Title: Basic Education Intern
Location: Copenhagen, Denmark
Duration: 01/08/2024 to 31/01/2025 (with possibility of extension)
UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is offering a full-time internship with the Education Section under the Division of Resilience and Solutions at UNHCR Copenhagen.
Established in December 1950, UNHCR is a global organization dedicated to saving lives, protecting rights and building a better future for asylum seekers, refugees, returnees, internally displaced communities and stateless people. Every year, millions of men, women and children are forced to flee their homes to escape conflict and persecution. UNHCR currently operates in over 130 countries, using its long expertise to protect and care for millions.
Organizational Context
This exciting internship is a unique opportunity for someone wishing to gain exposure to the leading agency on refugee education and to sharpen their professional skills. As a member of the Education Section, the selected individual will have the opportunity to help support ground-breaking programmes that help enable education access for refugees around the world.
Education is an integral part of protection for persons of concern to UNHCR, over 50% of whom are children. The Division of Resilience and Solutions (DRS), in close collaboration with Regional Bureaux and the Division of Programme Support and Management, is working on an integrated and holistic approach to support locations in implementing the policies and guidelines on education, children, gender equality and community-based protection. In support of this, DRS provides operational support, policy direction, and strategic guidance to field operations.
Refugee Education 2030, the overarching strategy for refugee inclusion, emphasizes the importance of lifelong learning, partnerships, and learning achievement. The Strategy also emphasizes the need to increase access to quality primary, secondary and tertiary education. Since that time, specific technical support has been provided to a group of priority countries, including regular missions, communication, and participation in workshops to support the development of national education strategies.
The position
The Basic Education Intern will support the Education team with several important aspects related to the technical support to country operations as well as advocacy and policy development. In the course of their internship they will acquire the following:
• Knowledge on UNHCR’s activities in the field on primary, secondary and tertiary education;
• Knowledge on UNHCR’s education policies (including Refugee Education 2030) and their implementation in field operations;
• Experience of coordination, data collection and report drafting.
Duties and responsibilities
• Assisting the Education Section to provide support to country-level programming and strategy implementation, particularly in basic education (primary and secondary education (estimated 80%) and education in emergencies (estimated 20%);
• Supporting the Education Section to develop strategic policy guidance on refugee education;
• Supporting the Education Section with advocacy for refugee education at a global level.
Areas of work may be adapted during the internship to better fit the intern’s interests and profile as well as the Education Section’s needs.
Eligibility
In order to be considered for an internship, candidates must meet the following eligibility criteria:
• Be either a recent graduate (having completed their studies within two years of applying) or a current student in a graduate/undergraduate school programme from a university or higher education facility accredited by IAU/UNESCO; and
• Have completed at least two years of undergraduate studies in a field relevant or of interest to the work of UNHCR.
NOTE: An individual whose father, mother, son, daughter, brother or sister is a staff member of UNHCR, including a Temporary Appointment holder or a member of the Affiliate Workforce, is not eligible for an internship.
Desirable qualifications and skills
The ideal candidate will:
• Have excellent knowledge of English (written/oral/comprehension) with developed writing skills.
• Have a background in education, development cooperation and/or humanitarian assistance.
• Have strong organization and analytical skills.
• Have excellent communication skills.
• Have proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
Location and Conditions
The successful candidate will be based with the team at UN City in Copenhagen, Denmark.
The internship is for six months, with the possibility of extension to eight months, and the expected start date is 1 August 2024. This is a full-time role with working hours starting from 8.30am to 5:00pm Monday to Friday (40 hours per week).
Shortlisted candidates might be required to sit for a written test. Only shortlisted candidates will be notified. No late applications will be accepted.
For non-EU candidates, D-visa needs to be obtained prior to traveling to Denmark which could takes up to 8 weeks. The office will provide assistance on visa-related issues.
Allowance: Interns who do not receive financial support from an outside party will receive an allowance to partially help to cover the cost of food, local transportation and living expenses.
Unless provided or paid by their sponsoring entities, UNHCR reimburses interns’ travel costs to/from the duty station.
The UNHCR workforce consists of many diverse nationalities, cultures, languages and opinions. UNHCR seeks to sustain and strengthen this diversity to ensure equal opportunities as well as an inclusive working environment for its entire workforce. Applications are encouraged from all qualified candidates without distinction on grounds of race, colour, sex, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation and gender identity.
UNHCR does not charge a fee at any stage of its recruitment process (application, interview, meeting, travelling, processing or training).
We welcome applications from candidates with a refugee or stateless background.
How to apply
Apply here.