Public Policy Students Reflect on Their Internships: Evangel Anih at the United Nations Industrial Organization

Evangel Anih, Nigeria
MPA candidate, Class of 2016
Intern, United Nations Industrial Organization

Anih is interning with the Human Resources branch of the United Nations Industrial Organization (UNIDO). “I'm working specifically with their legal entitlements team that, among other things, renders legal and advisory services to the organization on matters of staff rights and entitlements.” In addition to drafting fact sheets for the Advisory Board on Compensation Claims and the Joint Appeals Board, Anih is also conducting investigations into staff claims.

Anih says he has learned a lot about UNIDO as an organization, its structure of authority, the internal rules and regulations that guide its operations, and the mandate of its various departments and bodies. The chance to attend sessions of the 43rd Industrial Development Board – UNIDO’s governing board, made up of representatives from all member states – gave Anih a chance to observe policy being made. “At one of the informal sessions, I witnessed internal negotiations and watched as an official reluctantly agreed to the elimination of an item that had been included in his department’s budget,” he says.

The experience of interning with an international organization has been invaluable for Anih, who is interested in working in international development, ideally in a role that would allow him to draw upon both his legal skills and his knowledge of policy issues. “I have learned a lot at UNIDO about what I can bring to an organization in terms of skill sets. This will help me to prepare more targeted applications when the search for a job after graduation begins,” he says.

His UNIDO internship has also given Anih a chance to explore Vienna – “a beautiful city that has similarities with Budapest” – and also to do some reading.