Hidden assets: Young Professionals in Knowledge Networks

The report examines how young professionals—including graduate students, interns, and young employees—contribute to and benefit from knowledge networks dedicated to sustainable development. It argues that while youth bring critical ICT skills and fresh perspectives, they are often relegated to technical roles and excluded from strategic decision-making due to a lack of experience and organizational hierarchies. The document provides specific recommendations for network managers, funders, and young professionals to better integrate youth into the leadership and research processes of these networks.

• Young professionals provide three primary benefits to knowledge networks: they support and invigorate substantive research, strengthen internal processes and multisectoral interactions, and enhance the use of information and communications technologies (ICTs).
• Youth participants often act as a 'litmus test' for the relevance of a network's research, as they are the generation that will carry the work forward into the future.
• Young professionals possess a 'knowledge advantage' in ICTs, allowing them to reverse traditional knowledge transfer by training older staff in e-mail use and Internet searching, particularly in developing countries.
• Participation in knowledge networks accelerates professional development for youth by building project management and leadership skills, improving access to research funding (especially for graduate students), and broadening their perspectives on sustainable development.
• A significant constraint is the tendency of network managers to relegate young professionals to technical positions, assuming they are incapable of more substantive contributions.
• Young professionals face systemic barriers to decision-making; interns and students are rarely involved in strategic planning or the design of projects, often only entering a project after the primary proposal is funded.
• Short-term contracts for interns and students hinder their ability to develop the trust and deep understanding of network history required for strategic involvement.
• Personal financial constraints, including student loans and low compensation for internships, prevent many young people from participating in knowledge networks or lead them to seek more lucrative private sector employment.
• The report recommends that network managers implement peer-matching and mentorship programs to bridge the gap between senior members and junior professionals.
• Funders are encouraged to require well-defined roles for young professionals as a condition of grants for knowledge network proposals.

APA

Cole, V., Buckler, C., Creech, H., & Willard, T. (2001). Hidden assets: Young Professionals in Knowledge Networks. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/networks_youth_networks.pdf

Chicago

Cole, Victoria, Carolee Buckler, Heather Creech, and Terri Willard. Hidden assets: Young Professionals in Knowledge Networks. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2001. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/networks_youth_networks.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Cole |first1=Victoria |last2=Buckler |first2=Carolee |last3=Creech |first3=Heather |last4=Willard |first4=Terri |title=Hidden assets: Young Professionals in Knowledge Networks |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=2001 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/networks_youth_networks.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{cole2001hidden, author = {Cole, Victoria and Buckler, Carolee and Creech, Heather and Willard, Terri}, title = {{Hidden assets: Young Professionals in Knowledge Networks}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2001}, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/networks_youth_networks.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }