Young UN trailblazers carving nation’s path in world affairs
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Zhang Wei, a graduate student studying horticulture at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, is among a growing number of Chinese young people turning towards the United Nations.
At the age of 24, Zhang made a choice that defied convention. Instead of completing the final year of her master’s studies and heading straight into the job market after completing graduate studies in Shanghai, she took a one-year sabbatical and boarded a plane to Rwanda in eastern Central Africa.
There, as an agribusiness intern at the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the UN, she set herself on the path towards a once-unthinkable career.
“Agriculture wasn’t exactly a conscious choice after the college entrance exam; I sort of ended up majoring in it. But as I studied and gained more exposure, I came to realise how vital agriculture is to human livelihoods. That awareness led me to start thinking about the career possibilities, and the heights one could reach with an agriculture degree,” Zhang said of her journey to becoming an intern at the FAO’s Rwanda Representation last year.
“Serving at the FAO enables me to use my skills and knowledge in a multicultural, professional setting, allowing me to contribute to something bigger and more impactful.”
This year marks the 80th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations and the 54th year since the People’s Republic of China resumed its lawful seat in the UN.
The UN is no longer a faraway concept for many young people in China, but a familiar and aspirational place to build a career, turning a once-exclusive dream into a realistic possibility.
The numbers bear this out. According to UN data, the number of Chinese citizens working in the system has more than doubled over the past 15 years, from 794 in 2009 to 1,664 in 2024.
The pathway to a UN career for Chinese was quite different not long ago.
Li Wen, chief of mission in China for the International Organisation for Migration, recalled that in the late 1990s, linguistic roles were the primary entry point for most Chinese staff.
“At that time, the dominant channel was through language, translating and editing Chinese documents,” she said.
Li’s connection with the UN dates back to her university days. In 1995, as a postgraduate student at the China Foreign Affairs University, she participated in China’s first Model United Nations conference, representing Afghanistan in a session on women’s issues. Though her understanding of the UN was nascent, it ignited a desire to be involved.
After graduation, Li joined the Foreign Ministry’s Department of International Organisations and Conferences, experiencing life as a representative of the Chinese government at the UN. In 2014, she made history as the first employee seconded by the Chinese government to the Office of the President of the UN General Assembly.
“I worked in New York until the end of 2016, and then had the opportunity to join the IOM. Because I enjoyed working in the UN system, I transitioned to IOM and became a formal UN staff member,” Li said.
She recalled that in 2017, when she joined the IOM headquarters in Geneva, she was the only Chinese national working there. Now, more and more Chinese professionals are joining the UN across various fields.
This rising interest is also palpable on university campuses. Zhu Jiejin, deputy director of Fudan University’s Centre for the Study of the UN and International Organisations, has witnessed the surge firsthand.
He offers a popular course that brings professionals from international organisations into the classroom. When the course was launched in 2020, around 600 students applied for 200 spots. Last year, more than 1,500 students sought admission, forcing him to cap attendance at 300.
Graduates from his course have already joined the ranks of the UN, Zhu said.
“For China, it’s a positive development that more young Chinese have the will and opportunity to work in international organisations like the UN, as it better reflects China’s commitment to peaceful development, cooperation and win-win collaboration.”