Objectives
The United Nations – Nippon Foundation Fellowship provides Government officials and other mid-level professionals from developing States with advanced training on ocean affairs and the law of the sea, as well as related disciplines, including marine science in support of management frameworks. Fellows will learn about international legal frameworks, key issues and best practices in ocean affairs, become familiar with the work of the United Nations, and develop professional skills. Fellows will also conduct individual research, under academic supervision, and develop a written thesis on a topic selected by them.
Upon completion of the Fellowship, Fellows are expected to return to their home countries and use their in-depth knowledge and extended experience to assist in formulating comprehensive ocean policy and in implementing the legal regime set out in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and related instruments, including through designing, implementing and/or evaluating specific improvement projects. For further details on the Fellowship objectives see this documentPDF.
Click the Host Institutions page to see the list of Host Institutions.
Fellowship conditions
For the conditions of the Fellowship, including regarding travel, stipend payments, visas, medical clearance, insurance and housing, please see the Fellowship Conditions page.
Fellowship structure, curriculum and deliverables
The 9-month Fellowship Programme is composed of two consecutive phases which provide Fellows with advanced and customized research and training opportunities in their chose fields:
Phase One: 3-month Research and Training, which is normally undertaken between March/April and June at DOALOS at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.
Phase Two: 6-month Advanced Academic Research and Study, which is normally undertaken between July and December at one of the prestigious participating Host Institutions and under the guidance of subject matter expert(s) who have recognized in-depth expertise in the Fellows’ chosen field of study.
The deliverables of the Fellowship Programme are:
A 100-page written thesis
A presentation of the research
An ocean governance matrix
In addition, a number of assignments will be completed in the context of the training curriculum delivered during phase one of the programme.
For further details on the curriculum of the programme, please see this documentPDF and for full details of the programme requirements, please see this documentPDF.
Click on the research database to see the profiles and research theses submitted by previous Fellows.
