Intern – Communication Affairs

The internship at the Asian and Pacific Centre for Transfer of Technology is for a minimum of two months with an opportunity to extend it for not more than six months, if required by APCTT.

Duties and Responsibilities

The intern will work with the designated staff of the Asian and Pacific Centre for Transfer of Technology (APCTT) in supporting the implementation of the Centre’s substantive work programme. The work programme broadly involves developing and promoting regional mechanisms and platforms on transfer of technologies (especially new and emerging technologies such as climate technologies, renewable energy, artificial intelligence and climate resilient infrastructure); organising knowledge sharing and capacity building events with policymakers, experts and research institutions in the above areas; and carrying out analytical work to assist ESCAP member States in the following areas: Climate Change, Environment, Innovation, Sustainable Development, Environmental journalism, International Relations related to science and technology, innovation, entrepreneurship. The intern will support the implementation of the organization’s strategies in the above areas including working on communication products in the above areas. The intern will work with APCTT team to shape, package, and deliver knowledge products that drive further recognition for APCTT’s work. The nature of the work that would be assigned to an intern would depend on the intern’s academic and professional background and his/her area of interest meeting the requirements of the work programme of the Centre. The interns will be provided with specific TOR (terms of reference) relevant to the particular programme area assigned to them. The internship is UNPAID and full-time. Interns work five days per week (35 hours) under the supervision of a staff member in the department or office to which they are assigned. Responsibilities Daily responsibilities will depend on the individual’s background and the intern’s assigned office as well as the internship period. Duties may include, but are not limited to the following: The work programme of ESCAP-APCTT covers analytical and normative work, policy support and advocacy, technical assistance and capacity building activities. Learning Opportunities during the course of internship: ESCAP-APCTT provides interns with an opportunity to enhance their understanding of:

• Challenges related to the national innovation systems in countries in the Asia Pacific region;
• the processes of regional and multilateral cooperation;
• mandates and operations of United Nations in developing countries as well as in countries with special needs in its efforts to provide policy advice, capacity building and platform for governments for achieving SDGs.

Under immediate supervision, the intern is responsible for contributing to the technical cooperation project(s) related to the work programme of ESCAP-APCTT for the implementation of the SDGs. The topic of the project will depend on the intern’s background, skills, and interest. Other duties may include undertaking the following:

• Support in organisation of innovation challenges and events
• Support the knowledge management and communications functions of the organisation.
• Develop ideas to improve and make the technology database on the website more interactive and real-time.
• Create engaging social media content and explore new digital tools of better outreach
• Provide administrative, organizational and conference management support for ESCAP-APCTT events
• Other activities as may be decided by the supervisor Competencies
• Research skills, especially the ability to search for suitable material from the internet and other sources, collate texts into usable forms and prepare presentations.
• Communication: Ability to draft clearly and concisely, good written and oral language skills.
• Teamwork: Good interpersonal skills, ability to work collaboratively with colleagues from different national and cultural backgrounds to achieve organizational goals.
• Client Orientation: Considers all those to whom services are provided to be ‘clients’ and seeks to see things from clients’ point of view.
• Planning & Organizing: Allocates appropriate amount of time and resources for completing work and monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary
• Creativity: Keen attention to detail and excellent multi-media production skills Work Experience Applicants are not required to have professional work experience for participation in the programme but shall be computer literate in standard software applications. Familiarity with science, technology and innovation, renewable energy, climate change, artificial intelligence and related issues is desirable. Data handling skills and skills in using spreadsheets, Excel is also an asset. Assessment Potential candidates will be contacted by the hiring manager directly for further consideration Special Notice A completed online application (Cover Note and Candidate Profile) is required. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed.
• The Cover Note must include: Degree Programme (What is the current field of study or what was the field of study (for applicants who already graduated?)
• Graduation date (When will the applicant graduate or when did the applicant graduate from the programme?)
• List of the IT skills and programmes that the applicant is proficient in
• List of top three areas of interest of the candidate
• Explanation on why the candidate consider most suitable candidate for this specific internship
• Explanation of your interest in the United Nations Internship Programme In the online Candidate Profile, applicants must include all past work experiences, IT skills, and three references. Please note that due to the large number of applicants, it is not possible to reply to each application and that only short-listed applicants will be contacted for further consideration.

Qualifications/special skills

To qualify for an internship with the United Nations Internship Programme, applicants must meet one or more of the following requirements:

• be enrolled in, or have completed, a graduate school programme (second university degree or equivalent, or higher) in Climate Change, Environment, Innovation, Sustainable Development, Environmental journalism, International Relations related to science and technology, or any other related area; or
• be enrolled in, or have completed, the final academic year of a first university degree programme (minimum bachelor’s degree or equivalent); and
• the candidate is expected to have a good understanding of climate technologies; experience of web based research, excellent written communication and networking skills.

Languages

• English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. Fluency in spoken and written English is required for the internship. Knowledge of an additional official UN language is an asset. Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish are the official languages of the United Nations Secretariat.

Source:https://careers.un.org/jobSearchDescription/236691?language=en