Ms. Udeaku Chikezie participated in the first edition of the GDI in 2017, after finishing a graduate programme in Diplomacy and International Relations. She wanted to apply the knowledge she had acquired and was looking for a more practical perspective on global diplomacy, multilateralism, the UN system, disarmament, and humanitarian diplomacy. The GDI programme seemed to be the right fit as it allowed her to observe General Assembly and Security Council sessions, amongst others. Today, she describes her GDI experience as a pivotal moment in her professional career. Additionally, she started to be interested in UNITAR’s work, where she will work as a trainee and consultant two years later.

Regarding the course methodology and structure, she values the opportunity of having close interactions with the panelists, tutors, and trainers; its flexibility to meet the interests of each of the students, and the tutors’ support, leadership, and openness for discussion. Being a flexible programme, the GDI allows its participants to focus on the topics they would like to pursue (or they are pursuing) in higher education and on what their profession might entail. Besides, it enables active interaction between students, creating a space where everyone can express what they think.

In fact, sharing ideas with people with different professional backgrounds, beliefs, and from over ten different places of origin was one of Udeaku’s main learnings and had impacted her professional and personal life. According to Udeaku, the course taught her that all of us have limits in our understandings but, when coming together and sharing with others, you can change your perspective, expand your horizons and scope of the world; be open to having real discussions, without being insensitive. Now, she feels very confident to discuss questions that matter on a deeper level and from a global perspective.

Through her career she has applied the knowledge and soft skills gained in the course at different levels depending on her work needs. After the GDI programme, she worked as a freelance researcher and focused on the refugee’s crisis and humanitarian diplomacy issues. When working as a researcher, she could apply the knowledge when writing papers. The course shaped her understandings on multilateralism and how things work, helped her think from different perspectives (e.g., as a policy maker or someone who is vulnerable), and how to interact with people in different contexts. Later on, she joined UNITAR in the New York office, where she could apply much of the knowledge acquired by giving advice to the new GDI students and structuring the next programme by including for example a new component on peace and security.

Ms. Chikezie is currently doing a doctorate programme in Organizational Leadership. In the future, she sees herself as a communication specialist who is able to bring an unbiased and balanced perspective in her stories. She also wants to do research that offers different understandings and influence policy-making, leaving no one behind. She considers that without the UNITAR training, she would not have the understanding she now has on the issues of study. She hopes the programme can be expanded to welcome more participants from outside the US, which generally face logistics challenges to participate in the course, or that a similar (with practical and active learning) but more accessible programme could be launched. 

The GDI was not Marcin’s first UNITAR learning experience. Indeed, he completed numerous UNITAR courses online and is taking a post-graduate programme in International Affairs and Diplomacy organized by the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC) and UNITAR. As part of the master, he also participated in a one-week UN immersion programme in Geneva. The flexible structure and first-hand experience offered by the GDI fit his motivations to experience new career pathways and he decided to also enrol in the course.

Marcin is currently working as a financial services specialist in a private firm in New York. Yet, he is in a career break from his previous job, where he also worked in the financial services field but for a regional organization. When eventually returning to it, he could join a different division and thematic area. Marcin decided to take new professional challenges by looking at finance from a different angle and in order to work on something he considers more impactful. The GDI offered him the opportunity to gain experience and learn in a variety of thematic areas that he could incorporate if he shifts to another professional field and in order to find “his niche”. Moreover, the course also allowed Marcin to strengthen some knowledge that, although not directly linked, could be applied to his current position. For example, the most interesting modules for Marcin were those related to the SDGs and the Agenda 2030 and on Climate Change, while the firm where he works is considering incorporating the Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance (ESG) principles. 

In his own words, the programme has been a confidence-booster for his career. He can mention the course as part of his professional experience and add it to his CV without hesitation. The active participation in UN activities and the exclusivity of information coming from the tutors with broad expertise explain much of the gained confidence. To Marcin, the GDI was also an opportunity to get contacts and expand his networks, as he even got to meet the former Queen of Jordan at one of the side events. Particularly, he could continue working after the course with his supervisor for the publication of his final assignment, an article on the role of Central Banks to address financial risks posed by climate change (2). The publication process was a valued experience for him and he hopes that UNITAR may help to share other student’s work through its website or newsletters.

Another important feature of the course for Mr. Cecot was the active participation in UN activities and access to the United Nations headquarters in New York as he had never expected. Marcin funnily compares this experience to having access to every room in the White House for someone interested in US government. He shared that the GDI supports the participants in understanding how international diplomacy works in practice. Participating in the different events was interesting even for finding ideas for his assignments and future professional interests and orientation.

(2) Climate Emergency and Central Banks