Student Activity: Internship at WIPO
As the overseas fieldwork(Mushashugyo), the 4th grade students go to internship at international institutions for about 8 months.
Here is the interview to Shanji Li, who just came back from her internship in Switzerland.
Profile
Name :Shanji Li
Specialty :Organic Chemistry
Institution :Global Challenges Division, World Intellectual Property Organization
Place :Geneva, Switzerland
Intern Periods:12months(2016/5/1-2017/4/30)
Please tell us what you did during your internship.
I did one-year internship at the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), a specialized organization of United Nations which operates as a global forum of intellectual property. I was mainly involved in two projects – WIPO GREEN and WIPO Re:Search– that are dealing with climate change and other environmental problems, as well as global health issues through public-private partnerships with intellectual property as the starting point. Interning with WIPO has opened up my perspectives on the role of intellectual properties, especially the scientific research as an important form of intellectual properties, while addressing environmental and global health issues.
Is there any impressive episode?
It was a privilege to work with outstanding colleagues with different nationalities and backgrounds. Like many other divisions in international organizations, our division consists of 13 people from nine different countries, which are Ethiopia, Ghana, Switzerland, Germany, USA, Turkey, India, UK, France. In this multicultural environment, I was able to gain invaluable experience.
What are the benefits you get from the internship?
Several international organizations which have important influence around the world have their headquarters in Geneva. Their interconnected broad networks allow employees and students to attend and make a contribution to all the events and activities which are related to their work. I worked on programs which involve research institutions, universities, private companies and NGOs all over the world. I gained deeper insights into public-private partnerships and mastered how to analyze global issues from diverse perspectives.
@WIPO Conference Room
DG Dr. Francis Gurry speaking at WHO-WIPO-WTO Trilateral Symposium @WIPO
Peacock in UNOG
WIPO ReSearch Side Event at 69th World Health Assembly @UNOG