UNICEF, Bangkok, Thailand

UNICEF, Bangkok, Thailand
Research Intern

Duration: late May through end of August (as long as possible)
Location: Bangkok, Thailand
Qualifications: Excellent written and verbal communication skills
Housing: Intern must find own housing through McCulloch Center and Alumnae Association
Funding: Available through the McCulloch Center; see link to application instructions below.

UNICEF is a branch of the United Nations that focuses on issues affecting children, with an emphasis on health, education, child protection, HIV/AIDS, and social policy. The East Asia and Pacific Regional Consultation (EAPRO) is a regional office of UNICEF that provides strategic and advisory support to UNICEF Country Offices in the region. EAPRO covers 14 countries, including Mongolia, China, Laos, Myanmar, Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines. The Social Policy and Economic Analysis Section uses research and analysis to influence government programs and advise UNICEF Country Offices on their best strategic emphasis.

Work in the Social Policy and Economic Analysis unit is mostly research based, with a focus on producing results that would influence real-world policy decisions that affect children. This unit is currently working on the decentralization of education systems, on ascertaining affordable and sustainable policy recommendations for HIV/AIDS policies in Asia, and on an ongoing project investigating the feasibility of increasing governments funding of social programs.

Under the guidance of the Regional Social Policy and Economic Analysis Adviser, the intern will be expected to assist by conducting research (academic journal reviews and statistical research) in one or more of the current areas of activity, to participate in discussions on the implications of those research results for children in the region, and to produce annotated summaries or a paper synthesizing these results. The end result would take the form of a short paper and a Powerpoint presentation of the issues, based on literature results and data from countries in the region, that could be used by UNICEF for advocacy purposes.

Qualifications: Basic economics and statistics, and excellent research writing skills. Background in international relations, development studies, or in Southeast Asia would also be helpful.

Work hours in Bangkok are from 8.00-16.00.

UNICEF will provide airport pickup and drop-off and will assist the intern in finding accommodations in Bangkok.

To apply, submit the Universal Application Form by February 27, 2009. All applicants MUST meet with Jale Okay, Director of International Experiential Learning, by February 20, 2009 for a pre-application meeting. Please call the McCulloch Center at x2072 to schedule an appointment. For additional questions, contact Jale Okay.