International Centre for Defence and Security

FSI Faculty Mentor:

Stephen Kotkin, Senior Fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, Kleinheinz Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution

About the International Center for Defense and Security (ICDS):

ICDS is an independent Estonia’s think-tank conducting research, events, and outreach in defence, security and foreign policy. Its mission is to:

• Strengthen Estonia’s security, defence and diplomatic sectors by identifying and analysing national security, defence and foreign policy challenges and proposing policy solutions;

• Sharpen strategic thinking in NATO and the EU on international and security issues that affect the Nordic-Baltic region by offering timely and high-quality analysis and policy recommendations;

• Contribute to enhancing Estonia’s intellectual role within NATO and the EU by developing forward-looking and innovative policy ideas and strategic solutions for the common European and transatlantic security, defence, and foreign policy agenda;

• Raise public awareness and stimulate public debate on security, defence and foreign policy matters.

Project:

The FSI Global Policy Intern will work for a period of about ten weeks during Summer 2023. The intern's project may include research on security challenges facing the Baltic-Nordic region, of which one of the following themes is likely:

Depending on the profile and interests of the candidates, one of the following themes is likely and possible:

• Russia’s war against Ukraine and broader threat to European and transatlantic security;
• Russia’s relations with China, Iran, North Korea and the Global South;
• Internal developments in Russia and their implications to Russia’s foreign policy;
• Russia’s military capabilities;
• Adaptation of NATO’s defence and deterrence posture;
• Role of the US in European security under the Trump administration;
• Evolution of the EU’s geopolitical role;
• Ukraine’s transatlantic and European integration;
• Hybrid threats in the Nordic-Baltic region;
• Strategic trends in the Asia-Pacific region;
• Emerging disruptive technologies and defence innovation;
• Cybersecurity in the current geopolitical environment.

The exact project will be developed with the intern and ICDS’ program staff. The intern will be expected to take on the following tasks:

• Produce short research-based analytical publications;
• Assist with data collection, analysis and drafting for the ongoing and/or planned ICDS research projects;
• Provide organisational support to the ongoing projects;
• Assist with development of future ICDS projects (research, outreach, events, etc);
• Assist ICDS research staff with editing and formatting research papers and articles.

Eligibility and Skills Required:

The internship is open to continuing undergraduate and graduate students. Students from any department are welcome to apply. Applicants must be in good academic standing with a GPA of 3.3 or higher. Applicants should have an interest in issues related to international security and defense issues, specifically in the Baltic-Nordic region.

Additional Requirements:

• Willingness to demonstrate initiative combined with an ability to follow instructions and constructively respond to feedback;
• Good research, analytical, communication and networking skills;
• Ability to work independently as well as part of a larger team;
• Ability to perform well under time pressure and meet demanding timelines and deadlines;
• Professional work ethic and careful attention to detail

Language Requirement:

Ukrainian, Russian, French, German, Chinese, Japanese or Korean would be useful, but not mandatory.

• In projects dealing with Russia and Ukraine, working proficiency (ability to read, correspond in written and verbal communication) in Russian and Ukrainian languages is useful, but not mandatory;
• In projects dealing with Asia-Pacific, basic proficiency in Chinese, Japanese or Korean is useful, but not mandatory;
• In projects dealing with the EU issues, basic proficiency in French or German is useful, but not mandatory.

Location:

The internship is located in Tallinn, Estonia.

Short-term housing opportunities can be checked through the websites such as AirBnB as well as local Estonian websites such as www.kv.ee and www.city24.ee

Visa Requirements:

Student must be eligible to travel to Estonia and must have a passport valid until March 2025. A visa is generally not required unless the student has been studying abroad in Europe in the preceding quarter, or will be studying abroad in the following quarter. Please see this website for more details on visa requirements. FSI will help finalists with the visa process.

Stipend:

FSI is committed to providing its opportunities to students regardless of financial constraints. FSI’s Global Policy Interns are provided with a stipend to cover travel and living expenses during the summer. These stipends do not exceed $7,000 per student. Students must submit a budget with their estimated costs along with their application. If you have additional financial constraints that you think may prevent you from participating in this program, please contact FSI Academic Program Coordinator Patrick Laboon directly.

Application:

Applicants will be asked to submit:

• Application Form
• Name of faculty reference (letter of recommendation not required)
• CV/Resume
• Unofficial Transcript
• Budget

Frequently Asked Questions

Please note: You may only apply to one FSI Global Policy Internship.