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Applications are open for the UN/DESA Fellowship Programme. This esteemed initiative targets post-graduate Italian nationals, aiming to foster international careers in development cooperation.
Opportunity Details
The Fellowship Programme for Technical Cooperation Capacity Building and Human Resources Development, is implemented by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN/DESA). This esteemed initiative targets post-graduate Italian nationals, aiming to foster international careers in development cooperation.
The Programme provides qualified young professionals with hands-on experience and opportunities to contribute to United Nations system organizations by offering cost-free skilled personnel. Selected fellows undertake a one-year on-the-job training in UN Field Offices and attend a mandatory orientation workshop before starting their assignments.
Applicants must:
Applications can only be submitted online through the Online Web Application (OWA) of the UN/DESA Office in Rome.
As OWA is not yet a fully responsive web application, it is strongly recommended to use a PC and not a mobile device when applying to the Fellowship Programme. OWA supports the latest browser versions (Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Safari and Microsoft Edge) running in Windows, macOS, Ubuntu etc. with a minimum processor of 2Ghz and 2GB RAM. The minimum screen resolution required by all OWA features is 1280 x 1024; screens with a lower resolution may not always display correctly. Note that in-built browser features, e.g. ‘zoom’, which allow the size of the content of the browser to be increased or decreased may also be adversely affected.
Before starting the application process, please carefully read the information concerning the Fellowship Programme and its eligibility requirements.
The deadline for submitting applications is 16 October 2024 at 3 pm (CET/Italian local time).
Candidates using OWA for the first time must complete the registration process.
Candidates who have applied to previous editions of either the JPO Programme or the Fellowship Programme can proceed by signing in to OWA and beginning the application process. They are not required to upload a copy of their advanced university degree certificate unless prompted by the system to double-check all previously submitted information.
Registering with the Online Web Application (OWA)
Candidates must register by providing the information requested and uploading a copy of their advanceduniversity degree certificate attesting eligibility for the Fellowship Programme, such as:
– PhD, or
– Laurea Magistrale/Specialistica, or
– Laurea Magistrale a ciclo unico, or
– University Master’s degree.
Do NOT upload a copy of your undergraduate certificate (Bachelor’s degree / Laurea Triennale).
The OWA system allows candidates to upload only one PDF file. This PDF document must not exceed 1MB.
As an alternative to uploading an advanced university degree certificate, candidates may upload a signed self-certification document (autocertificazione) provided that this degree has been awarded by an Italian university. Self-certification documents must include: given name and family name, date and place of birth, advanced university degree obtained, date of award, name of the Italian university, final grade and credits obtained. To be valid, the self-certification document must be dated and manually signed (handwritten signature only).
Self-certification documents which have a computer keyboard-generated signature, are unsigned or otherwise incomplete will not be accepted and the application will be rejected.
Candidates who have graduated from non-Italian universities cannot submit a self-certification document and must submit a copy of the degree awarded.
If you do not upload a document certifying the award of an advanced university degree, your application will not be deemed valid.
The sample documents below will NOT be considered valid:
Example 1: Unsigned self-certification
Example 2: Keyboard-generated signature
Example 3: University Enrolment Certificate
Example 4: Piano di Studi
Example 5: University website screenshots
N.B. Only certificates that have been awarded by universities or higher education institutions recognized or certified by a competent national authority are to be uploaded.
When evaluating academic credentials, the Fellowship Programme is guided by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s (UNESCO) listing (referred to as the “UNESCO list – World Guide to Higher Education”) of recognized higher education institutions to officially determine the university qualification level given that this is not always consistent across countries. It is recommended to visit the website www.whed.net for confirmation that your university is fully accredited.
Once you have registered, you will receive an automatically generated email message requesting confirmation of your account credentials. Kindly note that email servers may accidentally forward this message to the JUNK or SPAM folder. Please check this folder carefully. If you do not receive an email requesting confirmation, go to the OWA log-in page and click on the hyperlinked option “Click HERE to recover your password or to finalize the registration procedure for your new account”.
Following verification of your registration, you may log in and complete the “My Profile” section by entering your data, i.e. personal details, contact details, family details, as well as information on your nationality and residence.
Creating your online application
You may create an application by pressing the “Create Application” button. The new application will be listed in the “My applications” section.
If you have already applied to previous editions of either the JPO or the Fellowships Programme via the Online Web Application (OWA), the system will automatically retrieve the contents of your most recent online submission. You must review all contents, make the necessary changes and/or add information where appropriate before submitting the new application.
Compiling your online application
Please allow sufficient time to complete your application, bearing in mind that you may stop/start and save for later as often as you wish in order to facilitate correct data entry.
All sections must be completed in English. Applications completed or partially completed in other languages will be disregarded.
The OWA system allows you to copy and paste text from a Word document using the Copy (Ctrl+C) and Paste (Ctrl+V) keyboard shortcuts.
To avoid potential data loss, it is strongly recommended to press the ‘SAVE’ button once you have completed each section.
There are seven (7) sections in the online Application Form, as follows:
1. General information
You will be requested to provide information on how you learned about the Programme and what your preferred field of work is.
2. Skills
You will be requested to provide details of your language and computer skills. You may also list any relevant publications.
3. University /Higher Education
This section allows you to provide details of your university/higher education studies. Please ensure you include all institutions and clearly list the university degree(s) awarded including – where applicable – those which are still ongoing. You will also be requested to provide information on your university activities, including relevant seminars, special courses and final dissertation(s).
4. Schools and training
This section allows you to list any formal training courses that you have undertaken. Education history information from age 14 onwards must also be included.
5. Employment history
You will be requested to provide details of all relevant work experience to date, specifying as follows: contract information, description of your duties and achievements, as well as reasons for leaving. Please use a separate record for each post. You may also include voluntary work and internships. For each period of work experience, you will be requested to specify whether full-time or part-time.
6. Motivation letter
This section allows you to outline your reasons and motivations for applying to the Programme. You may also highlight here your strengths and interests.
7. Additional information and Submission
This section allows you to list your membership or participation in professional societies and networks related to civic, public or international affairs, as well as information regarding any fellowships held and/or periods of residence outside the country of your nationality.
Submitting your application
It is highly recommended to click on the “Review/Print Application” button before submitting your online application. When you do so, a PDF version of your application will be automatically generated in a new window for your final review.
Note that once submitted, it is no longer possible to edit your application. The submission will be considered final. After clicking on the “SUBMIT” button, the PDF version of your application will be automatically saved in the Downloads folder of your computer.
Bear in mind that you may save a PDF version of your application in the Downloads folder of your computer at a later stage by clicking on the “PRINT” button at the bottom of the “My Applications” section.
For additional information, please contact the UN/DESA Office in Rome at [email protected]
Apply for UN/DESA Fellowship Programme for Italian Postgraduates