Staff members of the Center for African Studies took an internship at UNECA
In February 2025, Angelina Pshenichnikova and Olesya Kalashnik, students of the "International Relations" bachelor program and the staff members of the Center for African Studies, spent about three weeks interning at the UN Economic Commission for Africa in Addis Ababa. In the interview they spoke about their work in the organization and their interest in Africa in general, as well as about the unusual features of the daily life of Ethiopians.
What are the roots of your interest in the Commission's work and Africa in general?
Angelina: I have dreamed of working for the UN since I was a child - to change the world through social projects. It is important for me to see that my work improves people's lives. Without it, of course, you can achieve material success, but you risk facing an inner emptiness.
As far as Africa is concerned, the situation is exactly the opposite. If someone had told me three years ago that I would be involved in Africa, I would have laughed. Because, frankly speaking, our faculty paid little attention to Africa. Now that's changing! The Center for African Studies has launched the African Studies minor, where we, the students, study the economics, politics and culture of African countries through practice: we participate in projects, go on internships, talk to experts.
My path in African studies began with the SmartPro. There, I met Andrey Maslov, Director of the Center for African Studies. He came to the kick-off meeting and fascinated everyone with stories about life in Africa. Since then, I have devoted most of my time to this continent and have absolutely no regrets. Somehow it happened that all the stars aligned: both my inner aspirations and random external factors brought me to the place where I should be.
Olesya: It has always been important to me that my activities bring real benefit to society. You can have many skills in different areas, but for me the main criteria has always been how much I contribute, how much people need it. And the region that is in particular need of support is, of course, Africa. Besides, maybe I have a lifeguard syndrome or just such a way of thinking: if there is a problem, I have to find a solution for it (preferably 10). And Africa not only has a lot of problems, but also conditions and culture that are unusual for us, which require us to adapt solution and come up with non-standard approaches.
Additionally, my interest in the region has been strengthened by studying French. Initially, I chose it focusing on France, but later I realized that French is widely used in a number of African countries and that this region is much closer to me. In particular, because of the specificity of Africa as a “space of knowledge and non-knowledge” (as Andrey Maslov puts it): many works have been written about France, while there are still many knowledge gaps in the field of Africa. We have to work in conditions of information opacity, to advance by feel and logic. And this certainly spurs excitement. So it happened that the interest in the region overlapped with the current trends in international relations.
As far as the Commission is concerned, I was not initially interested in it. I was interested more in the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), which is also the UN's division. In the fall of 2023, we traveled to Ethiopia with Andrey Maslov and met with the ITU Regional Director for Africa and her deputy. I was very impressed by their stories about participation in projects in practice, traveling to remote regions, working directly with the population and, of course, the depth of understanding of the situation and existing problems.
Gradually I began to be interested in international development organizations in general. The ITU Director for Africa introduced us to the Head of the Innovation and Technology Sector at ECA, and after signing the Memorandum of Understanding, an internship opportunity came up.
Could you please tell us what UNECA does in general?
Angelina: The UN Economic Commission for Africa is one of the five regional subdivisions of the UN Economic and Social Council. Its mission is to promote the development of 54 African countries within the framework of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
In practice, this means that each ECA division implements specific initiatives. For example, my unit is involved in technology and innovation. One of its projects is a series of workshops where young African women are taught programming. Another is an app that monitors road conditions using AI. All of these projects are directly leading to a narrowing of the digital divide between Africa and the rest of the world.
Before my internship, I thought the Sustainable Development Goals remained on paper. But at ECA, I saw how words turn into real action. Here, they analyze the needs of countries, develop strategies and engage international partners to implement them. And, of course, the best thing is that Africans are helping other Africans, overcoming the curse of neocolonialism!
Olesya: I will add a little bit about the SDGs: the deadline is approaching in 5 years, but there are doubts that even a quarter of the stated goals will be achieved. Regarding the functioning of the Commission itself, it is important to note that African countries themselves can approach ECA for support, for example, if expertise or funding is needed. Thus, projects can be initiated either by the Commission or at the request of States.
How did you get into the internship?
Angelina: Everything here is both simple and complicated at the same time. The point is that in October 2024, the Higher School of Economics signed a Memorandum of Understanding with ECA. This was a great achievement, which, of course, did not happen without the active participation of the Center for African Studies. The Memorandum stated that ECA was ready to take three HSE students for internships every two years. We were lucky: if we had competed for this internship through a general competition, our chances of success would have been much lower. People apply for such internships from all over the world, so the competition is fierce.
