All Things Urban

The United Nations Development Programme works in nearly 170 countries and territories, helping to achieve the eradication of poverty, and the reduction of inequalities and exclusion. We help countries to develop policies, leadership skills, partnering abilities, institutional capabilities and build resilience in order to sustain development results.

The Global Centre for Technology, Innovation and Sustainable Development (GCTISD) is a joint initiative by the Government of Singapore and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to identify and co-create technological and innovative solutions to help countries achieve their Sustainable Development Goals. We draw on the expertise of innovative talent in Singapore and around the world, and curate partnerships that will allow us to take this know-how to the places where it is needed most.

Our emerging areas of focus are Sustainable and Digital Agriculture, Smart Cities and Digitalisation, and Sustainable Finance. For each of our programmes we are connecting policymakers, practitioners, think tanks, leading private sector actors, entrepreneurs, civil society, and other stakeholders to build practical solutions that will create lasting impact through deep collaboration.

SUSTAINABLE & DIGITAL AGRICULTURE
The world needs to feed ten billion people in 2050 which means we need to increase food production by 70% within the next 30 years. At the same time, we need to mitigate the effects of this production boost on the environment and natural resources, given that agriculture accounts for around 1/4 of global greenhouse gas emissions and two-thirds of global freshwater withdrawals and consumption. Our Global Innovation Initiative - Cultiv@te – builds on Singapore’s major new push into the future of food and urban agriculture. Alongside government agencies and corporate partners, we are calling on start-up and R&D teams from around the world to address challenges from the developing world. We are working with these teams and UNDP offices to ideate, design and prototype sustainable and scalable solutions. We are also exploring how new technologies – like blockchain – can transform food traceability and reduce food waste and loss.

SMART CITIES & DIGITALISATION
By 2050, nearly 70% of the world's population - an additional 2.5 billion people - will live in urban areas. This rapid urbanisation will bring in new economic opportunities but is also likely sharpen income disparities, greatly increasing the potential for social conflict. Hence, it is a global priority to build inclusive, liveable and sustainable urban areas – that is, smart cities. Building on Singapore’s pioneering efforts, the Global Centre's smart cities and digitalisation programme focuses on Inclusivity, Sustainability and Adaptability. We have identified cities in Africa and Asia; working together with these cities and partners in Singapore and around the world, we will provide technical expertise, knowledge transfer, insights and collaborations needed to drive sustainable smart city projects.

SUSTAINABLE FINANCE
We are partnering with the Singapore Government and the finance ecosystem in Singapore to explore new ways to steer private and public capital towards sustainable investing. One early initiative is an SDG venture accelerator based in Singapore – that helps scale sustainable early-stage ventures from around the world. This will build on an approach we have successfully demonstrated in other countries. We are also planning to provide SDG impact advisory services to financial institutions as a part of our offering on sustainable finance.

GCTISD seeks to enlist 1-2 interns to support the programme development, partnership development and communications activities of the Centre. Our interns will be given the opportunity to work on assignments that complement their academic studies and connect with the thematic focus of the GCTISD.

Interns will be responsible for the following:

• thematic desk research and writing assignments (in line with Centre mandate);
• research and outreach for partnership development (private sector, think tanks and academia);
• graphic design and content management (digital, print and social media);
• event management support (in person and online);
• ad-hoc support to the GCTISD Director and staff.

Candidate should have the following competencies:

• Self-starter; organized and reliable;
• Able to multitask and balance multiple responsibilities;
• Demonstrated ability to successfully interact with individuals of different cultural backgrounds and sensitivity to differing opinions and views.

Interns are selected on a competitive basis. Applicants to UNDP internships must at the time of application meet one of the following academic requirements:

• (a) Be enrolled in a postgraduate degree programme (such as a master's programme, or higher);
• (b) Be enrolled in the final academic year of a first university degree programme (minimum Bachelor’s level or equivalent);
• (c) Have graduated with a university degree (as defined in (a) and (b) above) and, if selected, must start the internship within one-year of graduation.
• (d) be enrolled in a postgraduate professional traineeship program and undertake the internship as part of this program.

Education:

• Please refer to the above academic requirements.
• Preferable fields of study: computer science and engineering (data science, big data, artificial intelligence, sensor technology, etc.), industrial design, environmental studies, journalism / communications, graphic design.

Experience:

• Experience in the development, sustainability and/or technology is desirable;
• Computer literacy in standard office software applications;
• Experience with social media and graphic design software is an added advantage;
• Familiar with international development and public service challenges.

Languages:

• Excellent English language skills.

Internships within the UN system are subject to following conditions, which the candidates should familiarize themselves with prior to applying:

• UNDP will provide a stipend in the amount of SGD859.13 monthly in accordance with the provisions of the UNDP Internship policy.
• Any further costs associated with the internship must be borne by the nominating institution, related institution or government, which may provide the required financial assistance to its students; or by the student, who will have to obtain financing for subsistence and make his or her arrangements for travel, accommodation and other costs.
• Costs for work-related local travel will be reimbursed as long as they have been cleared beforehand by the GCTISD Director. Costs for the daily commute are not reimbursable.
  UNDP accepts no responsibility for the medical and life insurance of the intern or costs arising from accidents and illness incurred during an internship. The Intern must provide proof of enrolment in a health insurance plan;
• UNDP does not provide assistance with travel and/or housing and the Intern will be responsible for obtaining the necessary visas and arranging travel to and from the duty station where the internship will be performed;
• The purpose of the Internship Programme is not to lead to further employment within the UN System, but to complement an intern’s studies. Therefore, there should be no expectation of employment at the end of an internship;
• Interns are not staff members and may not represent UNDP in any official capacity.
• UNDP only accepts interns for a minimum of 6 weeks and a maximum of 6 months.

We’re not fully sure whether this role is open to international candidates. If you would need visa sponsorship or work authorisation, we recommend checking directly with the employer before applying.