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General Internship |
Introduction
A
critical challenge facing many developing countries and LDCs is
establishing and or enhancing expertise relating to innovation,
access to knowledge, and how intellectual property (IP) affects
these processes. It is in this context that the Centre established,
in 2003, the Internship Programme followed by the establishment of a
Fellowship Programme in 2004. The aim of the Internship Programme,
in particular, is to promote the development of the technical and
intellectual capacities of young post-graduate professionals from
developing countries including LDCs. The Programme provides
practical experience to interns, hence promoting their understanding
of the implications of the regulatory regimes such as IP on
innovation and access to knowledge. Since its establishment, the
Programme has received increasing interest and is now very
competitive.
Duration and
Eligibility Criteria
Internships last for six months and usually begin in January and
July of each year.
The
eligibility criteria are as follows; applicants must:
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Be
nationals of a Group of 77 (G77) country or China.
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Have
completed or be completing post-graduate degrees in law,
economics, sciences, international relations or related fields.
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Have
basic knowledge of IP, innovation and access to knowledge issues
either through study or work related experience.
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Have
good written and spoken English (other languages such as French
and Spanish being a bonus).
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Have
computing skills.
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Demonstrate a commitment to development objectives either through
previous study or work record or other activities.
Responsibilities
A core
component of the internship involves hands-on experience.
Consequently, the Intern is expected to, among others:
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Assist the Programme staff in carrying out various activities,
including research and policy analysis, in implementing the
Programme activities.
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Participate in, monitor and follow-up meetings on innovation,
access to knowledge, and IP as well as other related meetings at
the South Centre and in other international organisations such as
the World Trade Organisation (WTO), World Intellectual Property
Organization (WIPO), World Health Organization (WHO), Food and
Agriculture Organization (FAO) as well as civil society and
non-governmental organization’s (NGOs) activities and
international meetings, seminars and conferences.
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Prepare, at least, one (1) substantive research paper on
innovation, access to knowledge, and IP from a development
perspective, and other papers, briefing notes etc. as directed.
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Perform administrative tasks such as updating calendar of
meetings, filing, photocopying, faxing, drafting letters, etc.
The Terms and
Conditions of the Internship
A
written agreement containing the terms and conditions of the
internship is signed between the South Centre and the intern. The
terms and conditions include the following, among others:
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The
Intern undertakes to spend six months at the South Centre on a
full-time basis. The internship period can not be extended.
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This
is a paid internship and the Intern will receive a stipend of 2000
Swiss Francs per month. There shall be no other additional
remuneration, subsidy, compensation or entitlement from the South
Centre to the Intern.
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Acceptance into the Internship Programme is not in any way related
to employment at the Centre.
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Except where otherwise indicated to the Intern in writing, travel
expenses, including visa fees, to and from Geneva will be the
responsibility of the intern. Whenever resources allow, the centre
pays for a return economy ticket for interns especially those
travelling from a developing country.
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Interns shall be responsible for their own health insurance for
illness and accidents.
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Formalities for the Intern’s stay in Switzerland during their
internship will be handled by the South Centre. Where necessary,
and as appropriate, the South Centre will provide assistance to
interns in obtaining an entry visa to Switzerland.
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At
the end of the internship, the Intern will be required to prepare
a written exit report evaluating the internship. The Centre,
through the Intern’s supervisor, will also write an evaluation
report.
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The
Intern will also receive a letter certifying that they undertook
an internship at the South Centre, evaluating their performance
and giving recognition to their work experience at the Centre.
Application and
Selection Process
The
procedures for application and selection are as follows:
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Applications for the internships beginning in January should
be sent to the Centre as described below, between 1
August and 30 September and for the
internships beginning in July between 1 February and 31 March.
Applications will only be received outside these periods in
exceptional circumstances and where a written notice to this
effect has been issued by the Centre.
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A
standard application
form is available on the website.
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Applicants should complete the form and send it together with a CV
detailing their relevant qualifications and experience to the
Centre, either through post or e-mail. Whenever possible,
applications should be sent via e-mail to
internships@southcentre.org. Please mark clearly in the
subject line “Application for Intellectual Property Internship”.
Applications sent by post should be addressed to:
South Centre
IP
Internships
Chemin du Champ d’Anier 17
POB 228, 1211 Geneva
19
SWITZERLAND
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Copies of qualifications, previous employment certificates,
publications etc. should not be sent with the application form.
These will be requested if required.
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While every effort will be made to contact applicants and inform
them on the status of their applications, this will not always be
possible. Applicants who do not receive an answer within one month
of the close of the application process (by the end of May or the
end of October respectively) or the stated date in special cases,
should consider their application unsuccessful. Any further
correspondence will not be entertained.
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Candidates who are short-listed will be informed of the status of
their application with explanation as to the process of the
selection. Completing a written exercise on current innovation, IP
and related issues may be required.
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The
final stage of the selection process involves an interview. If the
applicant is not in Geneva or can not otherwise be available for
an interview personally, a telephone interview may be arranged. A
decision on the successful candidate will, as far as possible, be
made at least two months before the start of the internship.
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