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I am entering my third year of study at ɬÀï·¬, where I am pursuing a Joint Honours in History and International Development with a Minor in Environment. I am interested in the history and study of international relations, diplomacy, and multilateral organizations, especially with regard to nuclear issues. As such, this internship provided me with an opportunity to step outside of the classroom and truly gain hands-on experience with the topics I have studied. While I truly enjoy my studies at ɬÀï·¬, I believe there is no replacement for applying learning to experiences like this, where I got to work with a skilled team of Canadian diplomats and learn so much more about my areas of interest.

It was truly incredible to work with the Global Affairs Canada team at VPERM, which represents Canada at the United Nations and other multilateral bodies based in Vienna, particularly the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO), and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). During my time with VPERM, I largely covered Canada’s nuclear portfolios on the IAEA and CTBTO, which align perfectly with both my interests and previous academic knowledge. The goals of these two UN bodies are essentially to enforce the international nuclear nonproliferation regime and ensure the safe operations of peaceful nuclear activities, helping minimize the risk from nuclear weapons while promoting the peaceful uses of nuclear technologies that can greatly benefit humanity. Given current events and threats to nonproliferation, this summer demonstrated to me the importance of having multilateral organizations like the IAEA in times of crisis to provide a space for dialogue and diplomacy. One of the highlights of my internship was attending the IAEA Board of Governors in June, during which current events in Iran came to the forefront of the international stage. Due to this, I had the opportunity to also attend several Extraordinary Sessions of the Board of Governors, which was especially interesting. I also had the opportunity to cover ongoing negotiations on the preparation of resolutions for the IAEA General Conference this September and on funding for the CTBTO’s International Monitoring System, which ensures no nuclear test can go undetected.

While much of the work of these organizations pertains to nuclear security, safety, and safeguards, I also learned that many IAEA Member States’ diplomatic presence in Vienna pertains to technical cooperation for peaceful uses of nuclear technologies. The assistance of the IAEA enables states to apply nuclear technologies to enhance food security, provide nuclear medicine and cancer care, and produce energy without the use of fossil fuels. For example, the IAEA International Conference on Stakeholder Engagement for Nuclear Power Programmes, which I attended in June, demonstrated the importance of dialogue for the pursuit of emissions-free nuclear energy and the role the IAEA could play in this. I had not realized until this internship how big a role a nuclear-focused organization could play in efforts to meet the Sustainable Development Goals, so this was truly eye-opening.

One challenge I encountered was adapting to the fast-paced nature of the work, which initially conflicted with my instinct for meticulousness. I overcame this by honing my ability to quickly discern the most relevant details, for example, preparing concise daily press briefings on the developing situation in Iran first thing in the morning so they would remain relevant for my supervisors.

I was grateful for my academic background during this internship, as it enabled me to apply and test the knowledge that I had researched in an academic setting. Last year, I wrote several history and political science research papers on the diplomatic negotiations surrounding the 1963 Limited Nuclear Test Ban Treaty and the subsequent Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty in 1996, providing me with valuable background knowledge. This fall, I will be writing a research paper relating to my internship under the supervision of Professor Takamura and I hope to be able to incorporate this in my research, for which I will receive academic credit.

Thank you to Mr. Garvin Brown and to express my gratitude for the generous support of the Susan Casey Brown Fund, which enabled me to complete an internship with the Permanent Mission of Canada to the International Organizations in Vienna (VPERM).

When I applied for this internship, I hoped to gain insight into the issues and processes that I had previously studied in a theoretical setting. However, as well as being an incredible learning opportunity, this internship has had a profound impact on my future career aspirations. The guidance and mentorship of several VPERM colleagues were invaluable and have made me seriously consider a career with Global Affairs Canada after graduation. I believe that diplomacy, while sometimes complex and frustrating, is an incredibly important space for dialogue, and I would love to play a role in this in the future.

Once again, thank you to Mr. Garvin Brown and the Susan Casey Brown Fund, which made this experience possible!