The Dag Hammarskjöld Foundation is offering an internship position for active master level students and recent graduates in peace and conflict, international relations, or other relevant thematic areas for the spring semester of 2026. The intern will be an integral part of the Foundation’s programmatic work on Sustaining Peace and will contribute to other areas of the Foundation’s work as needed.
Internship period
The internship starts at in mid-January until early June (approximately 18 weeks and a minimum of 4 months), on a full-time basis, as agreed to by the intern and the Foundation. The exact period and dates will be discussed with the accepted intern and the Foundation, in line with course requirements. Both parties have the right to terminate the internship period with two weeks’ notice if either feels that their expectations are not being met.
Description of the internship position
The intern will be part of the Foundation’s Sustaining Peace team and will contribute to its work to a) advance the Youth, Peace and Security (YPS) agenda and b) coordinate Investing and Partnering with Youth for Peace (IPYP) — a multi-stakeholder platform hosted at the Foundation aimed at strengthening youth-led peacebuilding through innovative partnerships and resource mobilisation. In addition to supporting this work, the intern will engage with broader thematic areas under the Sustaining Peace programme, including the Peacebuilding Commission (PBC) and other multilateral or UN-related processes.
The position is designed to offer both focus and flexibility, allowing space for the intern to explore their own areas of interest while gaining meaningful exposure to the Foundation’s wider peacebuilding agenda.
Duties and responsibilities
- Conduct an in-depth analysis on the role of UN Member States and agencies, funds and programmes in facilitating, supporting and monitoring youth-private partnerships, towards implementation of the YPS agenda.
- Plan and organise a webinar series, in coordination with IPYP Youth Engagement Coordinators and members, aimed at strengthening the capacity of young peacebuilders to engage with the private sector;
- Support the team in developing toolkits for young peacebuilders and private sector actors, building on IPYP analysis and materials.
- Support efforts to engage with the private sector, including but not limited to the Swedish video games sector.
- Support communications of the Foundation’s Sustaining Peace work, including through blogs, summary reports and policy briefs, and creating content for IPYP’s LinkedIn page.
- Assist with administrative and logistical tasks such as note-taking, project documentation and event planning.
- Collaborate with other teams at the Foundation and contribute to their work as required.
- Support efforts to monitor programmatic outputs and outcomes.
- Other tasks as needed to support the Foundation’s work to advance the Sustaining Peace agenda, including by supporting planning and reporting of the Operationalising Sustaining Peace roundtable series and dialogues between the UN and regional organisations.
Expectations and outputs
The intern will be expected to have developed a strong understanding of the stakeholder landscape related to Youth, Peace and Security, with particular attention to the role of private sector in supporting and partnering with youth-led peacebuilding. They will have gained hands-on experience in policy-related research and analysis and is expected to have enhanced their knowledge of strategic communications through contributions to IPYP’s outreach efforts. Through close collaboration with the Sustaining Peace team and other teams at the Foundation, the intern is expected to have acquired practical skills and a solid understanding of the Dag Hammarskjöld Foundation’s work in promoting adequate, flexible and scalable funding and financing for youth-led peacebuilding and innovative partnerships with young peacebuilders. Additionally, the intern is expected to have gained a solid understanding of the broader international peacebuilding landscape, including the role of the UN system and other key actors in advancing the Sustaining Peace agenda.
The Foundation does not offer renumeration for internships but is willing to complete any paperwork needed for interns to receive external grants or stipends, as well as academic credit, during their internship period. Employment is not offered following the completion of an internship at the Foundation.
Interns are expected to maintain confidentiality outside of the Foundation regarding the details of internal meetings, collaboration, etc. All work conducted by the intern at and for the Dag Hammarskjöld Foundation will remain the property of the Foundation. The intern must therefore ask permission before using this work for other purposes.
Qualifications and experience
- Currently completing or recently completed a master’s degree in peace and conflict studies, international relations, development studies, sustainability and corporate social responsibility, or related subjects.
- Demonstrated knowledge on the UN system’s—and that of other international and regional organisations—work to prevent conflicts and build peace and/or the role of the private sector in supporting peacebuilding and partnering with youth-led peacebuilding.
- Some work experience or past internship focused on peacebuilding, sustaining peace or corporate social responsibility is desirable.
- Excellent working knowledge of English (including ability to produce written materials). Knowledge of other languages is desirable, although not a requirement.
About the Dag Hammarskjöld Foundation
The Dag Hammarskjöld Foundation was established in 1962 in memory of the second Secretary-General of the United Nations. With a focus on United Nations related issues, the Foundation pursues a range of activities in the fields of peace and development to promote the inclusion of diverse voices, including those most affected by conflict and deprivation, in international policy fora. The intern will have the opportunity to gain exposure to the Foundation’s international network of representatives from UN agencies, civil society, governments and the research community.
Applications
Please send your completed applications to recruitment@daghammarskjold.se no later than 24 November 2025, with “Last Name, First Name: Internship Application” in the subject heading.
The application should be in English and include a short letter of interest, a CV, and a writing sample (max 3 pages) – an essay or an excerpt from a thesis or report from your studies. Interviews will be conducted on a rolling basis.
International applicants must ensure that their student residence permit in Sweden allows them to undertake an internship. If the internship is not part of their formal studies in Sweden, a separate permit from the Swedish Migration Agency may be required before applying.
More about the Foundation: www.daghammarskjold.se
Download the Terms of Reference here
For questions, please contact Sarah Smith, Programme Manager, Sustaining Peace: sarah.smith@daghammarskjold.se