Guided by the SFS Career Development Studio, the Graduate Student Union of the SFS held its 20th Career Planning Lecture Series on international internship opportunities on October 16, 2024.

Guest speakers of the lecture include Wang Yubo, Director of the New Youth Global Competence Training Center; Feng Huayu, a student in the MTI English Interpreting program at the SFS; and Jiang Wenxing, a student in the Industrial Design program at the XJTU-POLIMI Joint School. Xu Ming, Deputy Secretary of the SFS Party Committee, and Ji Le, Director of the MTI Education Center, attended the event.

The lecture featured three themed sessions: an experience sharing on the UN Geneva Headquarters Study Program, a briefing of the UN Vienna Headquarters Exchange Program, and a discussion on UNESCO internship opportunities.

UN Geneva Headquarters Study Program

Jiang Wenxing, leveraged her experience in the UN Geneva Headquarters Study Program and explained the program's application process (including submission of applications and selection interviews) and its key components. Jiang indicated that lectures and exchanges provided invaluable insights into international organizations and offered a new perspective on the UN’s daily operations. Her sojourn abroad cultivated an appreciation for both science and culture, and broadened her global perspective. During the Q&A session, Jiang highlighted both the opportunities and challenges of the program.

UN Vienna Headquarters Exchange Program

Wang Yubo provided a comprehensive overview of the "United Nations Office at Vienna Field Exchange Program", outlining its background, content, features, potential benefits, and application procedures. This program encompasses site visits to the UN Office at Vienna, interactions with international organizations, GTG Role Play, specialized workshops, a United Nations career development seminar, and urban field studies. Wang encouraged students to proactively engage in real-world practice, and seize opportunities to amplify the voice of Chinese youth and channel their energy toward global progress.

UNESCO Internship Program

As a CSC-sponsored intern at UNESCO, Feng Huayu outlined the organization’s mail area of work, programs, departments, services, and hierarchical structure, with particular emphasis on his work at UNESCO's Section for the Elimination of Doping in Sport. Feng further elucidated the benefits within the UN system and diverse ingress routes such as the YPP and JPO schemes. He outlined three key considerations in UN recruitment policies: professional competence, equitable geographical distribution based on member states' assessed contributions and demographic factors, as well as balanced gender parity and age diversity. Feng also highlighted key assessment criteria in UN interviews, including language proficiency, past experiences, professional background, task execution capability, organizational awareness, and values. In closing, he underscored the need to safeguard national interests and project a positive national image whilst interning at international organizations.

This lecture gave attendees a clear overview of international internship programs and illuminated prospective pathways for students aspiring to engage in international endeavors. Furthermore, it called on students to cultivate correct values, represent China positively on the world stage and contribute to global development.