The Åland Islands Peace Institute (ÅIPI) welcomes interns from different backgrounds to professionally develop in a range of different roles. ÅIPI values providing internship opportunities, as these are seen as a way for ÅIPI to promote and support the development of knowledge and competence within its areas of interest. All of our interns are given personal guidance and supervision during the internship, and the tasks may vary greatly depending on ongoing current projects.
Our former interns have come from many different backgrounds. We have had students of sociology, international relations, international law, and languages, just to mention a few. Interns' tasks have often included taking care of seminar arrangements, assisting in research, as well as supporting our work by adding and updating information on our homepage and on social media.
In order to be eligible for an internship at ÅIPI, you must have completed at least one year of your studies, and you should not have graduated with a Master’s degree yet. Internships are offered twice a year, with calls for applications usually in September/October and April/May. For specific deadlines and current opportunities, look out for announcements on the open vacancies page or subscribe to our newsletter.
In general, the internships are full-time and ten weeks long, unless otherwise agreed. The internship is officially unpaid, but it is often possible to receive a €1,500 monthly internship grant from the Åland Labour Market and Student Service Authority (AMS). See the AMS guidelines in Swedish. You should also check whether your institution offers internship grants.
Contact person: Research Coordinator Petra Granholm, petra(at)peace.ax, +358 18 21950.
Former interns Martha Hannus, Lovisa Arlid and Charlotte Winberg
Our interns
Below you can find information about our interns and their tasks.
2020-10-15 09:14:40
My name is Vilma Kallio and I am a communications intern at the Åland Islands Peace Institute from October to December 2020. I study International Relations at the University of Lapland in Rovaniemi. In my studies I have focused on topics concerning the Arctic, Indigenous peoples and the EU as well as questions of security and peace. I am currently writing my Master’s thesis about the politics of reconciliation in Canada. During my internship I will assist with communication tasks such as updating the ÅIPI’s homepage, newsletters and social media as well as marketing the upcoming seminars and publications focusing on EU. I will also help with conferences and presentations as well as more research related tasks if needed. This internship gives me an opportunity to closely follow the Peace Instititute’s work related to peace and mediation and to better understand the different aspects concerning minorities and autonomy. In addition to gaining valuable working experience in communications and in Swedish-speaking environment, I hope to gain new insights for the Arctic context as well.
2020-08-27 12:14:08
My name is Saana Majander and I am a research intern at the Åland Islands Peace Institute from August to October 2020. I study law at the University of Helsinki and will write my bachelor’s thesis in the upcoming spring. At the Peace Institute, I assist with a research project that focuses on the impact that the EU-membership has had on the Åland Islands, especially with questions concerning the law-making on the Åland Islands. The internship gives me a fascinating opportunity to learn more about topics that interest me in my law studies, especially how the effectiveness of laws can be improved. At the Peace Institute, I get the chance to examine the legislative process in the unique context of the territorial autonomy of the Åland Islands. During the internship, I will also work with the e-course ”Territorial Autonomy as a Tool for Diversity Management: Lessons from the Åland Example”
2020-04-16 08:43:26
My name is Elvira Jansson, I am 21 years old and I`m currently studying social work at Novia University of Applied Science in Turku. I am now on my fourth semester and my Bachelor of Social Services is due in 2021. This spring I´will do an internship at the Åland Mediation Office. I enjoy my social work studies, and the education also matches my own interests such as humans, relationships, society and social behaviour.
I am very happy for the opportunity to do an internship at the Åland Mediation Office as I want to learn more about mediation and how it works in practice. I also look forward to learn about various tools and methods that promote conflict resolution, since I am convinced that you will have a great benefit from that kind of knowledge in your work life.
2020-02-11 09:07:28
Mari Ek is a research intern at the Åland Islands Peace Institute from February to April 2020. In her studies in the Master’s programme in Peace, Mediation and Conflict Research at the University of Tampere, she has focused on human rights, migration, humanitarian aid and gender-based violence. During her internship at the Peace Institute, Mari will assist in e.g. research projects, publication databases and in organizational tasks related to the Kastelholm Talks on Peace.
2019-09-30 08:38:49
The Åland Islands Peace Institute offers an opportunity for one or two trainees to experience a dynamic and flexible internship during the spring semester of 2020.
We are looking for applicants interested in issues concerning peace, security, minorities and autonomy. The work assignments include arrangement of seminars, information dissemination and website development. Suitable fields of study background are social, legal or political sciences but also IT, communication and information management. In this year’s call for applications, we also appreciate a background or interest in one or more of the following fields: graphic design, research, conflict management and event management.
Read more ...
