Adrienne Tessier, Photo credit Cory Aronec
Two UWinnipeg Political Science students – Janelle Deniset and Adrienne Tessier – attended a week-long United Nations (UN) Intensive Study Program offered through Seton Hall University in South Orange, New Jersey. This was possible thanks to funding provided by the Manitoba Chair of Global Governance Studies*.
Held every June by the Seton Hall School of Diplomacy & International Relations, the program familiarizes students from around the world with the inner workings of the UN by bringing them together with distinguished practitioners working in the field of multilateral diplomacy. Held at UN Headquarters in New York, the program consisted of daily briefings, followed by seminar discussions with high-ranking UN staff including former and present ambassadors. Students were also given a tour of the UN building, and also attended a Security Council meeting.
A second-year Political Science student planning to go into human rights law, Tessier found the program to be a very positive experience.
“Attending this program was a dream come true for me, especially as an undergrad student,” said Tessier. “I found it very validating to be around other students who are as passionate as I am about the UN and the work done by their agencies. And it was not just a lot of cheerleading. We heard some very honest critiques of the UN system by people who actually work there. But the biggest takeaway for me was seeing women working at the UN who are respected and influential in a field that is still quite male-dominated. It was an incredible experience.”
Janelle Deniset, Photo credit Cory Aronec
Deniset, who graduated this spring with an Honours degree in Political Science and will soon begin graduate work at the Munk School of Global Affairs at the University of Toronto, also had very positive feedback about the program.
“In a very short period of time, we were exposed to a mountain of knowledge from real-world practitioners who were remarkably candid in their discussions,” expressed Deniset. “The program lasted only five days but the amount of material covered was tremendous. This was also a great networking opportunity. We met students representing 11 different nationalities, who share similar interests. We have created a Facebook page to share upcoming projects!”
It was equally wonderful for the Department of Political Science to send such gifted students to the UN seminar at Seton Hall. “It is an initiative that we will keep going in the future,” said Department Chair, Allen Mills.
*The Manitoba Chair of Global Governance Studies (MCGGS) is a joint program between the Department of Political Science at the University of Winnipeg and the Department of Political Studies at the University of Manitoba. The Chair’s objective is to help promote understanding and awareness of ongoing developments in the field of global governance.
