Graduate School of International Cooperation Studies (GSICS), Kobe University
On June 16th, 2014,a Career Seminar on International Organizations was held in Kobe University’s Graduate School of International Cooperation Studies (GSICS). The seminar was jointly sponsored by the Program for Careers in International Organizations,Campus Asia Project Secretariat, and Students and Employment Committee in GSICS. Two international organizations, namely,The World Bank and UNESCO,were the focus of this seminar.
The presentation about the World Bank was delivered by Dr.Eduardo Velez Bustillo, who is a former Education Sector Manager in the Asia and Pacific Region as well as Latin America and Caribbean Region. Ms.Lina Benete, an Education Policy Specialist at UNESCO Asia and Pacific Regional Bureau for Education in Bangkok, Thailand (UNESCO Bangkok), gave a presentation about UNESCO.
Ms.Benete’s presentation focused on UNESCO’s mission and the role of the Education Policy and Reform (EPR) Unit at the Bangkok Office as well as sector planning and management. She also shared with us her own career path and experiences leading up to her current job. She pointed out that internship is one of the best entry points for young experts, who are seeking work at international organizations.
Following this, Dr.Velez Bustillo talked about his wealth of experiences at the World Bank where he had worked for more than twenty years. He explained the Bank’s human resource strategy from the employer’s point of view, which has been changing over the years. According to him, the Bank currently is trying to form a more diverse community of experts, who have different academic backgrounds, nationalities, and talents. I found that to be encouraging for us because I thought the World Bank only hires economists.
As a graduate student in GSICS, I feel very fortunate that there are lots of opportunities for students to meet various experts, who have been involved in the field of international development and cooperation. I also found that this career seminar to be a great opportunity to consider our future career plans. We are extremely grateful to Dr.Eduardo VelezBustillo and Ms. Lina Benete for their valuable presentations. I also thank Professor Keiichi Ogawa and the co-sponsored parties, who organized this seminar.
