The International Water Management Institute (IWMI), a CGIAR Research Center, is seeking applications from enthusiastic students to assist in newly developed virtual field trips through research and development under IWMI’s internship program. The internship will be based at IWMI’s Southern African office in Pretoria, South Africa.

Scope of internship

The intern will work closely with CGIAR’s research team to create engaging, immersive, informative, innovative and forward-looking virtual experiences that provide insights into agricultural practices and challenges faced by communities in the region, ideally with a focus on gender and youth. The intern would support the CGIAR Initiative on Diversification in East and Southern Africa (also known as the Ukama Ustawi initiative) for various tasks across the region. This internship opportunity is within the and will enable the Intern to work closely with a team of researchers on a range of activities.

During this internship, the intern will assist in the following areas:

• Conduct a comprehensive literature review on virtual field trips – definitions, existing technologies, purposes, sectors they are used in, etc.
• Design and conceptualize virtual field trips for Ukama Ustawi initiative and the East and Southern Africa region more broadly. What could they achieve? To whom should we reach? What are the best mechanisms to do so?
• Collaborate with the project management team to design and create interactive virtual field trips relevant to the Ukama Ustawi initiative.
• Develop engaging multimedia content, including videos, images, infographics and interactive elements to enhance the virtual field trip experience with the Communications team.
• Conduct user testing and evaluation of the virtual field trips with target audiences to gather feedback and improve the overall quality and effectiveness.
• Prepare a concept note and contribute to project documentation to track the development and outcomes of the virtual field trip research.

Requirements

• Currently enrolled in a Master’s program related to Design or Psychology with a user experience focus, Strategic Communication or other relevant subjects.
• Strong interest in sustainable development, food security and environmental education.
• Familiarity with virtual reality, multimedia content creation, and educational technologies is desirable.
• Familiarity with virtual reality, multimedia content creation, and educational technologies is desirable.
• Excellent communication skills in both written and verbal, with the ability to effectively convey complex concepts to diverse audiences.
• Proficiency in data analysis and basic statistical tools is an advantage.
• Ability to work independently, take initiative, and meet project deadlines.
• Comfortable collaborating in a diverse, multi-disciplinary team environment.
• Prior experience in virtual content development or research will be considered favorably.

Benefits

IWMI will provide a monthly stipend to the selected candidate during the internship period.

The duration of the initial internship contract will be for 3 months with the possibility of extension based on performance, requirements of IWMI and the availability of funds. This is a nationally recruited internship and only citizens of South Africa are eligible to apply.

To apply, visit www.iwmi.org/jobs. Applications must be submitted by 12:00 (SAST) on September 11, 2023 (Monday).

The International Water Management Institute (IWMI) is an international, research-for-development organization that works with governments, civil society and the private sector to solve water problems in developing countries and scale up solutions. Through partnership, IWMI combines research on the sustainable use of water and land resources, knowledge services and products with capacity strengthening, dialogue and policy analysis to support implementation of water management solutions for agriculture, ecosystems, climate change and inclusive economic growth. Headquartered in Colombo, Sri Lanka, IWMI is a CGIAR Research Center with offices in 14 countries and a global network of scientists operating in more than 30 countries. www.iwmi.org

IWMI believes that diversity powers our innovation, contributes to our excellence, and is critical for our mission. We offer a multi-cultural, multi-color, multi-generational and multi-disciplinary working environment. We are consciously creating an inclusive organization that reflects our global character and our commitment to gender equity. We, therefore, encourage applicants from all cultures, races, ethnicities, religions, sexes, national or regional origins, ages, disability status, sexual orientations, and gender identities.