ABOUT THE POSITION
Thinking about a career in public policy? Committed to improving the world we live in? Think Brookings – one of the most influential, most quoted and most trusted think tanks!
Interns spend approximately 10 weeks working alongside leading experts in government and academia from all over the world. Brookings also offers students the opportunity to intern in departments such as communications, human resources and central operations management. The mission of the Internship Program is to provide students with a pre-professional learning experience that offers meaningful, practical work experience related to their field of study or career interest. Students engage in career exploration and development as well as learn new skills.
Interns will have the opportunity to attend internal meetings, local think tank events, professional development workshops, and public Brookings events. In addition, interns may participate on Brookings sports teams and network with other interns throughout the Institution.
This external sponsorship/academic focused internship, beginning in June 2020, is an opportunity for undergraduate students in their junior or senior year and graduate students with an interest in subnational threats and transnational networks to apply principles and theory learned in the classroom in a professional environment. The internship is offered on the basis of academic credit and/or external financial support.
Applicants must be willing to commit to a minimum number of hours per week (no less than 25 hours per week, during regular business hours), with some flexibility around an academic course schedule.
The internship will focus on a broad range of issues, including drug trafficking and crime in Mexico and other parts of Latin America; U.S.-Mexico security cooperation; the opioids epidemic in the United States; militias around the world; non-state entities, illicit economies, insurgency, and conflict stabilization in Afghanistan, Somalia, Nigeria, and Colombia; and additional illicit economies, such as illegal drug and wildlife trafficking, logging, and mining.
Interns will learn how to apply theoretical knowledge learned in the classroom to a professional public policy institution and environment. They will monitor current developments in relevant research areas, conduct qualitative – and at times quantitative – research, produce written briefings and memos, brief support staff and senior fellows, summarize and synthesize documents, edit publications, help staff Brookings events, attend additional external think tank events, maintain databases, conduct additional administrative tasks related to web-postings, and logistical tasks related to events featuring guest speakers. Depending on interns foreign language abilities, they may also help translate documents.
Interns should leave the internship with a better understanding of how to conduct high quality research and impartial analysis, additional subject matter knowledge on a broad range of illicit economies and non-state actors, and experience interacting with top scholars in the field.
QUALIFICATIONS
Undergraduate students in their junior or senior year or graduates students working towards a degree in a relevant field (i.e. international affairs, foreign policy, political science, international law, international political economy, or related fields).
Qualified applicants will have a demonstrated interest in one or more of the following research areas: illicit economies, counternarcotics policies, insurgencies, militant/extremist groups, terrorism, and human rights. Knowledge of Latin America (especially Mexico, Colombia, the Andean region, and Brazil), the Middle East and South Asia (especially Iraq and Afghanistan), the Horn of Africa and West Africa, and/or South East Asia a plus. English fluency required; proficiency in additional language(s), especially Spanish, desired.
Additional Information:
Successful completion of a background investigation is required for interning at Brookings.
To be eligible for this internship, applicants must receive either academic credit or financial sponsorship from their university or another external organization and, once selected, be able to provide proof of such receipt.
Brookings requires that all applicants submit a cover letter and resume. You will also need to submit a 5-page writing sample. Please submit your resume as instructed and add your cover letter and writing sample as attachments when you apply. Your cover letter should highlight your educational experience and skills, along with an explanation of how this internship will contribute to your professional goals. Please address your cover letter to Hiring Manager.
HOW TO APPLY
For more information and to apply, click here.
