SPS Stories
Alumni Spotlight
MSGA Alum Creates Career Improving IGOs
Fast Facts
- Drawn to MSGA's philosophy of developing dynamic curricula that respond to industry needs and current global issues
- NYU SPS offered the best opportunity to get closer to working at the UN
- Dean's Scholar, President of the Student Association for Global Affairs (SAGA), and sits on the Dean's Advisory Board
<p><span class="p-body">A native of Kingston, Jamaica, Nahjae Nunes is pursuing an MS in Global Affairs from SPS with a concentration in International Relations/Global Futures and specializing in the United Nations. Among his many activities, he is a Dean's Scholar, President of the Student Association for Global Affairs (SAGA), and sits on the Dean's Advisory Board. Beyond NYU, he is a policy advisor on social, cultural, and humanitarian issues at the Permanent Mission of Jamaica at the UN. He was previously named one of the <i><a href="https://ignitecaribbean.org/home-2022/" target="_blank">30 Under 30 Changemakers from the Caribbean</a> </i>by the Institute of Caribbean Studies in Washington, DC.</span></p>
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A Stepping Stone to the United Nations
<p><span class="p-body">When applying to graduate schools, Nunes wanted to take one step closer to working at the UN, and NYU SPS clearly offered the best opportunity. He sought new skills, challenging learning opportunities, and guidance to ensure that his aspirations and research interests were fulfilled in the classroom as well as his career after completing his degree. </span></p>
<p><span class="p-body">"The program also reflected my philosophy of developing dynamic curricula that respond to industry needs and current global issues," he shared. "The creation of three new specializations in the curriculum—the UN, Global Risk, and Data Analytics—are recent examples."</span></p>
Numerous Opportunities for Hands-On Global Perspective
<p><span class="p-body">As an MSGA student, Nunes has learned from a faculty of expert practitioners and leaders in professions ranging from energy and gender to international law, transnational security, peacebuilding, and everything in between.</span></p>
<p><span class="p-body">"The love that NYU SPS professors have for their scholarship and students is palpable and reflected heavily in our interactions and engagement," he shared.</span></p>
Special programs launched by SPS faculty provided unique opportunities to intertwine the pedagogy of our lessons with the realities of the working world. Whether they be global field intensives, consulting practicums, or research opportunities generated by collaboration with external institutions, CGA students are offered numerous opportunities to obtain a hands-on global perspective."
Unparalleled Chance to Make a Global Difference
<p><span class="p-body">In 2022, before joining the Center for Global Affairs, Nunes was a Harold W. Rosenthal Fellow in International Relations. The Rosenthal Fellowship is a prestigious program that offers outstanding and civic-minded graduate students in international affairs the opportunity to spend a summer working to solve some of our biggest national and global challenges."</span></p>
<p><span class="p-body">I was one of 27 students from across the US selected as a 2022 Rosenthal Fellow," he recalled. "I worked at the US Department of Labor in the research and policy unit at the Bureau of International Labor Affairs, where I provided analysis for policy-making decisions and impact. I also worked to assess the current scale of child labor and forced labor risks in supply chains, and how it impacts trade and policy. This led to the creation of the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act and other congressionally mandated reports."</span></p>
The Ultimate Goal: Future-Proofing IGOs
<p><span class="p-body">After graduation in May, Nunes plans to earn his PhD in International Relations to further his interests in researching global governance and IGOs. "I am passionate about understanding Intergovernmental Organizations (IGOs) functions and how they can be reformed," he mused. "The world looks to the IGOs for answers to problems everywhere, from ending conflict and safeguarding migration to combating climate change and protecting human rights. The issues on their agenda are as manifold and diverse as the careers they offer."</span></p>
<p><span class="p-body">According to Nunes, his work with various IGOs made him realize that many today are entangled in problems that their founding fathers neither foresaw nor left much room for flexibility in addressing. "The tumultuous storms of historical change rendered them ill-equipped to handle contemporary problems," he asserted. "I want to uncover how IGOs can adapt and remain relevant in a protean world."</span></p>
<p><span class="p-body">An <a href="/content/sps-nyu/explore/degrees-and-programs/ms-in-global-affairs.html" target="_blank">MS in Global Affairs</a> from NYU SPS can open doors that you may have never imagined were possible. See where you can start the next chapter of your career with a degree from the Center for Global Affairs.</span></p>
