MIS Alum Rinat Kapev: Mobilizing Aid for the United Nations

Rinat Kapev (MIS ’20) is a Resource Mobilization and Monitoring Associate at the FAO-United Nations. He works at the Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia in Budapest, Hungary. We recently caught up with Rinat to ask about his career in international development.

Rinat is responsible for mobilizing and managing resources from donors to their projects in Central Asia to allow effective and in-time project implementation. A typical day also involves the constant monitoring of deliverables for programs in Central Asia. “At the regional office, professionals multitask and support other teams as needed,” Rinat said. “For instance, I recently helped with the organization and facilitation of the Regional Conference for Europe that included delegates from 51 countries, 31 honorable ministers and deputy ministers, and heads of private and international organizations.”

Rinat graduated from NC State with a master’s degree in international studies. He was a 2018-20 Fulbright graduate student fellow from Russia. As part of his MIS degree program he earned certificates in leadership development and cross-cultural competence from NC State and took five classes at Duke University through our inter-institutional partnership.

“An advanced graduate degree in international studies is valued in the international relations sphere. All the classroom discussions, case studies, lectures, readings, and tons of writing assignment equipped me with necessary critical thinking, writing, and analytical skills, which I constantly use in my current job.”

In 2020, Rinat completed a summer internship at the World Bank Headquarters as an Edmund S. Muskie Fellow. While there, he worked on programs that reduced extreme poverty and promoted shared prosperity.

“I had previous experience working in research, trade, and consulting, and I have been always interested in international relations and development. My passion for international development stems from the desire to promote well-being for all people in the world.”

At the World Bank, Rinat worked with the Doing Business Unit, which provided objective measures of business regulations and their enforcement across 190 economies. The team collected and analyzed comprehensive quantitative data to compare business regulation environments across economies.

His advice to current students interested in international development work is to use as many professional development opportunities as possible.

“NC State offers plenty of training courses, workshops, and contact with professional development experts. Also, learn languages and try to be involved in international projects such as study abroad programs or international clubs at NC State. International development organizations value languages and international experience.”

Rinat also started his career planning well before graduation, applying to a variety of positions six to nine months before his program ended. “The international relations sphere is complicated and the recruitment process can take a long time.” Rinat dedicated an hour a day for job searching and applications.

“Polish your resume and cover letter and always adjust them to the specific job application. Each application must be relevant and perfect. It is time-consuming but essential part of a successful job hunting.”

While Rinat brought a wealth of experience to his MIS cohort at NC State, he also took advantage of the flexibility and many opportunities his program offered. We look forward to following his career and his contributions to the field of international development.