Research Fellowship at the OSCE PA

Internship in International Affairs

About

The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly International Secretariat regularly engages eight or nine graduate students of political science, law and international relations from universities in OSCE countries as Research Fellows. Starting from 2017, one position of the Research Fellow a year is granted to the OSCE Academy graduate (under the MoU signed on 10 August 2016). Fellowship positions are granted for six month periods. Housing is provided free of charge and all Research Fellows receive a small stipend of 564 euros per month, which covers minimum living expenses in Copenhagen. The OSCE Academy covers the round-trip travel expenses from the country of origin to Denmark. Alumni join the International Secretariat in order to gain practical experience in the field of international affairs, and the Assembly, in turn, benefits from increased language capacity as well as a strong research capacity.

Tasks

The primary duty of Research Fellows is to conduct substantive research on various projects for the Assembly and to provide assistance to its officials and staff members. Research Fellows regularly prepare briefing reports for parliamentary delegations, including for election observation missions and official visits by Parliamentary Assembly Members. They also assist in the planning and execution of meetings of the Assembly, work with Assembly Committees, follow the work of OSCE Field Missions, and assist in the drafting of various Assembly reports. In addition, Fellows are at times asked to help draft speeches and statements and write papers on special projects undertaken by the Assembly's Secretariat. They also assist with day-to-day practical work in the office such as copying, filing and other necessary chores.

Qualifications

The Secretariat mainly recruits graduates between the ages of 23 and 27 with strong research and writing abilities and a solid academic background. All applicants must be citizens of OSCE participating States and successful graduates of the OSCE Academy. Specific interests in the politics of the OSCE region, and particularly the former Soviet Union, are desirable. Excellent written and spoken English is required as this is the working language, and one other official OSCE language (French, German, Italian, Russian or Spanish) is desirable. Computer skills for word-processing and research are also necessary. All Fellowships demand a six month time commitment.

Application procedure

Call for applications is announced via e-mail.

The OSCE Academy holds a first round of selection and shortlists three candidates. Documents of the shortlisted candidates are then sent to the International Secretariat of the OSCE PA for the final decision.

For any questions contact Victoria Orazova, Head of International Office: v.orazova@osce-academy.net or alumni@osce-academy.net

Research Fellows

2023

Andrei Shvarev'21: "I am truly privileged to have been part of several amazing teams within the OSCE, well equipped with the knowledge obtained at the Academy..."

2021

Emomali Mirzoev'20: "As soon as I arrived, I found interesting assignments to work on. A big part of it is attending OSCE meetings, such as the weekly Permanent Council, informal working group meetings, bilaterals and some ad-hoc events in the three dimensions of the OSCE."

2019

Anastasia Griadasova'16: "I consider my time working at the OSCE PA as a very special turning point and I look forward to new experiences ahead."

2017

Sergey Marinin'14: "I keep telling all my friends and colleagues that the OSCE Academy in Bishkek is an exceptional academic, educational and training institution. It is even more than that – it is a strong and a vibrant community of brilliant people, who support each other, promote the region and contribute to their local communities. The importance of the Academy for the region can hardly be overestimated. And I would like to express my sincere gratitude to everyone at the Academy for the opportunity to become a part of a larger OSCE family, the possibility to learn from top international professionals and for providing me with lots of support through my career"