Internship Stories: International Relations

During your studies, you can undertake an internship that aligns with your interests, whether in NGOs, research, international and national organisations, advocacy work, or elsewhere. Below, you can discover inspiring stories of where our students have undertaken their internships and how these experiences have shaped their academic and personal journeys.

• Aksel Vold: Intern at Norway’s Permanent Mission to the UN in New York, Spring 2026

  

  In the spring semester of 2026, I interned at Norway's Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York, where I worked on the development team covering sustainability, gender equality, and social and economic issues. On a day-to-day basis, this involved attending meetings and negotiations across a wide variety of forums, such as the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), the High-Level Political Forum, the Financing for Development Forum, the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) and others — taking notes, drafting reports and helping with the day-to-day running of the delegation’s work.

  The internship connected directly to my studies, especially a course on international organisations (EDS380) that first sparked my fascination with how International Organisations develop their own cultures, norms, and internal hierarchies, almost taking on a life of their own as the central arenas for multilateralism. Being inside the UN made that tangible, and it gave me a front-row seat to how multilateral diplomacy actually works with bloc dynamics, contested language, and everything else.

  I am left with a much deeper understanding of international politics in practice, and it has been a great confidence-building experience on a personal level. My personal highlight was delivering a statement on behalf of Norway in an ECOSOC special meeting on international tax cooperation, which was pretty terrifying, but more importantly deeply memorable and a proud moment.

• Victor Holmgren: Intern at the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Canberra, Australia, Autumn 2025

  

  For my third semester (July 2025 – January 2026), I was given the opportunity to do an internship at the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Canberra, Australia. The embassy is the official diplomatic mission from Norway to Australia but is also accredited to New Zealand and a handful of Pacific Island states.

  Although far from Norway, the bilateral relationship is becoming increasingly important, especially in areas such as climate, energy and security.
  During my internship, I got to work on numerous tasks, including partnership dialogues, managing social media and writing reports to the Ministry back home.

  I found the internship particularly relevant as an IR student, as I got to observe theory in action and ground my theoretical knowledge. I think the greatest takeaway was the people I met and the friends and network I built throughout my stay. My personal highlight was the many places I got to visit, as the country has a lot of beautiful scenery and wildlife to see!

• Søgni Mogstad Strand: Intern at Norway’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations in Rome, Spring 2024

  

  In the spring of 2024, I was an intern with the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs at Norway’s Permanent Mission to the UN in Rome. At the time, I was completing a master’s degree in International Relations at Noragric, building on my background in Animal Science and my interest in food systems and humanitarian issues.

  Through the internship, I gained insight into how global food policy, development cooperation, and humanitarian response are shaped through the work of FAO, WFP and IFAD. My tasks included following political and humanitarian processes, preparing reports and Norwegian statements, attending meetings, and supporting the delegation’s work on food security and ongoing crises such as Gaza and Sudan. 

  The experience connected closely to my studies and later informed fieldwork in Northern Uganda related to food insecurity and humanitarian funding cuts. One of the most valuable aspects of the internship was understanding the links between headquarters decision-making and outcomes at household and individual level. A perspective I now carry with me as I return to the delegation as an adviser two years later.

• Marius Andersen Sætre: Intern at the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Singapore, Spring 2026

  

  I completed a six-month internship at the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Singapore, as part of my master's in International Relations. The internship gave me the opportunity to apply the knowledge and skills I have developed through my studies in a professional and international environment.

  During my time at the embassy, I worked with political reporting, research, social media, event coordination, business promotion, and consular matters. The experience was highly relevant to my academic interests in geopolitics, maritime security and political developments in East and Southeast Asia, which also form the basis of my master’s thesis.

  Through the internship, I gained valuable insight into the daily work of a Norwegian embassy and Norway’s political and commercial engagement in Singapore and the ASEAN region. One of the highlights was participating in Singapore Maritime Week, where I attended high-level meetings and events, giving me first-hand experience of international cooperation and diplomacy in practice.

• Marie Holmgaard Martinsen: Intern at NRC, Autumn 2025

  

  I did my internship with the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) during the autumn of 2025. NRC is a humanitarian organisation working to protect the rights of displaced people around the world, and during my internship I worked specifically with the Protection from Violence team.

  My main responsibilities included supporting internal communication, knowledge management, and other administrative tasks for my line manager. However, the internship was much more than just my work. My line manager made it very clear that my main task was to take part in as many of the events and meeting as I wanted, and just learn and gather all the experiences I could while I was there.

  I gained valuable insight into how humanitarian work is carried out in practice and got the opportunity to make connections and build a network. This was the highlight of my internship. The supportive work environment, the friendships I built with the other interns, and the opportunity to connect with colleagues from different professional and cultural backgrounds made the experience especially rewarding and memorable.