My secondment took place at the World Resources Forum Association (WRFA), located in St. Gallen, Switzerland. The placement lasted for a period of three months, beginning on April 14, 2025, and concluding on July 13, 2025. The WRFA, known for its contribution to global discourse on sustainable resource management, provided an intellectually stimulating setting that aligned closely with my research interests in environmental health, circular economy initiatives, and hazardous waste governance.
During the secondment, I had the opportunity to contribute to several ongoing initiatives that complemented my academic and professional trajectory. My work involved conducting an economic assessment for the treatment of contaminated plastics, a task that required evaluating cost structures, treatment efficiencies, and potential value-recovery pathways in support of circular economy strategies. I also undertook literature research on e-waste–related issues, focusing on policy frameworks, and environmental health implications. In addition, I prepared a literature review on regulations and standards governing the circularity of medical waste within the European Union, analyzing how existing policies either facilitate or restrict the recovery and recycling of healthcare-generated materials.
Through these activities, I gained and strengthened several key skills. First, I refined my ability to perform multidisciplinary economic analyses by integrating environmental science, safety assessment, and resource-management perspectives into cost-benefit assessment models. Second, I enhanced my policy-analysis and regulatory-research capabilities, particularly in understanding the interplay between environmental regulations and circular economy objectives. Third, the experience deepened my expertise in systematic literature synthesis, enabling me to extract and interpret scientific and policy-relevant information across diverse sources. Equally important, working in an international, multi-stakeholder context improved my communication and collaboration skills, especially in translating technical findings into formats suitable for policy makers, industry actors, and research partners.
The secondment was both enriching and revealing. One surprising aspect was the complexity of aligning circularity goals with existing regulatory frameworks, particularly in the case of medical waste, where safety requirements often limit recycling opportunities. Navigating these tensions underscored the importance of evidence-based policy design. Another challenge involved the variability and fragmentation of data on contaminated plastics and e-waste, which required careful methodological choices to ensure robust and defensible analyses. Despite these challenges, the experience broadened my understanding of how scientific research contributes to practical decision-making at the international level and reinforced my commitment to advancing sustainable and health-protective resource management solutions.
I also had the privilege of visiting the Abbey Library of St. Gallen, one of the oldest and most remarkable libraries in the world. The visit offered an enriching cultural and historical perspective, as the library’s exquisite architectural heritage and vast collection of ancient manuscripts provided a profound appreciation for the long-standing traditions of knowledge preservation and scholarly advancement.
Overall, the secondment at the World Resources Forum Association provided an invaluable opportunity for professional growth, skill development, and meaningful contribution to initiatives at the intersection of environmental sustainability, circular economy, and public health.