Internship Programs

IMO Internships

Unpaid Internships

The IMO internship program is designed for students who are undertaking graduate research (master’s and PhD) in some area related to IMO activities and wish to complement their studies with observations and research in the organization. Therefore, this program is not suitable for people seeking practical professional experience. Interns will have the opportunity to follow the work of the organization’s experts, closely observing the formal procedures of the institutional committees.

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Organization overview

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations whose mission is to set global rules and standards for shipping to ensure its safety, security, effectiveness, efficiency and minimization of environmental impacts. Its activities involve coordination and international cooperation in maritime transportation issues, avoiding separate and uncoordinated action by individual countries. The organization currently has 174 Member States and its headquarters are in London (United Kingdom).

Organization’s main focus: Maritime issues.

Themes addressed by the organization:

Maritime Safety
Marine Environment
Maritime Security
Shipping Standards and Regulations

Description of the internship program

Fields of study:
The areas of study with the highest demand in this program are:

Shipping
Marine environment
International maritime and environmental law

Internship activities:
The activities performed vary according to the opening and the requirements of the different departments to which interns are allocated. However, generally speaking, the main duties are:

Carry out research and collect and analyze data on topics relevant to the agency’s activities and the intern’s graduate work;
Observe formal internal processes, including the work of the organization’s committees, specialists or governing bodies;
Contribute to the production of knowledge in the organization.

Duration:
The internship period ranges from at least 2 weeks to up to 2 months at most.

Weekly workload:
The internship programs are full-time. Interns work from 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on weekdays.

Locations:
The openings are for the agency’s headquarters in London (UK).

When the internship starts:
The initial date of the internship shall be coordinated between the intern and the organization. Starting dates are at the beginning of the month and mid-month.

Feedback following the internship:
At the end of the internship, the supervisor is in charge of preparing an assessment report of the intern’s performance. At the end of the research process, a certificate will be issued attesting to the intern’s attendance during the internship period.

Subsequent employment:
Participation in the internship is unrelated to future employment with the agency, since the program does not focus on practical work experience, but rather on improving interns’ research skills. However, the internship experience with the agency will be an asset in your curriculum and may facilitate your hiring by other organizations inside or outside the UN System.

Payment

The internship is unpaid.

Requirements

Education:

Be enrolled in a graduate school program (Master’s or PhD).

Language:

Working knowledge of at least one of the IMO’s official languages (English, Spanish or French) is required.

Age:
Participants must be between the ages of 21 and 30 in order to apply for internship programs.

Nationality:
Applicants must be a citizen of a IMO member state.

Other requirements:

“Applicants are advised to check the Maritime Knowledge Centre (MKC) catalogue SeaLibrary to verify whether there is sufficient material within the MKC collection to support their research. In addition, IMODOCS, the IMO Document repository, should be consulted.
Those who wish to change the research topics described in the application must notify IMO prior to starting the internship, otherwise they risk losing the placement.

Restrictions:
An applicant may not be a child or sibling of any organization staff member.

Application process

When to apply:
There is no specific enrollment period for IMO internships. Enrollment is open at all times. Openings are limited and applications are analyzed according to the submission order.

How to apply:
Applicants must send an e-mail to Mr. Berty Nayna, External Relations Officer (bnayna@imo.org), with information regarding the internship, the research topic and their availability (probable period of commencement of internship).

Phases of the selection process:
The selection process generally comprises the following steps:

Preparing your application;
Submitting the application;
Evaluation of the application;
Interview;
Selection notifications.

Interview:
Usually, only selected applicants will be contacted for the interview and may be done via Skype or phone. In general, the questions address your expectations about the job, your interests in the area of expertise you are applying for and your previous experiences.

Documents to submit:

Application Form with information about the IMO area/sector related to your research topic;
University degree or proof of enrollment in Master’s or PhD program;
Agreements signed by the government agency or academic institution supporting the applicant acknowledging that the IMO internship does not entail financial implications and legal obligations for the organization;
Candidates must submit with the application a summary of their research project, running from 250 words to up to 4 pages, describing the specific areas related to IMO’s work.

Evaluation criteria:
The program assesses whether candidates comply with all requirements. If so, they are accepted on a “first come, first served” basis.

Costs incurred

The organization offers no financial aid to cover costs related to preparing for or doing the internship. However, you may request financial aid from a sponsoring institution, for example, a university and/or government agency in your country.

Visa:
You or your sponsoring institution will be responsible for the costs and arrangements of obtaining the visa or other documents for entering the United Kingdom.

Insurance:
You or your sponsoring institution will be responsible for the costs of enrolling in a valid global medical insurance plan.

Accommodation:
You or your sponsoring institution will be responsible for accommodation expenses during the internship period.

Other:
You or your sponsoring institution will be responsible for the costs and arrangements of the trip to the workplace to which you have been assigned.