Want to gain exciting insights into the world of the United Nations in Vienna?

The Shadowing Programme will offer students the opportunity to have a one-hour virtual encounter with a UN staff member and join a virtual career workshop. 

Staff members from a range of Vienna-based organizations including the following are joining the Shadowing Programme 2026:  

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), 

Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO),

United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), 

United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA), 

United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), 

United Nations Information Service (UNIS) Vienna, 

International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River (ICPDR). 

United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR)

How to participate

Students enrolled in a Master's or PhD programme at universities in the following countries are encouraged to apply: Armenia, Austria, Czechia, Georgia, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia,Türkiye, Ukraine. 

The following information will be needed for your application:

• Name
• Nationality
• Telephone number
• Email address
• University
• Field of study
• Master's or PhD programme
• Field of interest
• Name of the organization you would like to “shadow”
• Have you participated in the Shadowing Programme before, and if so, in which year?
• If selected, what would you expect to get out of the Shadowing Programme? (max. 50 words) 

The call for application will be open from 14 September until 27 September 2026. You can apply by sending an email to the entity you wish to shadow. Please note that you can only apply for one entity:

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) - Email

Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) - Email

United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) - Email

United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) - Email

United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) - Email

United Nations Information Service (UNIS) Vienna - Email

International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River (ICPDR) - Email

United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR) - Email

There is a limit to the number of applications that can be accepted, so you are encouraged to apply as early as possible. Please note that students who have not participated in the Shadowing Programme before, will be given priority. Incomplete and double applications will not be considered.

Furthermore, you might be placed with a different organization than you indicated, subject to availability of places.  

The Shadowing Programme is an opportunity for students to gain insights into the work of a UN staff member and is not part of any recruitment process. 

How to know if you are selected to participate

The selection of students who can participate in the Shadowing Programme will be made after all registrations have been collected. The successful candidates will be contacted by email. 

The Shadowing Programme takes place to help mark United Nations Day (24 October). It is coordinated by UNIS Vienna, with support from UNIC Kyiv, and organized in cooperation with all participating Vienna-based organizations. 

The language of the program is English.