About UNSA
UNSA: Dedicated to promote an interdisciplinary, UN-focused field of studies
The UN Studies Association is an informal working group of UN practitioners and academics, dedicated to promote an interdisciplinary, UN-focused field of studies: UN Studies.
Founded in 2007, at the Annual Meeting of the Academic Council on the United Nations (ACUNS) in New York City, the group has been closely working with ACUNS ever since. ACUNS is a global association of educational and research institutions, individual scholars, teachers, and practitioners active in the work and study of multilateral relations, global governance, and international cooperation.
Today, the working group consists of a small group of active participants and a wider virtual network of interested parties world-wide. Besides UN Studies-related projects, the working group holds meetings and seminars.
Learn more about our activities.
Who can participate?
- The working group is open to all interested parties who seek to enter into an action- and result-oriented dialogue with like-minded UN researchers and practitioners across disciplines, fields, and professions.
- Particularly, it welcomes all those who wish to engage themselves actively in the community, contributing their ideas, expertise and knowledge.
Interested in becoming a member?
How we operate
- This informal communication and working platform has been designed for members and other interested experts to exchange views and develop new ideas on UN Studies.
- Members of the working group mainly communicate via this interactive online portal: our online community UNSAnet. They use it for joint project work such as organizing joint panels or writing publications on the field of UN Studies.
- In general, our group operates according to grassroots principles: democratically, consensus-oriented, informally and non-hierarchically.
How to engage in our activities.
Our Mission Statement
Click here to learn more about our background, problem statement, and vision.
Our Partners
We usually plan and manage our projects with several partners such as national UN Associations and other NGOs, universities, and private partners (see therefore Actvities and Events). UNSA and our work is closely affiliated to the Academic Council on the United Nations System (ACUNS). Learn more about ACUNS.
Our By-Laws
Click here for our by-laws in German, revised version as of July 18, 2008.
Mission Statement
Our Vision
The working group’s vision is to promote the formation of an interdisciplinary, UN-focused field of studies.
In support of the ACUNS mission we wish to build a strong UN Studies community that takes UN research and teaching to the next level – “the next generation” of UN Studies.
Our Objectives
First, we aim to create an intellectual foundation for a future field of UN studies. This ideational basis will be realized:
- by developing a concept of UN Studies including key contents and features
- by advancing theory-building and developing innovative methods for research and teaching.
Second, we aim to set in motion a process of institutionalization of the next generation of UN Studies
- by building structures for collaboration, communication and knowledge-sharing
- by realizing concrete projects.
In the long run, UNSA considers an integrated education program vital to provide for a teaching framework for latest interdisciplinary research findings.Developing interdisciplinary curricula is, however, costly in terms of time and engagement, so for UN Studies to succeed, UNSA aims to raise public awareness about the importance of such a field of study.
Our Activities and Working Procedures
- We organize online and phone conferences to discuss matters related to the concept of UN Studies (UNSA Dialogues) or other key activities such as our Journal on International Organization Studies or the UN Studies Knowledge Base project. These conferences are open to all working group members and are announced via newsletter and on our portal.
- Furthermore, we regularly organize seminars and workshops, where members get a chance to meet in person and discuss UN Studies-related issues.
- In addition to our joint activities, our members are also engage independently for a better understanding of the United Nations and for the identification of problems that affect people from all over the world.
Bill Miller, for example, moderates face-to-face interviews with UN officials on TV.
Example interview with Bettina Luescher, the UN World Food Program Spokesman
Key Questions:
What is the UN Food Program doing to help 90 000 000 people around the world to receive sufficient food on a daily basis?
- What can people all around the world do to be involved in that program?
More interviews can be seen here.
More information about us can be found in our full mission statement.
Learn more about our activities.
ACUNS
The Academic Council on the United Nations System (ACUNS)
About ACUNS
ACUNS is a professional association of nearly 800 educational and research institutions and individual scholars, teachers, and practitioners active in the work and study of multilateral relations, global governance, and international cooperation.
ACUNS' objective is to stimulate, support, and disseminate research and analysis on the United Nations, multilateralism, and international organization. ACUNS also promotes teaching on these topics, as well as dialogue and mutual understanding across and between the academic and practitioner communities. A special effort is made to ensure that advanced research conducted in universities finds its way into the programs of the UN system.
ACUNS' activities include:
- The ACUNS Annual Meetings provide members and friends with a unique opportunity to discuss UN-related research and policy. The conference is an excellent forum for networking and engaging with UN experts. This year's ACUNS AM will take place at the City University, New York from June 13-15, and is dedicated to the thrilling theme "New Norms, New Actors, a New United Nations? Continuity and Change." Visit the conference site here.
