Benjamin Oestericher

he/him/his

Benjamin Oestericher is a graduating senior at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, where he is studying African Studies and International Development. He has diverse academic and internship experience spanning the public sector, nonprofits, and the private sector related to economic development, governance, and peacebuilding. He is currently an intern at the US Agency for International Development, where he supports partnerships with developing countries in leveraging digital technology to improve development outcomes. He also previously interned with the public diplomacy section in the State Department’s Africa Bureau, where he was recognized as an Intern of the Year for his logistical support to President Biden’s US-Africa Leaders Summit. He also has significant experience with peacebuilding, having interned with Mercy Corps’ Peace and Governance unit and served as a Research Assistant with the US Institute of Peace’s inclusive peacebuilding program. He also has grassroots development experience in Africa, including interning in Dar es Salaam with a youth-led Tanzanian development NGO, conducting research fieldwork on climate change in drought-affected agricultural communities in Kenya, and studying development and conducting thesis research on conflict in Cameroon. Ben also has experience with private sector investments in Africa through his internship with the Africa Practice at Albright Stonebridge Group, where he provided geopolitical analysis of real-time developments in African politics and economies across the continent to leading foundation and business clients. Following the Princeton in Africa fellowship, Ben plans to finish graduate study at Georgetown and pursue a career in US-Africa policy.