2020.12.08.
Internship programme cooperation agreement between UNICEF and KGU
◆Internship programme cooperation agreement between the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and Kwansei Gakuin University◆
The United Nations Children’s Fund (Headquarters: New York, USA) and Kwansei Gakuin University (KGU) signed an internship programme cooperation agreement on August 4th, 2020. This agreement defines a framework that the United Nations Children’s Fund (hereinafter referred to as UNICEF) accepts qualified KGU student(s) as interns. UNICEF shall be one of the international internship organizations for the students of KGU Graduate Course in United Nations and Foreign Affairs Studies to participate in the internship programme.UNICEF serves as an organization to address the long-term humanitarian aid and development assistance for children and women in developing countries, and to protect the rights of every children to survive, to be protected and to develop as its mission.
KGU is the second university in Japan to conclude an internship agreement with UNICEF.
Comment from the President, KGU- Professor Osamu Murata
KGU has been focusing on the practical education to nurture global leaders who are able to improve our society better for neighbors and communities of all over the world, under its school motto "Mastery for Service".The long-term cooperative connection between KGU and UN started in 1995 with establishment of Undergraduate and Graduate School of Policy Studies at KGU. It includes the department of International Policy Studies which focuses on education and research about the issues on which UN is taking actions. KGU began sending student volunteers to various developing countries in 2004, based on an agreement with United Nations Volunteers (UNV). In 2007, RHEP (Refugee Higher Education Program) started in KGU based on an agreement with UNHCR. Followed by the agreements with UNFPA (2016) and UNDP (2017), the cooperative relationship between KGU and UN has been enhanced to leverage education and research.
Based on our achievement, KGU launched the Graduate Course in United Nations and Foreign Affairs Studies as a graduate minor in April, 2017. This is one of the KGU projects as a top global university selected by the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT). In the course, internship program is a mandatory to provide students the opportunities to gain practical experiences at the United Nations and international organizations for their future. 19 students have participated in the internship at UN agencies and international organization in Japan and overseas, including 1 student as an intern at UNICEF Vietnam Country Office in Hanoi, Vietnam.
This internship agreement with UNICEF has been achieved with the strong and grateful support from Professor Jun Kukita, Former Representative of UNICEF in Kazakhstan and current KGU Top Global University Project Visiting Professor. It is a great honor for KGU to conclude this internship agreement with UNICEF. I strongly believe that this internship agreement will encourage much more students to challenge internship at UNICEF, and deepen cooperation between UNICEF and KGU even more.
Comment from UNICEF
The UNICEF Internship Programme offers students and recent graduates the opportunity to gain direct practical experience with UNICEF's work. Since 2017, UNICEF has been strengthening its internship programme to ensure a better experience to interns. Interns at UNICEF participate in our global community where they can meet their peers, participate in networking meetings and global seminars. In 2019, we also developed the INSPIRE Guide which is career support guide for interns to self-assess their skills and gain insights on how to move forward within their careers. Additionally, our current policy was revised to ensure that interns receive stipend as well as leave/ sick days.
The establishment of partnerships is part of our efforts to strengthen the programme by facilitating the engagement of a diverse and qualified pool of applicants. UNICEF is pleased to have Kwansei Gakuin University as one of the institutions that supports our internship programme. We are very appreciative of the partnerships we have with the Japanese Government including reputable organizations in Japan. Therefore, we believe that this MOU will represent the beginning of a solid and outstanding relationship with Kwansei Gakuin University.
Please refer to the UNICEF Internship report from our student ( Click here )
