Information and networking events

Forum cinfo 2016

"A journey in international cooperation" was the cover of cinfo’s biennial international career event. And what a journey it was!

Forum cinfo 2016, the meeting point for networking and exploring career opportunities in international cooperation, has exceeded our expectations. More than 1000 participants gathered in Berne on 28 October, filling the conference center of the Stade de Suisse to learn more about trends in international cooperation, to know how to start a career in this field or how to reorient a career within the sector.

Forum cinfo 2016 at a glance

The centrepiece of Forum cinfo 2016 was formed by 60 booths of both national and international employers. The Forum offered participants a unique opportunity to personally meet recruiters from the most important actors in the Swiss international cooperation sector. The line-up included government departments, UN organisations, international financial institutions, NGOs, education and training institutions, foundations, as well as private sector actors in international cooperation.

In addition to the exhibitors, participants found a comprehensive programme drawing them into lively discussions about work and life in international cooperation. The challenges of working in fragile contexts, analyses of a fast changing landscape and its impact on individuals featured among the key topics. Keynote speeches also covered topics like the requirements to succeed or the challenges of transferring competencies. The participants benefitted from over a dozen addresses including five panel discussions.

Many roads lead to Timbuktu – Entry points in international cooperation

Beat Geiser, Senior Advisor and Trainer at cinfo, gives an overview of the fast changing sector, its many entry points and how to navigate international cooperation, sparking a lively Q&A session.

The reality of working and living in fragile contexts

Fragility is increasing in contexts where international cooperation operates. Getting a sense of the reality and challenges of working on the ground is the topic of this panel discussion. Six seasoned professionals, who have worked in various capacities in different regions of the world, discuss how fragility impacts aid workers and how organisations respond. Examples discussed range from kidnapping of a country director in Afghanistan to being caught in crossfire in Eastern Ukraine or having to evacuate frightened international staff during airstrikes in Yemen.

Andreas Huber, Deputy Head of SDC Humanitarian Unit and SHA
Alexander Hug, Principal Deputy Chief Monitor of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine
Beatrice Weber, Head of Disaster Relief SRC
Remo Gesù, Co-Head International Programmes Helvetas
Daniel Glinz, Senior Advisor cinfo
Lydiah Mutimbanyoka, Interim Head Humanitarian Aid, Save the Children Switzerland

The changing landscape of international cooperation

New actors take their role in international cooperation, aid modalities are in transformation and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set new visions. How do these developments impact the labour market of international cooperation, what can individuals and organisations do to be fit for this shift?

Thomas Greminger, Deputy Director / Head of the South Cooperation Department SDC
Eva Mennel, HR Director UNICEF
Erik Keller, Member of Unité Executive Board and Director Interteam

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Working with the United Nations

Positions for mid- to senior level professionals, young professionals programmes, consultancies... What opportunities do UNICEF, UNFPA, UNDP, UN Women and UNV offer? How can you improve your chances to get recruited? Meet with UN recruiters and discover new paths!

UNICEF (United Nations Children Fund)
UNFPA (United Nations Population Fund)
UNDP (United Nations Development Programme)
UN Women (United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women)
UNV (United Nations Volunteers Programme)

Working with international financial institutions

Positions for mid- to senior level professionals, young professionals programmes, consultancies... What opportunities do the World Bank Group, EBRD, AfDB and ADB offer? How can you improve your chances to get recruited? Meet with recruiters and discover new paths!

WBG (World Bank Group)
EBRD (European Bank for Reconstruction and Development)
AfDB (African Development Bank Group)
ADB (Asian Development Bank)

Global digital economy trends

The exponential development of technology has set in motion a global innovation movement fostering entrepreneurship. From innovative business models to changes in consumer behavior – discover fascinating digital trends reshaping the global marketplace.

Cristina Riesen, Entrepreneur

Lost in transition?

Is working as an expat a choice for life or is there an expiry date? How long to stay and when/how to go are crucial questions for the open discussion.