2019-09-19 10:07:48
Calle Koskela is a research intern at the Åland Islands Peace Institute from September 2019. Originally Calle is from Vaasa, and currently he studies political history at the University of Helsinki. His goal is to finish his master's thesis during 2020. During his internship at the Peace Institute Calle will assist with publications and research applications.
2019-09-02 09:56:25
Karoliina Paakkinen is a communications intern at the Åland Islands Peace Institute from August to October. She will work with the renewal of the website of the Peace Institute and with other communications tasks. In addition, she will assist at conferences and presentations where the Peace Institute takes part. Karoliina studies Social Sciences at Tampere University and she is writing her Master´s thesis about Zambian female politicians´ possibilities to participate in the decision-making processes.
2019-03-11 10:28:05
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Mirjam Granström is a research intern at the Peace Institute from March to May. During her internship she will assist in the development of new research projects and preparation of the e-journal “JASS”. Her desire to help people around the world combined with her interest in law and different cultures led to studies in International law at Åbo Akademi University, with the focal point on Human Rights law and Refugee law. She is currently writing her master thesis focusing on asylum and forced marriage.
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Linn Simonsson is doing her ERASMUS+ internship at the Peace Institute, from February to June. Linn is enrolled in the Master's Program in European Studies at Gothenburg University which is interdisciplinary with a focus on legal, political, cultural and social aspects of contemporary European development and integration. During her internship she will amongst other things, assist with the Kastelholm Talks on Peace. |
2019-05-09 06:48:00
The Åland Islands Peace Institute offers an opportunity for one or two trainees to experience a dynamic and flexible internship during the autumn semester of 2019.
Are you interested in issues about peace, security, minorities and autonomy? Do you like arranging seminars, writing information texts, layout and publishing information online? Then maybe we have the internship for you!
Submit your application before 27 May 2019. (NB Extended deadline.)
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2019-05-08 14:11:33
Mirjam Granström has been a research intern at the Åland Islands Peace Institute from March to May 2019. Here are her reflections on the internship period:
The core reason for my interest in an internship at the Åland Peace Institute was that I wanted to become better acquainted with research and with issues that the Institute is working on in the field of peace, security and minorities. When I think back on my internship, I realise that in addition to gaining an insight into how the Institute works with research, I have really become aware of what Åland's special status entails.
As a Swedish-speaking Finn I have read about the "Åland example" in history class, but it was only during the internship period that I really understood what this special position entails and how Åland can serve as an example of a peaceful solution of a minority conflict.
In practice, I have had the opportunity to work on the development of the e-course "Territorial Autonomy as a Tool for Diversity Management: Lessons from the Åland Example", I have participated in the Kastelholm talks and in various seminars concerning questions about the special position of Åland, the position of the Swedish language, sustainable development and other relevant issues. Besides this, I have also had the opportunity to familiarise myself with another form of peaceful conflict resolution, that is, mediation activities at the Åland Mediation Office. In my studies, I have read about examples of how various international actors strive to solve conflicts internationally, and it has been extremely interesting and instructive to see how the Mediation Office on Åland is working to develop peaceful solutions to conflicts that occur in the Åland society. The discussions with the staff and with volunteer mediators have made me realise how important it is that peace work is also carried out locally.
Overall, during the internship period, I have had the opportunity to try a variety of tasks as well as to participate in educational discussions and lectures. I have also had the opportunity to present and discuss issues that I am passionate about and I have met people who believe in what they work with and who have inspired me.
Mirjam Granström with Mediation Officer Petra Granholm and Organisation Secretary as well as Mediation Supervisor Mirjam Lukola.
2018-12-10 14:46:45
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Marielle Fellman will be an intern at the institute from November 2018. She has a one year master degree in Human Geography from Örebro University. During the internship Marielle will focus mainly on information and organisation of seminars. |
2018-10-03 09:52:50
Lauren Stevens will be a communications intern at the Åland Islands Peace Institute from the end of September to the end of November 2018. She is originally from Britain, and currently studies the Master’s programme in Peace, Mediation and Conflict Research at the University of Tampere. For her Master’s thesis, she is researching the impact of Britain leaving the EU (Brexit) on the peace process in Northern Ireland. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in International Development Studies and Spanish language from the University of Chester in Britain. The third year of her Bachelor’s degree (2013-14) consisted of a Year Abroad Placement through the Erasmus Programme, a European Union (EU) student exchange programme. During this time, she lived in Melilla, a Spanish autonomous city located on the north coast of the African continent that shares a border with Morocco. There, she worked for the British Council as an English Language Assistant in a secondary school. She speaks English at a native level and has prior studies in Spanish and Finnish at intermediate levels. She is participating in a beginners’ Swedish course at evening classes alongside her internship at the institute.
Lauren has written a text about her internship. Read it unde read more below.
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