Development Cooperation Internship at UNDP
UNDP works in about 170 countries and territories, helping to achieve the eradication of poverty, and the reduction of inequalities and exclusion.
We help countries to develop policies, leadership skills, partnering abilities, institutional capabilities and build resilience in order to sustain development results.
UNDP is working to strengthen new frameworks for development, disaster risk reduction and climate change.
We support countries’ efforts to achieve the new Sustainable Development Goals, which will guide global development priorities through 2030.
The key 2030 Agenda principle of leaving no one behind and stamping out inequality is at the core of everything we do.
UNDP focuses on helping countries build and share solutions in three main areas:
- Sustainable development
- Democratic governance and peacebuilding
- Climate and disaster resilience
INTERNSHIP OFFICE BACKGROUND
The UNDP Seoul Policy Centre (USPC), established in 2011, represents UNDP in the Republic of Korea (ROK), works with the ROK on international development priorities, and shares development experience and technical expertise of the ROK with other countries. It is one of UNDP’s seven global policy centres.
USPC works as a facilitator of innovative development cooperation for the achievement of the SDGs in four thematic areas of i) development cooperation modalities and approaches, ii) governance and gender, iii) green recovery and transition, and iv) private sector engagement and development.
Development Cooperation Internship at UNDP
Building on the unique development experience of the Republic of Korea and UNDP’s wide Global Policy Network, USPC facilitates knowledge exchanges of SDG-enabling development solutions in the above-mentioned thematic areas through its signature ‘SDG Partnership’ country-support programme and other initiatives, and brokers partnerships between Korea and other countries to help tackle development challenges.
The Centre’s development cooperation work is an integral component of USPC’s programmatic work, and aims to i) identify, implement and disseminate practices and lessons learned as to how development cooperation could be undertaken better and ii) build and strengthen relations with Korean and other international development cooperation actors to establish innovative partnerships that address shared challenges such as achieving digital transformation and green transition.
USPC offers a small group of outstanding final year undergraduate students, graduate students, and recent graduates the opportunity to acquire direct exposure to UNDP’s work and gain technical knowledge and experience in international development and multilateral cooperation.
Competencies
COMPETENCIES
General:
- Takes initiative and works independently with minimum supervision;
- Upholds highest standards of integrity, discretion, and loyalty;
- Shows excellent organizational, interpersonal, communication, and administrative skills;
- Able to multitask, balance multiple responsibilities, and meet deadlines;
- Shows commitment to UNDP’s vision, mission, and strategic goals;
- Able to work in a multicultural environment and be aware of political sensitivities.
Communication Skills:
- Speaks and write clearly and effectively;
- Listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others, and responds appropriately;
- Asks questions to receive further clarity on requests and exhibits interest in having two-way communication;
- Tailors language, tone, style, and format to match the audience.
Teamwork:
- Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational and unit goals;
- Solicits input by genuinely valuing others’ ideas and expertise and willingness to learn from others.
Required Skills and Experience
REQUIRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE
Education:
Applicants to this Internship programme must, at the time of application, meet one of the following requirements:
- currently in the final year of a Bachelor’s degree;
- currently enrolled in a Master’s or PhD degree;
- have graduated no longer than 1 year ago from a bachelor’s or master’s degree or equivalent studies.
Field of study: Development studies, international relations, economics, politics, environmental studies, or other relevant fields of study.
Experience:
- Familiarity with basic aspects of project management is desirable;
- Familiarity with issues related to broader development cooperation issues and/or the sectoral areas of green transition and digitalization is desirable;
- Experience writing analytical pieces on relevant issues is highly desirable;
- Proficiency or prior experience in using Zoom and other digital tools would be preferable;
- Prior experience with the multilateral system or with a bilateral donor agency is desirable;
- Familiarity with artificial intelligence and automation such as GPT-4 to generate ideas, analyze and summarize large amounts of data is desirable;
- Knowledge in programming languages such as Python, R, and SQL is an asset.
Languages:
- Fluency in oral and written English is required;
- Fluency in oral and written Korean is a major asset;
- Knowledge of another UN language is also an asset.