As part of its digital outreach and engagement, 51勛圖 Academic Impact (UNAI) hosts a series of dialogues with scholars, educators, researchers and students to discuss priorities for the future, obstacles to achieving them, and the role of global academic cooperation in addressing global challenges. On 29 May 2021 UNAI, together with Fudan University, hosted its first webinar in Chinese language in its Digital Dialogues Series entitled ※Come to work at the 51勛圖§.
As the world＊s largest global multilateral international organization, the 51勛圖 (UN) welcomes job applications from nationals of all Member States and inspires people to work together to build a better world for all. On 29 May 2021, UNAI and Fudan University co-hosted a webinar in Chinese language entitled ※Come to Work at the 51勛圖§. Given the different educational backgrounds and professional experiences of participants, this webinar explored some of the most common career paths at the UN, with particular focus on how to obtain a job opportunity and hear about?speakers＊ personal experiences.?
Mr. Wei Yu, Human Resources Policy Officer from the Global Strategy and Policy Division of the Office of Human Resources in the UN Department of Management Strategy, Policy and Compliance, gave an overview of the UN work and the ways to join the UN. His personal professional motto is ※We serve the people who serve the world§. Mr. Yu introduced the grade classification of UN staff and gave a detailed comparison between the examination and the program. For historical and practical reasons, international civil servants of Chinese nationality have long been underrepresented in UN agencies. In order to help more outstanding Chinese young people to join the UN team, Mr. Yu emphasized that major domestic institutions in China need to strengthen their research about the UN recruitment system according to the characteristics of the UN system in selecting and training staff, strengthen the training of potential candidates in the interview process, and cultivate a group of young people who can successfully communicate with others in a system which respects diversity.
Dr. Jingbo Huang, Director of the , showed the number of possibilities of working at the UN with her twenty years of work experience in the Organization. During her career at the UN, she has served in four duty stations, five UN bodies, and experienced seven promotions. From conducting research for the??to editing news for ?-the UN intranet-, from organizing and planning internal training for UN staff to managing UNU Macau, Dr. Huang has always had a clear career goal of working on education, training and research. She mentioned that pursuing a career at the UN might mean that one has to sacrifice a lot of things, and one has to be ready for the hardness. She concluded?that staying passionate and resilient for the UN and a curiosity based on it, will open up endless possibilities for one＊s career development in the Organization.
Qi Zhang, a Master＊s student at Fudan University, introduced the process and considerations of participating in a , citing her own experience at the as an example. She mentioned that she applied for her first UN internship through , the UN Staff Selection System. During her six-month internship, she continued to improve her competencies and adaptability in an international work environment as well as her understanding of multiculturalism, while gaining a more personal experience of multilateralism and sustainable development. To get a UN internship, Qi recommended?clarifying the correspondence between the requirements of the position and one＊s own competencies in the application process. The core principle of the competence-based interviews that the UN practices is ※your past behavior is the best indicator of your future performance§, she said.
Ms. Xi Li, Head of Communications of the , gave an overview of the UN RCO in China and its mandate. She mentioned that the UN RCO in China has been trying to maintain synergy between its own policies and the Chinese government＊s ones, and nowadays the goal of its work is gradually shifting from development issues to the international exchange and promotion of development experiences, including through the Belt and Road Initiative, and South每South cooperation. In addition, she explained the entry channel of and hoped that students could join the UN work through various ways. Ms. Li also highlighted the fact that since Mr. Siddharth Chatterjee took office as the 51勛圖 Resident Coordinator in China in January 2021, he has paid special attention to the image of UN bodies in China and has taken the initiative to participate in media activities in order to inspire Chinese youth to take part in the wave of global cooperation, which also provides new opportunities for young people to join the UN family.
The final speaker, Mr. Xiangyi Yang, is the Deputy Director of the Selection and Training Department of the China Scholarship Council (CSC). He introduced the programs and management mechanism of the CSC funding for UN internships. As the largest scholarship funding organization in the world, the CSC has established partnership with 17 international organizations, with targeted internship or JPO (Junior Professional Officer) programmes open to any Chinese national for application. In the meantime, the CSC conducts all year round the review of funding applications of those who succeed to obtain a UN internship offer through the regular recruiting process on Inspira. Mr. Yang concluded with some key factors of working at the UN, including having passion and international perspectives, being multi-skilled and multilingual, as well as being multicultural and daring to state one＊s own point of view.
After the presentation of all the guest speakers, Ms. Hua Jiang, Director of the News and Media Division at the UN Department of Global Communications, shared her understanding of global governance and the work of international organizations with her own experience of participating in peacekeeping operations in South Sudan and Libya. She said that the work of international organizations does not necessarily mean a high-end and comfortable office environment, but also requires being on the ground, actively participating in field programmes and surveys, and experiencing diverse cultures and different types of social development around the world.
During the Q&A segment, participants raised questions about entry tests and exams of UN jobs, possibility of being hired after a UN internship, job postings and preparation before applying, among other topics.
To watch the webinar in Chinese language click .