Profile 7: Renuka Badhe - EPB

Renuka Badhe currently serves as the Executive Secretary of the European Polar Board (EPB), based in the Netherlands, where her role is to guide and implement the EPB’s vision and objectives, oversee communications, and represent EPB at international fora. She holds a PhD on Southern Ocean phytoplankton physiology, and other degrees in environmental sciences, economics and public policy. Renuka has previously worked with organisations such as the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR), the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and the University of Cambridge. She is an advocate for diversity (both gender and geographical) in academia. She is interested in promoting polar research to wide audiences using a variety of traditional and non-traditional communication tools. Renuka has experience with various aspects of polar science, policy and strategy development and the interfaces between them form her principle area of interest. She has been awarded the 2017 APECS International Mentorship Award.

• 1. What are the primary responsibilities and tasks in your current job?

  I am currently (May 2019) working as the Executive Secretary of the European Polar Board. As the Executive Secretary of the EPB, I provide overall strategic guidance and management, develop and implement an annual work programme, best meeting the combined needs of all EPB Members. I have a direct responsibility to the EPB for running the Secretariat and coordinating its activities, providing Secretariat support to both EPB Plenary meetings as well as its Action Groups. In addition to being tasked with raising external funding, I am also responsible for the management and oversight of the EPB finances and to ensure national financial regulations where the Secretariat is based, are followed. I have also coordinated the development of the EPB Strategy and its implementation plan. I have oversight and a shared responsibility with my colleague for the communications activities that the EPB carries out, including particular examples like the EPB – APECS webinar series.

• 2. How did you get this position?

  Short answer: It was open for applications, and I applied, was interviewed and got the job!

  The job advert asked for proven experience in national / international polar programmes/organisations or polar infrastructures; administrative experience; and financial management experience. I showcased a wide ranging experience from my previous jobs, both paid and volunteering opportunities. My previous work experience at the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research, as their Executive Officer, was quite valuable, as was my internship with the International Union on the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The position provided a great opportunity for me to increase my involvement with the Arctic research and policy world. This position with the EPB also provided quite a unique, and rare, opportunity for me in that as the Executive Secretary, I was the coordinator for development of the administrative and legal structures of the EPB as a newly registered Dutch legal entity.

• 3. Had you always intended to pursue a non-academic career? If not, what led you to it?

  I was equally interested in pursuing either career, but was interested in aspects of academia/research and policy advice. In fact, I had decided that whatever stream of work I ended up in, I would try my best to involve the “other” stream – if I had an academic career, I would ensure that I kept involved in the policy advice aspect. If I took up a career in management and policy advice, I would try to remain informed of, and participate in, the science happening in the polar regions.

• 4. What would you have done differently to be better prepared for your current position? Which choices in the past were successful?

  I would have done exactly the same as I have been doing – I try to grab every opportunity to increase my networks, knowledge and experience, even if it seems quite far fetched!

• 5. Are there opportunities in your working place for candidates having a PhD degree?

  In my organisation – the Executive Secretary position becomes available periodically, and there might be some specific vacancies if the EPB have any projects being funded. However, like many other similar organisations, it is a small Secretariat, and such full time job opportunities are few and far between. While these are not specifically for PhDs, the EPB do have frequent opportunities for rapporteurs that we advertise via APECS.

• 6. Do you have any advice for working towards this career?

  Do not consider “networking” as a dirty word – it is you increasing your group of friends and colleagues. My primary goal in networking is never selfish – I want to help connect people who are in need of a specific skill to those who have that skill! In doing so, I have developed this amazing network all round the world - It helps when you know people who work in diverse fields around the globe, and also then others know you! Grab all the opportunities you can – speak to Mentors; attend webinars, and courses, workshops; find opportunities to work with science-policy advice organisations like EPB, IASC, SCAR; utilise the power of social media to ensure you stay up to date with all the science and policy developments in the polar regions.