Intership @ BITS

Internships and Jobs @ BITS :

Interns at BITS - students and Ph.D. candidates - work on a volunatary basis.
We try to offer internship opportunities for two students at a time.

Interns at BITS can:

gain a deep insight into a wide range of research issues covered by our current project areas;
see the approach and methods BITS applies in its research projects, including its unique archive of primary sources and electronic databases;
research, write and possibly publish a working paper
get acquainted with the international peace research and arms control communities;
experience how NGO's can influence high-level political decisions on disarmament issues, particularly in Germany;
share their skills and experiences of working in an international team with other interns and colleagues.

The tasks of interns may include research assistance (primary source analysis, on-line and hard-copy literature searches), maintain the electronic databases, writing and editing BITS reports and newsletters and monitoring of magazines and newspapers. Usually, the workload and time spent will be balanced evenly between research and administrative duties. If possible, an agreement on the tasks should be reached prior to the internship. Those interested are welcome to contact us by phone and request information on the nature of the work they will be expected to do.

Interns with computer skills are very welcome to help with the maintenance and expansion of our web site.

Need and Qualifications:

Students should be at an advanced stage of their studies (B.A. or equivalent). In general we look for students of Political Science and International Relations, but we also welcome interns from related areas, such as Communication Studies, Social Sciences or Journalists.
We expect the interns to have excellent skills in research, writing & editing, networking and organizational skills.
A working command of German language is welcomed, but neither expected nor a prerequisite.
Familiarity with computers and standard software (Windows/Word) is required.

We are particularly interested in hosting interns from abroad. Working languages at BITS are German and English.
Since the working atmosphere at BITS is informal, we appreciate a good sense of humor.

Technicalities:

The internship should last between two to three months. A longer stay can be arranged, if really necessary. As a rule of thumb, we request that interns dedicate 5 working days a week to their internships in order to guarantee continuity. However, part-time interships can be arranged. (Please indicate this in the application).

Unfortunately, BITS is not in a position to pay incentives to interns. In exceptional cases, we may be able to contribute to the traveling expenses to and from Berlin. Also, we can't provide any housing.

Application:

If you are interested in an internship at BITS, please provide us with the following information via e-mail! :

a cover letter explaining your interest in BITS and any specific issues you would like to work on as well as the preferred time period for the internship you are applying for;
a resumé, describing your professional and educational experience;
a sample piece of writing (a seminar paper or other publications), if possible not longer than 20 pages, and ideally focussing on an issue of international security;

!!! Important !!!: Please don't forget to provide us with fulll contact details, including phone numbers and e-mail.

Before sending your application, you are welcome to contact us by phone to find out whether internships are available for the intended time period.

Applications should be addressed to:

Berlin Information-center for Transatlantic Security (BITS)
Rykestr.13
D-10405 Berlin / Germany

Phone: +49 (0)30 446858-0
Fax:+49 (0)30 4410221

Email: