On the afternoon of April 29th, the 'Third United Nations Agency Recruitment Event · United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Session,' hosted by the China Scholarship Council (CSC), was successfully held. The event involved six universities, including Renmin University of China, Tsinghua University, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Nankai University, Tianjin University, and Northwest University of Political Science and Law. Approximately 50 students from the School of Global Governance at RUC, including Office Director Han Fei and Project Manager Sun Mingtong, participated in the online event. The meeting was chaired by Xu Donghai, Deputy Director of the Employment and Entrepreneurship Guidance Service Center at Xi'an Jiaotong University.

Keynote speaker UNDP Personnel Officer Jean-Luc Marcelin introduced the work content, talent selection criteria, working environment, and cooperation projects between UNDP and CSC. He also provided valuable advice to students on preparation and application processes.

First, Jean used an overview of UNDP's 2020 Annual Report to introduce students to UNDP's key work areas, including poverty, governance, post-disaster reconstruction, environmental protection, energy, and gender equality. Jean explained that the work of UNDP and all other UN agencies revolves around the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set by the United Nations. A deep understanding of the 17 SDGs is a prerequisite for successfully obtaining internships or job opportunities with the United Nations and its agencies.

For UNDP's talent selection criteria, Jean emphasized three key elements: candidates should be passionate about addressing development issues, capable and willing to work in a multicultural environment, and adaptable and proactive. Jean encouraged students to focus on identifying problems and then use innovative thinking to find solutions.

In terms of working environment, Jean stated that UNDP currently has over 20,000 staff members from nearly all UN member states, with his team alone comprising individuals from 25 different nationalities spanning 19 countries. Therefore, students need to be able to adapt to a multicultural environment.

Jean and Chinese intern Zhu Wanlin noted that UNDP has a strong cooperation foundation with CSC. In this CSC program, UNDP offers 28 positions with internship durations ranging from 6 to 9 months. They encouraged students to carefully study the job requirements for each position and actively apply to those that are suitable.

Jean advises students to understand the job requirements of their intended positions as early as possible. Based on these requirements, they should work on improving any shortcomings, strengthening their advantages, and preparing thoroughly to stand out in future opportunities. Jean emphasizes that English is the first working language of the United Nations and its agencies, followed by French, and then Spanish, Arabic, Russian, and Chinese. Knowing an additional language gives candidates a competitive edge. Furthermore, Jean states that applicants who do not meet the 'required' criteria in the job requirements will not be considered. However, even if applicants do not possess any 'preferred' qualifications, they can and should still submit an application. Jean reminds students not to make mistakes in their application materials and to carefully check them before submission. He also advises against 'shotgun' applications and recommends tailoring resumes and related materials to each desired position based on the keywords in the job description. Jean also reminds everyone to make good use of overseas social networks; LinkedIn is one of UNDP's most important social platforms, and screening and interviews will be conducted through overseas social platforms.

During the final segment of the presentation, Jean-Luc Marcelin and Lin Chao provided professional answers to questions of interest to the students. The students actively asked questions and engaged in discussions, benefiting greatly from the exchange.