A student's port of entry into the United Nations system

UN internships as part of the UPEACE curriculum

The UPEACE University for Peace in Costa Rica may be a small university, but it offers many big assets for internationally-minded students. Intensive and varied courses on peace-related issues, a full academic year in a tropical reservation, friendships with co-students from all over the all world – and an entry ticket to an international career in the United Nations system.

This opportunity is due to a peculiarity in the UPEACE study programme: students can choose to complete their study either by writing a thesis, or by way of an internship. And because UPEACE is a university that was established by the UN, it has extensive contacts with the other members of the UN family. Therefore, it can help its students to follow an internship with one of the UN institutions.

After fulfilling their Masters’ courses at the campus in Costa Rica, students can pursue a three months internship within the UN. This internship is evaluated by the UN agency where they are working, but also supervised by UPEACE Costa Rica. If you have done that in a satisfactory way, you have your MA.

Robert Serry, presently chairman of UPEACE Centre The Hague, often gets the same, single question whenever he gives lecture whenever he gives lectures on his work with the UN (as United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process in 2008-2015): “How did you get into the UN, and how can I get into the UN?”   So now, at last, he has an answer for them: “Consider this university. Because UPEACE offers a very practical way to, first: check if you feel at home within an international environment, and secondly: to get your first work experience within a UN agency.”