Olesya: At the same time, there are many online vacancies in the UN system that allow you to work remotely, which reduces costs and increases your chances of success. For us, a significant advantage was that the Center organized a trip to Ethiopia, thanks to which we were able to complete the internship not only in the online format. Now, organization of the second trip is also being considered.
What did you do in ECA? What were your main tasks? What are the specifics for Ethiopia?
Angelina: Our activities directly depend on what our department does, on the characteristics of each specific project. It can be a communication function, it can be an organizational function, it can be support in the process of platform development, content management, writing analytical materials.
There is no specificity for Ethiopia as such, because the organization deals with the region as a whole. Internationality is very much felt: literally every working call is attended by people from different parts of Africa. It should be understood that Ethiopia in this context is not the end goal, but the country where the Commission's head office is located.
Olesya and I were coming up with joking reasons why Addis Ababa became the diplomatic capital of Africa. We came to the conclusion that it was because of the climate: here it is really favorable, the temperature stays around 20-25 degrees all year round, which is quite comfortable for work, unlike some other African countries, where it can be both terribly hot and humid.
Olesya: Our main activities embraced participation in ECA projects, for example, the development of the Education Management System for Sierra Leone, publications and analytical reports.
Ethiopia is speicific in my opinion, because people there seem to be quite shy and silent. At the same time, the majority of ECA staff are Ethiopians, but this does not mean that they are less professional or less demanding. Even a minister may seem shy and mild-mannered, but you have to take into account that this is just a national feature and you cannot treat them less professionally because of it.
Is there any possibility to get a permanent job at UNECA after the internship?
Angelina: We shall see. Permanent positions are really rare here: most of the staff work as international consultants - specialists who are hired for specific tasks for a period of 3 months to a year. Such contracts are extended depending on funding and the needs of the organization.
Were your expectations met? What, in your opinion, is the main difference between internships and work in Russia and similar foreign internships?
Angelina: I have developed the habit of not expecting anything! *smiles*
But here are a couple of things I have noticed. The commission has a distinctly African feel to it because, according to my colleagues, ECA is not the most organized. Other commissions are better organized.
On the other hand, not all stereotypes about Africans have been confirmed. There are expectations that Africans are not very hardworking, do not like to meet deadlines. But in the commission I have met honored people who work 12 hours a day, work during contract renewal periods, i.e. for free, have a high level of education, always cheer up with a joke and are just wonderful people.
African leaders portrait gallery at the Union Bar
Olesya: I would say 70/30. On the one hand, professional expectations were met: the tasks were reallypractical and applied, and my colleagues were real professionals. The remaining 30% - basic worries - remained worries: before the trip, there were fears that the tasks would be too difficult or the workload would be overwhelming. However, in practice everything turned out to be different: colleagues were ready to discuss work issues, help, give advice, and the atmosphere in the team turned out to be very friendly. From the first days I felt supported, and this helped me to adapt more quickly and get involved in the work.
At the same time, I was very pleased with the fixed working day: you can come at different times, but the day always ends around 17-18 hours, and evenings and weekends are free. This creates a comfortable work-life balance.
In terms of efficiency, a lot depends on the available capacity. Yes, there are not always enough resources, but employees try to make the most of what they have and tackle tasks to the best of their ability. Their approach is more practical - they focus on specific results rather than global goals - but this allows them to make a real difference.
Were there any difficulties at the domestic level? Where did you live? Was the local food “clear” enough?
Angelina: Adaptation in Addis started with culture shock, but after a couple of days I fell in love with the city. Now Addis is one big construction site. I can't wait to see how the capital will be transformed once the renovation program is over! We stayed in a hotel near the ECA office, which was convenient but a bit expensive for a three-week internship. It's worth renting an apartment next time, though you need a card with international payment options.
I can't say that I faced with big problems domestically, but there were quite a few surprises. In Russia, a power cut is an emergency situation that is planned in advance. In Africa, electricity suddenly goes off and then comes back on several times a day, no matter where you are, and this is quite normal. Fortunately, power cutoffs last only for 5-10 minutes at a time, and all establishments have portable power generators. Just a tip: take a universal adapter and a powerbank with you :)
I also realized how accustomed we Russians are to heat. Despite the cold climate, our apartments are kept at a high temperature thanks to heating. Therefore, the shower water was barely warm and the room was colder than it was outside. That was a bit off-balance.
