Public Policy Students Reflect on Their Internships: Susanne Karine Gjønnes at UNRISD and ILO

Susanne Karine Gjønnes, Norway and El Salvador
Mundus MAPP candidate, Class of 2016
Intern, UNRISD and ILO, Geneva

Gjønnes has done two research internships in Geneva this summer. After completing her required internship with the United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD), Gjønnes commenced a second internship at the International Labour Organization (ILO), working in the Country Policy Development and Coordination Unit. There, she is working on two different projects, one examining employment and wage trends in China, and the other researching the relationship between income inequality and wage shares in developing countries.

“It has been fascinating to learn more about how policy-oriented research is conducted, as it is quite different from academic research,” reports Gjønnes. She has enjoyed learning more about social policy, health policy, and employment issues in a developing country context, and about the UN system and how different UN organizations work. What Gjønnes has enjoyed the most though is “meeting so many people with different backgrounds and experiences.”

Gjønnes has participated in many interesting events in Switzerland. She says that the five-day UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Humanitarian Affairs Segment, where member states, civil society, and the private sector came together to debate the challenges and progress of humanitarian policy, was especially valuable. Another highlight was the 70th anniversary of the UN Charter that took place on June 26.

Being part of a large and multi-cultural organization has strengthened Gjønnes’ wish to work in an international environment. She says that her plans for after graduation and longer-term career goals have changed a lot this summer. “Having worked the whole time on developing country issues, I am keen to get more practical work experience in these countries. More than anything, I would like to go back to Latin America,” she says.

Despite the hectic pace of both internships, Gjønnes has found time to swim, cycle, hike in the nearby mountains, and to attend some of the many cultural events, including music festivals, outdoor concerts, and open gallery days, that take place throughout the summer.