At the beginning of the New Year, everything came back to life. The “United Nations Field Exchange Project in China”, sponsored by the China Education International Exchange and Training Institute, was successfully concluded in Beijing on February 12,2023. Forty students from the “Youth” class from 13 ” Youth Global Competence Talent Training Program” colleges and universities nationwide participated in the activity.
In the seven-day activities students visited the UNICEF office, UNDP office, the UNF office, the UNHCR office, UNAIDS office, UNIDO investment and technology promotion office, UNESCO office, women long-term partners-Leyirong social work office and other United Nations agencies in China and cooperation units. Under the careful organization of the various institutions, the students felt the office atmosphere, and the relevant project officials and staff systematically explained the establishment background, mission, development process, organizational structure, and the current projects around the world to the students, and communicated and interacted with the students. Students spoke enthusiastically and held in-depth discussions on topics such as “youth development”, “two-carbon strategy and green development” and “adolescent mental health”. The agency also organizes students to participate in “Sharing and Symposium on career Planning at the United Nations”.The students had an in-depth understanding of the UN agencies, the job types of UN volunteers, the selection process, the required abilities and other aspects. Three interviewers from UNICEF conducted mock interviews with two students to recreate the real interview scenes of UN agencies. During the activity, three themed workshops were organized, including “Wine tasting”, “cross-cultural ability cultivation” and aesthetic improvement.
On the afternoon of February 12, the closing ceremony was held in the conference hall on the first floor of China Education Association for International Exchange. Mr. Yin Kai, President of China Education Institute for International Exchange, attended and delivered a speech. Liu Zhixian, an expert from the Steering Committee of the ” Youth Global Competence Development Program”, Li Nan, a youth development Program officer of UNICEF China, and Pi Wei, a student representative of the “Youth Class” from Shanghai International Studies University, spoke respectively. Afterwards, the students divided into groups to give a report. The report topics were varied, forms were lively, the research was in-depth and detailed, and the cases were real and interesting, which fully demonstrated the positive mental outlook and excellent learning results of the “Youth Class” students.
Through this field exchange program of UN agencies in China, the students have broadened their international perspective, learned about the UN Sustainable Development Goals, the functions of UN agencies and the core concepts of UN agencies, learned about the way UN projects operate around the world and the current cooperation projects in China, and improved their cross-cultural communication skills under different cultural backgrounds. The students’ desire to participate in the work of international organizations was aroused.
The “UN Field Exchange Program in China” is one of the practical activities of the “Youth Global Competence Training Program”. In combination with the future development of young people, the program will lead the students to visit the UN offices in China, experience the office environment, understand the operation mechanism, experience the job functions, etc., and stimulate their curiosity and interest in the UN agencies. Enhance trainees’ cognition and understanding of UN agencies and Sustainable Development Goals, deepen their positioning and planning of international civil service career development, familiarize themselves with relevant job requirements and required abilities, and lay a solid foundation for their future participation in global governance and work in international organizations.
