Collaboration with UNA-UK and Universities

The UN Association of the UK (UNA-UK) is the UK’s leading independent policy authority on the UN and a grassroots membership organization with a network of supporters across the UK. Through education and advocacy, it seeks to promote a strong, credible and effective United Nations. BAFUNCS has maintained close relations with UNA-UK. Some BAFUNCS members are also members of UNA-UK, and they participate in UNA-UK's national events and attend local branch meetings. Members of BAFUNCS who are interested in joining UNA-UK, or finding out more about others ways to support its work, should visit its website.

BAFUNCS established a Career Paths Programme in 2015 in collaboration with UNA-UK, through which events were organized to bring the experiences of BAFUNCS members in their careers to students to give them insights into securing a job in the UN. The programme was suspended during the pandemic from 2020 to 2022.

In 2022, BAFUNCS resumed its Career Paths Programme, with events being held every academic year in selected universities around the UK, organized in partnership with student associations, academic departments, and careers services. UNA-UK is not currently a partner in the Programme. A range of formats are used, including small informal group discussions and more formal panels, with BAFUNCS members as discussants and panellists.

In the last academic year, Programme events were held in Cambridge University, Imperial College, Kings College London, the London School of Economic, Oxford University, University of Sussex Institute of Development Studies, the University College London, and London International Model United Nations (LIMUN) Conference.

Almost 20 BAFUNCS members have been involved in the Career Paths Programme to date. If you are interested in participating as in such events as a panellist, then please send to a message to partnerships@bafuncs.org . Please remember that the emphasis is very much on talking about your own careers and experience and what it was like to work for the UN either at HQ or in the field —- and does not require a knowledge of up-to-date UN topics or events.

Click Here for news about the programme's most recent activities.

The photos below show some past events.

A Career Paths Programme panel event at Cambridge University in October 2024 with BAFUNCS panellists Alison Tilbe and Stephen Rudgard.

A Career Paths Programme panel event in the London School of Economics in October 2023 with BAFUNCS panellists Nicholas Rosellini, John Cubbon, and Nicola Harrington (online).