I now know how to «speak the UN language»

18-06-2013

Introducing Ms. Shengeliya, a dual citizen of both Georgia and the Russian Federation who recently completed a 6-month internship with the Executive Office in the UNESCO Regional Bureau for Science and Culture in Europe, Venice (Italy). Prior to joining UNESCO as an intern, Ketevan completed her studies for a Master’s degree of European and International Relations and Crisis Management from Eurosapienza, Sapienza University of Rome (Italy). During her internship she created a promotional video on the Organization’s achievements under Joint Programmes financed by the Spanish Millennium Development Goals Achievement Fund (MDG-F).

Back home, Ketevan has taken some time to let us know what she thought about her internship with us.

What made you interested in interning at UNESCO in the first place?

I learned about UNESCO during my course on International Organizations, when I was studying for my Specialist degree in World Economy at the National Research University - Higher School of Economics, Moscow (Russia). I have been keen in UNESCO’s activities ever since, as this organization touches on the issues in which I am most interested. As an internship was required to obtain my Master’s Degree at Sapienza University in Rome, I decided to try my luck and apply.

How has your background (educational, work experience, etc.) prepared you for your internship?

I was very fortunate to receive an opportunity to intern for UNESCO Venice Office. I chose this specific office because it concentrates most of its work on South East Europe, which is a very interesting region for me. I wrote my Master’s Thesis on Cultural Understanding in the European Union, and I am planning to continue researching in this field, analyzing how South East European countries contribute to the cultural landscape of Europe. South East Europe has a fascinating history, especially when it comes to cultural understanding between different nations. I had a background in International Relations before the internship and I believe it helped me a lot, as I was able to quickly understand how the Office operates.

What did you like best about your internship?

My internship gave me a wonderful experience and I am very grateful because I learned a lot about UNESCO and the UN system in general. For me the best thing was to be given an opportunity to learn more and contribute to the work of the Office. I could always receive feedback from my supervisors and this gave me a reason to work harder, because I could see that all the work I did was appreciated and had a purpose. A big accomplishment for me was a short animated video that I created during the internship. It was a challenging and interesting work that I did with support from the colleagues, and especially my supervisors. I am very happy to know that the video is now online on the UNESCO Venice Office YouTube Channel.

How do you think this internship will help you in the future?

As I want to try and pursue my career in the UN system this internship will have a great impact on achieving my goals, as I now know how to “speak the UN language”, among other skills I developed. I also had the opportunity to work with great experts and learn directly from them which will be helpful for any field in which I would want to explore a career in. The internship not only gave me new skills and knowledge, but it also stimulated my interest in the great work that UNESCO does. If I get lucky again I would definitely love to work with this organization.

Who do you recommend should apply for this internship in the future?

I believe anyone who has an interest and passion in UNESCO’s activities should apply for an internship with this Organization. UNESCO offers a wide range of fields from which to choose, so people with any background could find something for them.

Source:http://www.unesco.org/new/en/venice/about-this-office/single-view/news/whos_that_girl_ketevan_shengeliya_a_former_intern_in_our_executive_office/