Summer 2014 Fellow: Christina Lee
Faculty Mentor: Paul Wise
Office Description:
UNHCR Innovation is a multi-year, inter-departmental initiative looking for more efficient, effective, and creative solutions to challenges that refugees face across UNHCR operations worldwide. The ultimate goal of our action is refugee protection, self-reliance, empowerment, dignity and education. We do this by rethinking the way UNHCR works, the way it involves refugees in the design of programs, and the way it looks at good practices in the humanitarian, private sector, and other spheres.
UNHCR Innovation seeks to foster and support creative problem-solving, experimentation, and new kinds of partnerships in responding to challenges faced in our field operations. By providing space for the discussion of problems and needs, empowering UNHCR staff to think creatively, and reaching out to a broader community of support, UNHCR Innovation helps to design concrete and tangible solutions as well as develop a culture of innovation throughout the organization.
UNHCR Innovation uses its thematic “Labs” to research, test, and pursue its more than 20 Innovation Projects around the world. UNHCR Innovation is launching a series of exciting initiatives in 2014 that will build upon a year’s worth of work in this newly established, fast-moving team within UNHCR. Humanitarian needs are growing, but “business as usual” practices are becoming unsustainable.
Potential Projects:
Interns will get the opportunity to work with one of the most dynamic parts of the UN Refugee Agency, knowing that their work will contribute to some of the most ground-breaking initiatives in the UN system. We are a tightknit, high-stakes, and high-fun group, and we invite you to join us in these exciting projects!
In order to ensure a quality internship, based on the priorities set at the time of the internship and based on the personal skills and experience of the incumbent, UNHCR Innovation will craft a unique internship program for you. Previous interns have focused on assisting UNHCR Innovation with the development of an organization-wide idea management platform called “UNHCR Ideas,” which was launched in August 2013. Others have developed innovation partnerships and events, or have contributed to the creation and planning of the first-ever UNHCR Innovation Workshop, held in Bangkok in November 2013. Interns in the summer of 2015 can expect to be involved in idea-management initiatives, project planning and documentation, overseeing program creation for the Innovation Fellowship, or working on data and technology projects.
Desired skills, experience, and coursework:
- A well-organized, confident, and self-motivated individual with a background in one of the following areas: international relations, computer science, marketing, or project management
- An ideal candidate can support the work of UNHCR Innovation in an environment of maximum pressure and minimal supervision
- Proven research, writing and analytical skills. Previous exposure and knowledge of shelter and settlement responses within the humanitarian context would be an asset
- Ability to work in a multicultural environment
- Fluency in English and working knowledge of French is an asset