As a fifth-year Ph.D. candidate in the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs’ Science, Technology, and Environmental Policy program, Melissa O. Tier is considering what she wants to do after earning her doctorate.

Through her studies and research, Tier has been closely following the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Princeton’s SPIA’s 2024 U.N. Day, held last month, gave her the chance to go to the source to learn more about it, along with other possible climate-related career options.

“The day gave me a much better sense of the overall structure of the U.N. and other agencies outside of the U.N. F triple-C,” she said. “It was helpful to understand the environment program at the U.N. and other roles there.”

Tier was one of more than 60 Princeton SPIA students to travel to Manhattan’s East Side to visit U.N. headquarters and hear from some of the many School alumni who work for the United Nations and U.N.-adjacent organizations.

“I found it to be a unique opportunity to examine the U.N.'s work from within, through a multi-faceted lens that includes the perspectives of U.N. officials, diplomats, and notably, SPIA alumni,” said MPP student Gili Gutwirt Yafe. “The experience offered insights into both the grand scheme of operations, exemplified by the General Assembly building, and the intricate details of the U.N.'s work and the career paths leading to opportunities within the organization.”

The day began with a welcome session hosted by Minh-Thu Pham, MPA ’03, and featuring representatives from Zambia, Mexico, and Indonesia. Other sessions touched on climate change, peace and security, disarmament, and U.N.-related career paths. A concluding series of coffee chats gave students the chance to network with Princeton SPIA alumni who work at the United Nations.

“Being able to speak with alumni about their experiences and hear their candid advice is a unique opportunity of being a SPIA student that I wanted to participate in while studying here,” said Valerie Doze. “I appreciated the candidness of the speakers in sharing their paths into the U.N. as well as explaining the work that the U.N. still accomplishes today.”

U.N. Day provided “a unique opportunity” for an inside look at the organization’s operations, both literally and figuratively, according to Tobin Nelson.

“U.N. HQ retains a special mystique that can only be felt inside the building,” Nelson said. “Part of it is due to the genius of Oscar Niemeyer's architectural design, but part of it comes from stepping into the General Assembly hall and knowing that every country in the world gathers there to seek solutions to our common challenges. That gives me hope.”

Carolina G Azevedo, an MPP student, is chief of communications and results reporting at the U.N. Development Coordination Office. She participated not as an attendee but as the moderator of the session on climate change.

“One thing Princeton University has taught me is that climate change, as a global systemic risk and a ‘wicked’ challenge that knows no country borders, can only be tackled through international cooperation and systemic solutions,” Azevedo posted to LinkedIn afterward. “The impacts of climate change go beyond borders, and solutions must too.”

Photo Credit: Amy Pszczolkowski