Tiril Rahn

I am Tiril, a rising senior from Oslo, Norway studying Political Science with a minor in Peace Studies and Public Policy and Management.

I am interning at the UK Mission to the United Nations in New York. I work primarily on political issues in the Security Council, such as Yemen, Venezuela, Sudan, Israel/Palestine, Syria, Iraq, and Libya. I have also been part of the mandate renewal on Cyprus where the UK held the pen. Interning at the UK Mission to the UN, I arrange and attend negotiations with the 15 member states in the Security Council, I attend open and closed consultations and briefings, and I write many reports and notes sent to the Foreign Office in the UK.

Being from Norway, it is particularly interesting to work for the United Kingdom. I did not know it was possible to work for another country's mission before Tom Fletcher, my professor at NYUAD — who is also a diplomat — recommended me to apply. I feel that, in particular NYUAD, has prepared me for this internship by exposing me to different cultures, places and experiences. I have been able to study politics in Abu Dhabi, Shanghai, New York and Sydney, as well as a class trip to Kenya with people from 110 nationalities. Including speaking Norwegian and English, I have been able to study Arabic, Chinese, Spanish, and German. Experiences from NYUAD provide me with unique perspective I use every day at the UN. Several of my friends at NYUAD are from countries I work on in the Security Council, and these friendships provides a deeper empathy and broader perspectives of a conflict than any book or briefing every could.

Being at the UN, I have experienced that we need more young people, particularly women, involved in peace processes. This goes particularly for the military — the UN peacekeeping forces — where women are needed and wanted badly. I therefore encourage other interested in the field to not get intimidated, but rather reach out directly to projects, initiatives, and people they find interesting. Diplomacy is different than many traditional jobs because while talent and knowledge is important, equally are networks and reaching for opportunities.

I think international experience and understanding is particularly sought after when working in the Security Council. To seek out opportunities where you can learn about different politics, history, culture, and language is key. You also need to find topics that particularly interests you. For me, that has been counter-terrorism and de-radicalisation where I interned with Hedayah, refugee issues where I have been collaborating with UNHCR in Abu Dhabi, the Support Committee for Western Sahara in Norway, and starting No Lost Generations at NYUAD collaborating with 91 other campuses worldwide. I also participate in many talks and forums on topics I find interesting, which has led me to later be invited to speak in round-table discussions with Google, Environmental Laureates Foundation, Peace and Leadership Forum in Korea, and with UNHCR. If you have a genuine interest and passion for what you do, are kind to all people you meet, and show accountability and determination, you have a great shot in this field.

I have wanted to do diplomacy for a long time. I looked around myself and saw statistics of migrants dying at sea, people dying in war, people dying from curable diseases, people dying from starvation, sexual violence in conflict, and the lack of human rights. I believe human suffering is a product of politics and therefore must be solved with politics. This inspired me to study political science because we need to understand where our problems come from to make thoughtful and efficient solutions. I further seek a carrier in diplomacy — a carrier I aim to further expand after I graduate from NYUAD. I love the work I do at the UK Mission to the UN: I cheer for visionary goals, and I am determined to continue to work to improve politics.