- Together with the American Society of International Law (ASIL), ACUNS organizes the ACUNS-ASIL summer workshop on international organization studies. The ten-day research workshop is dedicated to actual issues in global affairs, such as this years theme "Water, Energy, and Health. Addressing Knowledge, Capacity and Governance Challenges." The workshop brings together academics at an advanced level, UN practitioners and professionals working in fields related to the workshop subject matter. All costs for workshop participation are covered by ACUNS/ASIL. More information on this initiative here.
- The interactive website offers members the opportunity to post work in progress and get feedback from other ACUNS members; profile their book-length publications; and share ideas and resources for teaching, among other services. Visit the ACUNS website at: http://www.acuns.org
- ACUNS also issues the journal Global Governance: A Review of Multilateralism and International Organizations. More Information on the journal here.
Our Relationship with ACUNS
Most of our active participants are ACUNS members, and we consider ourselves an initiative that not only originates from ACUNS but also complements and strengthens the ACUNS mission to promote research and teaching on the UN system and dialogue between and among academics and practitioners from across the globe. From this point of view, ACUNS is the formal umbrella organization, which embraces UNSA as an informal working group with a very specific focus on UN Studies. After all, both organizations are united in their endeavor to enhance knowledge and understanding of the UN - worldwide.
How to engage
We encourage all interested parties, not only members, to engage actively in our projects and working group activities.
There is one specific reason, however, why it might be of interest for you to become a member: Building our own membership - aside from fostering membership in the ACUNS network - is a key tool to raise awareness about UN Studies.
Join our working group / become a member
By becoming a member of UNSA you signal your support for our goal to establish UN Studies as a field of studies in its own right. It will help us demonstrate the growing interest in establishing UN Studies vis-à-vis third parties such as foundations or academic institutions. Consequently, and reflecting the informal nature of our group, there are no membership fees.
Subscribe to our newsletter and email list
On a regular basis (3-4 times per year), you will receive our newsletter with information about past, current and upcoming activities. Also, we circulate timely information or requests using group emails - not exceeding 2-3 emails per month.
To subscribe, send us an empty email with "subscribe" in the subject line.
Join our online community UNSAnet
This web portal includes a members-only social community (wiki), which allows members to create their own UN Studies profile and communicate with peers. What you can do, once you have registered:
- Make visible your interests and activities concerning UN Studies
- Search for like-minded research and project partners
- Share your papers, teaching material and other resources
- Create your own UN Studies Profile including your personal Cybershelf
Click here to learn more about UNSAnet!
Questions / Suggestions?
Please send us an email.
Member application
If you are interested in becoming a member of the UNSA to demonstrate your support of our goals, please review and fill out our membership form:
UNSA-Membership_Application_Form.doc and return it to us by email.
Membership information / terms and conditions
Legal form: The UN Studies Association (UNSA) is a non-profit organization under German law.
Membership: Our association is open to all interested parties – individuals or institutions – with an explicit interest in our mission and goals as posted on this portal.
Membership fees: There are no membership fees, unless otherwise determined by the membership, which meets on an annual basis.
Membership cancelation: The membership may be cancelled at any time, by sending an email to UNSA at workinggroup@unstudies.org.
Privacy policy: We will never use your email for anything else than for UNSA member administration purposes, UNSA member announcements and UNSA newsletters. We will not share your personal data and email without your prior written consent. (For our UN Studies Portal's privacy policy, we will post separate information.)
Please send us an email, if you do not wish to receive any UNSA news.
Contact us
Dr. Julia Harfensteller & Dr. Henrike Landré, Co-Chairs
The UN Studies Association
UNSA c/o Coconets, Hannoversche Str. 2
D-10115 Berlin, Germany
Phone: +49-30-2758-1564
Fax: +49-30-2758-1569
Email: workinggroup (at) unstudies.org
Internet: www.unstudies.org
Imprint
Responsible for the content of these pages:
UN Studies Association e.V.
UNSA c/o Coconets, Hannoversche Str. 2
D-10115 Berlin, Germany
Phone: +49-30-2758-1564
E-mail: workinggroup (at) unstudies.org
Vereinsregister-Nr. VR 27882 B (Charlottenburg)
Non-Profit Status: UNSA e.V. is an independent non-profit organisation ("eingetragener Verein").
Realisation:
communication&collaboration, Berlin - VSP Direktmarketing KG
MDStV Statement
Responsible in the sense of § 6 (2) Mediendienstestaatsvertrag: Henrike Landré is responsible for the website http://www.unstudies.org according to the Mediendienstestaatsvertrag (MDStV).
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