Pascal Zimmer

Fellowship

Mercator Fellowship on International Affairs

Period of the Fellowship

2015

Project title

Effective altruism as an evidence-based approach to solve social problems: How to best fight extreme poverty

Project description

The Mercator Fellowship on International Affairs annually sponsors 24 German-speaking young professionals and university graduates from all disciplines who are committed to improving the world of tomorrow. During the 13-month programme, Fellows work in two or three international organizations that are active worldwide – non-governmental or non-profit organizations, or business enterprises. The Fellows’ own practical questions serve as their project proposals and determine their workstations anywhere in the world.

Short biography

Pascal Zimmer holds a Master of Public Policy from the University of Oxford and studied International Relations and Development Studies in Montréal, London and East Africa. He gained professional experience in the German Parliament, the European Parliament and at a GIZ project in Riyadh. More recently, he worked in humanitarian affairs at the EU Delegation to the UN in New York. He also gained work experience at several NGOs focusing on poverty reduction and has co-founded two social enterprises. During his fellowship, Pascal will be exploring how the principles of the effective altruism movement, which uses evidence and science to find the most effective ways to improve the world, can be best applied to fight extreme poverty.