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SIPA Students Will Spend “A Day at the UN”
Several dozen SIPA students will get a unique, insider’s glance at the day-to-day operations of the United Nations, by spending an entire day with a UN department, agency, program, or fund.
“A Day at the UN: A View from Inside” is a new program launched by SIPA’s United Nations Studies Program. Ninety-five SIPA students applied for the opportunity; 40 were selected.
Students will be placed in one of the following UN offices: Office of the Secretary General, Peacekeeping, Political Affairs, Mediation, Security Council, Public Administration, Peacebuilding Support, Administration and Management, Economic and Social Affairs, UN Women, UNDP, UNICEF, UNIFEM, and UNFPA.
Students will shadow a UN staff member as he/she participates in meetings, briefings, teleconferences with the field, and other activities and will gain a sense of a typical day in a chosen office.
On April 6, 2011, students will share their experience with the SIPA community at a panel discussion to be organized by the United Nations Studies Program.
“A Day at the UN: A View from Inside” is one of two initiatives launched this year by Professor Elisabeth Lindenmayer, director of the United Nations Studies Program. The other is “Insights into the UN: Interviews with SIPA Alumni.”
Both programs are in response to SIPA students’ requests to gain a better understanding of the realities of working within the United Nations. Both activities offer students a chance to have insider access into the UN and provide them with valuable networking opportunities. These initiatives will also foster a better understanding of the inner workings and culture of a multilateral organization.
Professor Lindenmayer served the United Nations in several capacities for nearly 30 years, most recently as assistant secretary general under Kofi Annan, where she was one of his closest advisors.
United Nations Studies Program/Alex Burnett, January 24, 2011