The local food is really unlike anything else. And yes, it is spicy: spices are even added to the tea. At first I suffered, but then I got so used to it that when I came back to Russia, I started adding more pepper to my food.
Olesya: Local cuisine turned out to be quite unfamiliar to me, but I fell in love in one dish from the first trip. I mean, shiro. It is chickpea puree, which I adore. To be honest, I was looking forward to returning to Ethiopia just for the chance to try it again. By the way, you can also find Ethiopian cuisine in Moscow, for example, at the Addis Ababa restaurant (the owner is Ethiopian). They serve traditional dishes such as injera (a sour pancake made of teff flour), shiro, roasted meat and tej - an Ethiopian honey wine similar to our mead.
From unusual - raw meat is popular in Ethiopia, but I've never tried it because of my illness. However, I plan to do it on my next trip. Another curious point is the difference in the perception of meat products. Beef is considered an everyday food there, and chicken is considered a holiday food, while in other countries it is more often the other way around. And even beef is not available to everyone: if I remember correctly, the average consumption of animal protein in Ethiopia is only about 5 kg per person per year, while the African average is about 20 kg. Pork is practically absent from the diet because of religious traditions: the Ethiopian Orthodox Church is pre-Chalcedonian and therefore adheres to a number of food prohibitions similar to Islamic and Jewish ones.
Another discovery was the local tea - special tea. People always drink it with milk, otherwise the flavor is too sharp because of the large amount of spices. This, however, is understandable: since infections are widespread in the region, spices are often used as natural antiseptics.
On a domestic level, we were also surprised by the absence of the usual (for us) supermarkets, as well as the shortage of chocolate. We did find peppered chocolate in one store, but it turned out to be more like pepper and chocolate. Our acquaintance, half Ethiopian, half Russian, told us that good chocolate is usually brought by relatives from the US and Europe. The only place where we've found something really good was the African Union bar, which served excellent chocolate cake. There are also a few French coffee shops that serve pretty good desserts. Otherwise, even chocolate croissants, which Ethiopians persistently call “pain au chocolat” according to the French tradition, have no chocolate in them.
Of course, life in Ethiopia is different from what we are used to and comfortable with. For example, the shower in my room was seriously leaking, and even after several requests it was not fixed. But, going to Africa, it is important to realize that some everyday difficulties are always solvable and you should not only treat them patiently, but also positively look at them. You get used to power cuts (break when you physically can't work) and lack of hot water (aka morning cool shower) on the second trip. In general, if you do not go into dubious neighborhoods, observe basic precautions and be prepared for things like these, the trip will be comfortable and safe.
Tell us about the most unusual features/habits of the local population.
Angelina: Ethiopians feed each other raw meat from their hands since it is considered a sign of hospitality. But of course it is a ceremonial ritual, you should not think that they eat raw meat every day or meat in general. This can afford wealthy people and those who do not observe fasting. Orthodox Ethiopians fast for more than 200 days a year. Therefore, we can say that they are mostly vegetarians.
Olesya: The first unusual feature that I immediately noticed was the sound “ish”. At first we could not understand what it meant, but the locals pronounced this sound almost constantly. Then it turned out that in Amharic it means something like “okay”, “everything is fine”, “we understand you”, and they use this “ish” in literally every situation.
Tell us about the most interesting task you had to solve during your internship.
Angelina: Finding someone to do everything for free. Very African! *(laughs)
Olesya: Angelina is right, yes... The most difficult, but at the same time the most interesting task for me is still the analysis of requirements to the system from the point of view of customization. It is not easy to determine when customization is really necessary, and this aspect requires deep thought. In general, this is quite a complicated process, but I am interested in understanding it in detail: studying the stages of customization, understanding how to analyze the impact of local legislation and traditional practices on the adaptation of the system being implemented.
Describe your internship in only three words.
Angelina: Pan-Africanism, multitasking, spring. I mean technically it was winter, but I felt the eternal Ethiopian spring. And inspiration from the new experience.
Olesya: Ish, new buildings, Africanization (and shiro!).
The interview by Maria Bakhareva, 2nd year student of the "International Relations" program
Expert
Olesya Kalashnik
Expert
Пшеничникова Ангелина Сергеевна
Research Assistant