Due to huge interest in internships with ESI, we have created a junior fellowship programme.
Our aim: to help any applicant identify if they would actually enjoy being part of our team; and to help us see if you have the kind of skills that would make your fellowship a success.
There are no formal requirements. That said, excellent English writing skills are very important. You can apply to ESI without having a university degree or with two PhDs – we have had excellent analysts who fit both descriptions. What we are looking for is exceptional skills, wide experience, and character.
If you are interested in a junior fellowship, please send the following four documents to juniorfellows@esiweb.org:
1. Curriculum Vitae
2. Text analysis (1-3 pages)
Please read and choose one of the following three documents. Then write a short essay (1-3 pages) answering the question(s) on that topic. Remember: brevity is the soul of wit.
OPTION A
The Orban government is a criminal organization
Bálint Magyar
Podcast in CEA Magazine, 5 March 2021Listen to the interview with Bálint Magyar and write a precise summary as if you were writing for an interested politician who does not have the time to listen to the podcast. Include in the summary Magyar’s most important quotes. After the summary, analyse the main points that Magyar makes and provide your own opinion on them.
OPTION B
‘At first I thought, this is crazy’: the real-life plan to use novels to predict the next war
The Guardian, June 2021Please read this article, and anything else you think is useful about this and other attempts to predict the near future of societies. Then answer one question: does project Cassandra make sense to you?
OPTION C
Evaluating the Evaluators - Media Freedom Indexes and What They Measure
National Endowment for Democracy, 2010Read this and discuss, referring to this analysis: What does the rank of a country in the Reporters without Borders index actually tell us?
3. Short essay: What I bring to ESI (max 1 page)
- Please refer to at least one ESI output (report, film, paper) as you explain what you would bring to ESI, assuming that we plan to work on similar products in the future.
- In doing so please indicate precisely your relevant skills and experience - this could be writing/editing experience, any previous work, stays abroad, languages.
4. Short essay: Reading that inspires (1-2 pages)
You can only become a better writer by becoming a better reader. ESI is about relevant ideas – new and old ideas - freshly presented and applied to new contexts. It is about excellent writing and constant, extensive reading.
If you are interested in ESI, you are likely to be interested in many different issues and to read widely. Once part of our team, your contributions will be valuable if you can share insights you gain from your reading with others in our team.
Please send us a summary (at least one page – no more than two) of a book that you have recently read and which has inspired you so much that you would strongly recommend to every ESI staff member to read it during their next vacation, and be inspired in turn. It can be on any subject, from the biography of Einstein to a self-improvement book, from the history of statistics to a book on one of the big issues of our time.
Your review does not need to express any original thoughts on the subject you cover (but it can). We are looking instead for you to present in an effective and gripping way what the book is about and the insights it provides. The goal is to inspire and convince others to go and buy it right away.
If you submit a complete application and we are impressed, we guarantee you an interview on Skype or another electronic platform within 3 months of your application or detailed feedback on your application, irrespective of whether we have a position open at that time. If we like you, we will make an effort to find a position for you even if one is not immediately available.
Please specify if you would want to work at the Berlin office or remotely, and please share with us your availability.