More than 40 analytical materials were prepared and more than 100 hours of training were provided - these are the results of the second internship program for young people at the Verkhovna Rada Research Service, supported and facilitated by the USAID RADA: Next Generation Program. Out of more than 70 applicants, the Program selected and awarded scholarships to 7 interns who joined the work of the parliamentary research service's units for six months.
In this way, the Program seeks to train professional staff that will institutionally and expertly strengthen the capacity of the VRU Research Service and enhance its ability to provide analytical support to the Ukrainian Parliament.
The results of the internship program were summed up during the certificate award ceremony on November 1.
Oleksandr Piskun, Manager of Democracy and Governance Projects at USAID Mission to Ukraine, assured of further support for the Research Service and wished the graduates to use their knowledge, experience, and contacts skillfully. Marten Ehnberg, Director of the USAID RADA Next Generation Program, said that the interns can already be called "young professionals ready to participate in parliamentary work," and "the involvement of young professionals contributes not only to increasing the capacity of the Research Service, but also of the Parliament and the civil service in general."
Artem Yanchuk, Deputy Chief of Secretariat of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, believes that "moving forward means new forms of interaction, updating knowledge and engaging young people," and that is why internship programs are necessary for the parliament. In his opinion, analytics is very important as it allows for more accurate forecasting of the future and preparation for challenges.
Lesia Vaolevska, Head of the VRU Research Service, thanked the RADA: Next Generation Program for its assistance in organizing the internship: "For the interns, it was an opportunity to see how the Parliament functions, how the Research Service works, and what kind of analytics it prepares. And for us, it is an opportunity to improve our work, because the view of young people is always progressive. All our expectations for you have been met, because you have become a very valuable help for us."
In addition to preparing analytical materials, during which the interns processed more than 200 sources of information, they attended a series of trainings from the RADA: Next Generation Program and had more than 20 meetings with MPs, prominent scholars and civil society representatives. They also helped the Research Service update the database of legal acts from different countries, adding more than 1,200 titles.
