The NEAR Secretariat conducted the “2022 Secretariat Experience and Training Program for Local College Students” for two weeks running from Monday, August 8 to Friday, August 19, 2022.

This year’s intern students participated in several programs prepared by the Secretariat, including meetings with experts on different NEAR member countries and seconded government officials, listening to lectures, on-the-job training, online meeting with foreign students, visit to Gyeongsangbuk-do Provincial Government Office and meetings with government officials, and model NEAR International Forum.

In particular, the student had an opportunity to help them better understand the economy, society, and culture of neighboring countries in Northeast Asia, through special lectures and Q&A sessions offered by experts on different NEAR member countries: China, Japan, Korea, Mongolia, and Russia and seconded government officials.

Furthermore, this year’s internship program covered the “First Model NEAR International Forum”.  During the forum, students spent some meaningful time on experiencing the entire process of how the NEAR International Forum is actually conducted by planning and coordinating the model international forum themselves.

The participants said, “We were able to feel the necessity of international cooperation and efforts in diverse areas in order to revitalized exchange in the Northeast Asian region through the model international forum, which was held under the theme, “Was to Promote Exchange and Cooperation among Young-adults in Northeast Asia”.

As such, this internship programs gave the NEAR interns the opportunity to experience the roles of NEAR as an international organization pursuing the United Nations in the Northeast Asian region” and step further towards their dream of becoming professionals in the field of international cooperation.