The Junior Fellows Internship Programme places graduate students and young professionals inside the United Nations University (UNU) headquarters in Tokyo, Japan. Fellows support UNU’s research, policy and academic work — assisting with conferences, lectures and symposiums and contributing research and writing. UNU recruits Junior Fellows twice a year: a fall term running mid-August to mid-December, and a spring term running February to May. Junior Fellows may work on-site — office space is provided — or remotely, in which case they need their own laptop or desktop and internet for the duration. It is built for early-career people who want direct exposure to the work of the UN system.
Benefits & funding
- Monthly stipend that includes a transportation allowance for the commute to UNU headquarters (the exact figure is not published on the official page).
- 1.5 days of paid leave per month.
- Free on-site and online access to the headquarters library and gym (as available).
- Office space provided for on-site work.
- Direct experience organising and contributing to UNU conferences, lectures and academic forums, offline and online.
Eligibility
- Open to applicants of any nationality — no country restriction is stated.
- Currently pursuing, or completed within the last two years, a postgraduate degree (Master’s or Doctoral).
- Under 32 years of age at the time of application.
- No more than five years of professional experience in a related field.
- Native or fluent written and spoken English.
- Strong research, writing and analytical skills; advanced MS Office proficiency.
Can you apply?
Worth a closer look
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Education required
Master Enrolled · Master · PhD Enrolled · PhD
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Experience required
≤ 5 yrs
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Age requirement
≤ 31 yrs
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We only check the criteria we have data for. Always confirm full eligibility on the official page before applying.
Application process
- 1Apply online through the UNU Careers portal during an open recruitment window (May–June for the fall term, September–October for the spring term).
- 2Complete a short written task related to the internship work.
- 3Shortlisted candidates are interviewed by Zoom or telephone.
- 4Selected Junior Fellows begin at the start of the term.
Program timeline
Selection window for the fall term (apply via UNU Careers).
May–June
Fall term.
Mid-August to mid-December
Selection window for the spring term (apply via UNU Careers).
September–October
Spring term.
February to May
The official page publishes no fixed application deadline — check UNU Careers for open dates.