Deadline: 28 February 2025
The United Nations is requesting applications for its Graduate Study Programme, an intensive two-week summer seminar that provides an opportunity for participants to deepen their understanding of the United Nations and “International Geneva” through lectures, research, work in groups, visits to institutions, and networking.
The Programme will consist of morning lectures given by representatives of the United Nations, other international organizations, civil sector, and diplomats; workshops; visits to institutions; and work on group projects in the afternoons. Students will be divided into several working groups which will research different aspects of the Pact for the Future and its annexes and explore the overall way forward at a time when the multilateral system is facing numerous challenges. This research and drafting process will be student-led, with limited support from facilitators.
The Programme will be very intensive, with an average time commitment of eight to ten hours per day over the course of ten days. While participation in the Programme is free of charge, participants will be expected to cover their own expenses of visa, travel, board, and lodging in Geneva. The United Nations Office at Geneva is in no position to provide scholarships or arrange for sponsorships.
Theme
- The 63rd Graduate Study Programme will be held in Geneva, Switzerland from 30 June to 11 July 2025 under the theme: “UN80: United for a Better Future” and will focus on the implementation of the historic pact for the future in the year when the United Nations turns 80.
Eligibility Criteria
- The Graduate Study Programme is open to all currently enrolled graduate students, who are between 22 and 32 years of age, are not employed full time, and are fluent in both written and spoken English. Knowledge of French is an advantage.
- Candidates are discouraged from using AI-enabled tools such as Chat GPT to draft their motivation letters or other parts of their applications. Candidates are required to indicate clearly if they have in fact used AI-enabled tools and for what purpose.
Selection Criteria
- In selecting participants, the Selection Committee will consider academic qualifications of the applicants, their extracurricular activities and achievements, relevant professional experience, languages spoken, as well as the applicants’ motivation, while trying to ensure fair gender and regional balance.
- All candidates will be informed of the results in the first week of April 2025. Candidates are thus asked not to inquire about their application status until then. All decisions by the Selection Committee are final.
For more information, visit United Nations.
