Kuba Baliszewski
Master of Public Policy, Class of 2027
Hometown: Egg Harbor Township, NJ
After finishing his undergraduate degree in Florida, Kuba Baliszewski wanted to find his way back to New Jersey.
Originally interested in international affairs, he developed a strong interest in advocacy and lobbying. Internships helped him set his sights on government affairs, with graduate school as a natural next step. “I felt a master’s program in public policy would be the best way to prepare and position myself for where I want to be in the future.”
“Rutgers offers an outstanding program with professors with real-world experience and countless opportunities, along with generous financial aid and scholarship support,” he said. “The Bloustein School also has an incredible alumni network that extends throughout New Jersey and beyond.”
Now a Master of Public Policy student pursuing a certificate in Energy, Workforce, & Technology Policy Advocacy, Bloustein’s alumni network has turned out to be more than a selling point. “During my internships, I met Bloustein alumni across a variety of organizations and often worked alongside fellow students and colleagues who are graduates of the program, which has demonstrated just how strong and far-reaching the school’s professional network is.”
Currently a Government Affairs Intern with the New Jersey Business and Industry Association (NJBIA), his responsibilities include tracking and analyzing state legislation, attending legislative committee hearings in Trenton, and monitoring regulatory developments across key policy areas, including taxation, technology, energy, and workforce development to inform advocacy strategy.
“A lot of my work involves conducting in-depth quantitative and qualitative policy and economic research to support legislative advocacy initiatives and organizational reporting,” he continued. “I recently contributed to NJBIA’s 2026 Regional Business Climate Analysis and the FocusNJ ‘Missed Opportunities’ Analysis.”
With so much of his internship experience focusing on data analysis, it’s not surprising that in the classroom one of Kuba’s favorite courses has been Survey Research. “Learning where the data comes from and how it is collected in a social science context has been incredibly interesting,” he said, “The course has also made me much more thoughtful and discerning about the data and sources I use in my work as well as better understand how important arguments are formatted in reports.”
Looking ahead, Kuba sees himself staying in government affairs, ideally in-house at a technology, energy, or even major hospitality company. “I think it could be an exciting way to transition into global affairs, working on government relations and public policy for a company with an international presence and on a global scale.”
His advice to prospective students comes from personal experience: talk to the people who’ve lived it. “Reach out to current or former students. Everyone is friendly and genuinely happy to help, and they can share valuable tips and insights to help you make the most of your experience and answer any questions you may have directly from people who have the experience.”
In his free time, he enjoys reading thrillers and mystery novels, is an aspiring novelist, and a committed traveler. With more than 30 countries under his belt, he’s rarely without a next trip in mind. “You’ll almost always find me planning my next adventure as I believe seeing the world, learning about new cultures, and especially trying new foods is incredibly important to being well-rounded.”