SPIA Student Interns with UN Global Compact
Last summer, Aditya Petwal (M.A. Global Policy/International Environmental Policy ‘12) interned with the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) in New York City. UNGC is a “strategic policy initiative for businesses that are committed to aligning their operations and strategies with ten universally accepted principles in the areas of human rights, labor, environment and anti-corruption.”
Aditya worked specifically on UNGC’s Caring for Climate, UN’s climate action business platform, and CEO Water Mandate, an initiative of the UN Global Compact that seeks to advance more sustainable corporate water management. He reviewed and suggested modifications of key Caring for Climate documents, and updated the database for Water Mandate. These tasks required a significant amount of internal and external communication, and afforded Aditya the opportunity to network with many existing and prospective UN partners.
Aditya also participated in meetings and discussions with the organizing team for Rio + 20, helping to prepare briefs. He compiled speeches related to climate change by the UN Secretary General, and provided detailed analysis of International Energy Agency reports.
A 2011 recipient of the Fulbright-Nehru Fellowship, an award designed for outstanding young Indians to pursue a master’s degree at U.S. colleges and universities, Aditya plans to lead a national level program on poverty alleviation that is in harmony with sustainability. Aditya believes both the internship and pursuit of SPIA’s M.A. in Global Policy have provided him with the necessary tools to achieve his goals.