“The program clearly demonstrates its uniqueness among training initiatives. It reminded me of the essential building blocks and the real-world challenges of peacebuilding. A truly thought‑provoking experience.”
FY2025 Program Associate—Mid-Career Course
Who is Eligible?
The Mid-Career Course is designed for experienced professionals with at least seven years of practical experience in fields related to peacebuilding and international development. It is designed to help participants further their careers in international organizations, and we are looking for applicants who aspire to take on managerial roles in the future. Please refer to the application guidelines for detailed requirements.
01. Program Content
Leadership and Management Skills
Looking ahead to senior-level positions, you will take stock of your experience to date and identify your strengths, values, and leadership qualities.
Career Planning
Define your desired role and position, and develop medium- to long-term goals. We’ll help you turn your career vision into a career plan.
Network Development
Expand your professional network with like-minded people.
- Training Period
The training program lasts about one week and consists of a preliminary online session and in-person training. (All session is conducted in English)
- Location
- Example of a Training Day (FY 2025)
| 9:30-9:45 | Recap |
| 9:45-11:00 | Communication in Management |
| 11:00-11:15 | Coffee Break |
| 11:15-12:30 | Clarifying Your Career Goals and Identifying Opportunities |
| 12:30-13:30 | Lunch Break |
| 13:30-14:45 | Developing Your Own Narrative |
| 14:45-15:00 | Coffee Break |
| 15:00-17:00 | Partnerships and Resource Mobilization |
| 17:30-19:30 | PA Presentations, Reflection, & Journaling Individual Consultations |
02. Highlights from the FY2025 Mid-Career Course
The Mid-Career Course was held from January 7 to 13, 2026, at Hiroshima University’s Higashi-Hiroshima Campus (partly in Hiroshima City). The Program Associates came from Austria, Cameroon, France, Guatemala, India, Indonesia, Japan, Morocco, Nepal, and Pakistan. They had a wide range of professional backgrounds, including UN organizations, multilateral development banks, NGOs, government agencies, and the private sector. Mr. Guillaume Foliot (Senior Advisor at the UN System Staff College) led a diverse group of facilitators from senior positions in UN agencies, the private sector, and Hiroshima University in conducting the course.
The course focused on themes such as “self-assessment,” “communication,” “team management and teamwork,” “mock interviews,” and “leadership”. The training also featured lectures from international experts, who shared the latest trends in major issues such as peacebuilding, multilateralism, the Humanitarian–Development–Peace (HDP) Nexus, and UN 2.0. The Program Associates themselves brought a wealth of experience to the training, which enabled them to share a broad range of perspectives and learn from one another—as well as from the facilitators—throughout the course.
