Kong

Position: Hydrogen Economy Fellow

UN Host Agency: United Nations Development Organization

Duration: June 2024 - June 2025 (12 months)

Sponsorship: Peace and Development Foundation (PDF)

Supervisor: Dr. Zhang Weidong

Job Description:

1. Portfolio Programme Development

• Support in drafting necessary documents concerning portfolio programme development, project design and implementation, such as project proposals, concept notes;

• Support in drafting Terms of Reference for project consultants/experts hired on a short-term basis;

• Support the participation and involvement of relevant stakeholders in project activities so that the process is inclusive, participatory and transparent.

2. Project Implementation and Management

• Support the coordination with project personnel and external short-term consultants to drive the project in both substantial and operational issues.

• Support the timeliness as well as timely preparation of reports on achievements and challenges faced within the project.

3. Advocacy, Partnerships, communications, and Resource Mobilization

• Support in projects advocacy, communications/reporting, along with drafting speeches/new releases for various of occasions.

• Support draft analysis and research of information on donors, preparation of substantive briefs

on possible areas of cooperation, identification of opportunities for initiation of new projects,

active contribution to the overall office effort in resource mobilization.

• Support in engagement in partnerships building with stakeholders (UN agencies, NGOs,

government, private sector).

• Support other/ad hoc activities as seen relevant and needed.

Personal Reflection:

During my one-year internship at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) China Office, I engaged deeply in advancing China’s sustainable development through UNDP’s three core pillars, with a concentrated focus on Pillar 1 (People and Prosperity) and its inclusive development agenda. UNDP China’s distinctive role as a "development advisor"—leveraging international expertise and global networks to support China’s low-carbon transition, localization of SDGs, and international cooperation—provided me with a strategic-level platform for practical engagement.

As for specific portfolios, I served for Hydrogen Economy Projects, which is one of the largest scale of projects in UNDP China. These projects are so important that they actually posed stress on me initially when I first came to the UN compound, because I need to learn from scratch to know hydrogen energy industry, which seems utterly incomprehensible for a sociology student like me. Luckily enough, it’s UNDP who introduce hydrogen energy industry to China, so learning the history of the UNDP projects are enough to know the life cycle of the development trajectory of the hydrogen economy.

My most significant growth manifested in two key areas:

First, embracing responsibility enabled my transition from a project executor to a leader. In the initial phase, as a Hydrogen Economy Project Assistant, I systematically mastered end-to-end management of international conferences by supporting preparations for the 2024 Hydrogen Industry Innovation and Development Conference (Rugao FCV Project) and the UNDP Hydrogen Industry Talent Development Summit (Foshan TVET Project). This foundation earned Dr. Zhang’s full trust in 2025, empowering me to independently spearhead the flagship 2025 World Water Day event as Lead Coordinator. I managed invitation and liaison for 50+ government and academic guests, coordinated content for 8 keynote speakers, and oversaw full-scope visual design. Working alongside colleagues until 22:00 the night before to verify every detail culminated in attendance exceeding targets by 120% and high acclaim from participants. This experience exemplified UNDP’s culture of trust-based empowerment and honed my ability to orchestrate complex initiatives under high-pressure conditions.

Second, proactive cross-portfolio engagement allowed me to leverage UNDP’s unique position as the only UN agency covering all 17 SDGs. Under Pillar 1, I contributed to diverse projects including: Rural revitalization initiatives for MSMEs; Women’s entrepreneurship training in Waipula, Yunnan; Movers Youth SDG Innovation Program. Experiencing firsthand how inclusive policies operate at county-level economies, gender equality, and youth innovation. I further expanded into cross-pillar collaboration by participating in the Secretariat’s work on the planet-focused component of the ‘2026-2030 UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework for China’. This multidimensional exposure revealed China’s deep-rooted sustainable development challenges—such as tensions between the silver economy and rural population drain, or cost barriers for SMEs’ green transition—solidifying my career commitment to "inclusive low-carbon transition."

This fellowship allowed me to witness UNDP’s pillar synergy (e.g., hydrogen projects simultaneously advancing talent development and decarbonization) and achieve a conceptual leap from theory to practice. UNDP China’s advisory model for localized transformation taught me that sustainable development transcends abstraction—it materializes through meticulous project design, cross-sector collaboration, and accountability in every initiative. The strategic perspective and operational competencies gained will form the core foundation for my future career in sustainable development.

Counterparts together at the front gate of UNDP China

Conducting field visit to the Rugao FCV town

With Keynote Speakers at 2025 World Water Day

My counterparts at UNDP China