UNEP Finance Initiative (UNEP FI) Academic Engagement Taskforce Internship

The internship supports the follow-up phase of the UNEP FI Academic Engagement Taskforce, focusing on sustainable finance research engagement and collaboration with financial institutions. The intern will assist in synthesizing outcomes, expanding academic engagement, developing regional formats, and supporting outreach and research dissemination activities.

Responsibilities

• Support follow-up on Taskforce outcomes and next steps, including synthesising and tracking outcomes and recommendations from the Global Roundtable 2026 and the Taskforce.
• Support the development of a prioritised action plan for the follow-up phase, including options to be taken forward with PRI or independently.
• Expand academic engagement with banking and insurance teams, including collaborating with other networks, initiatives, and institutions.
• Develop a legal review note on data access and use in banking and insurance research.
• Support the design and delivery of regional sessions at UNEP FI regional roundtables and help identify opportunities to embed academic engagement into these events.
• Support the publication of an annual list of priority research questions and/or the production of regular research briefs drawing on the latest research relevant to banking, insurance, and investment.
• Contribute to the design of a dedicated researcher engagement or membership window for universities, data providers, and potentially think tanks, including scoping the model, benefits, and governance.
• Help launch and coordinate a webinar series and member outreach programme on the latest research findings relevant to banking, insurance, and investment, including liaising with speakers and members.
• Support the identification of seed grants or awards for collaborative research, including mapping potential funders and delivery models.
• Maintain and expand the database of academic researchers and institutions relevant to UNEP FI’s work.
• Provide secretariat support to the follow-up workstream, including coordinating virtual meetings, preparing briefing materials, and synthesising findings into presentations, briefings, and written outputs.

Requirements

• Be enrolled in a graduate school programme (second university degree or equivalent, or higher); or be enrolled in the final academic year of a first university degree program (minimum Bachelor's level or equivalent); or have graduated with a university degree and, if selected, must commence the internship within a one-year period of graduation.
• Master’s degree student in Finance, Business Administration, Environmental Studies, other related themes, or recently graduated (candidates are eligible for this position up to one year after the graduation date).
• Must be able to show proof of enrolment or of graduation date if selected for this position.
• Applicants to the UN Internship Programme are not required to have professional work experience.
• A field of study closely related to the type of internship applied for is required.
• Fluency in oral and written English is required.
• Knowledge of another UN Language is desirable.
• Strong analytical and research skills, ideally with a focus on sustainable finance, environmental economics, political economy, or a related field.
• Demonstrated ability to work with academic literature and engage with complex concepts.
• Exposure to sustainable finance and/or financial institutions is a strong asset.
• Excellent writing, critical thinking, and communication skills in English are required.
• Familiarity and experience with academic databases, citation tools, or data visualization tools would be an advantage.

Skills

• Sustainable Finance
• Environmental Economics
• Political economy understanding
• Research Skills
• Analytical Skills
• Academic Literature Review
• Financial Institutions Knowledge
• Writing Skills
• Critical Thinking
• Communications Skills
• Data Visualization
• Citation Tools
• Academic Database Use

Languages

English, French