The Master’s and PhD students coming from a wide range of study fields - such as International Relations, Anthropology, Security Studies, Medicine, and International Development - were invited to take part in a series of virtual events: a guided tour through the Vienna International Centre (VIC), a one-hour encounter with a UN staff member, and a UN careers workshop held by United Nations Information Service (UNIS) Vienna Director Martin Nesirky.
During the virtual career workshop, the students gained valuable insights about career opportunities at the UN for young graduates, like the Junior Professional Officer Programme and the Young Professionals Programme, and learned more about the work of the UN in Vienna and other duty stations. The workshop included a Q&A session, in which the students could address their specific questions to the UNIS Director about starting a career at the UN.
A high number of UN experts from the following 14 Vienna-based UN entities and organizations participated in the Shadowing Programme 2021: The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO), the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA), the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA), the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Office in Austria, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), the United Nations Information Service (UNIS) Vienna, the United Nations Environment (UNEP) Vienna Office, the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River (ICPDR), the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB), the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR), the United Nations Liaison Office for Peace and Security in Vienna (UNLOPS Vienna), and the IOM Vienna Regional Office.
The Shadowing Programme kicks off each year on UN Day, 24 October, and lasts until 24 November. It is coordinated by UNIS Vienna and organized in cooperation with all participating Vienna-based UN organizations. During previous in-person iterations of the Shadowing Programme, students spent a full workday with a staff member at the Vienna International Centre (VIC). As it had been the case in 2020, the COVID-19 situation in the host country of Austria meant the programme had to be held fully online again in 2021.
