Frequently asked questions

If a trainee successfully completes the programme, AMID will – in accordance with the guidelines and quality assurance system of Radboud University – issue an AMID Young Professional diploma confirming the nature of the programme and its satisfactory completion. This diploma is not a Master’s degree in the sense of the Higher education and Research Act (WHW). 

The diploma states the post-initial status of the programme and includes an overview of the programme, its position in the Radboud University, the modules, subjects, assignments, grade list and study load. The purpose of the supplement is to provide insight into the nature and content of the completed programme, also with a view to the international recognisability and contextualization of the programme.

As a trainee, you will work in a junior position. The job profiles vary from junior policy officer, junior researcher to junior project or programme officer or junior business developer. All trainees work under the direct supervision of a senior colleague with whom you conduct at least a midterm and final evaluation interview.

AMID Young Professional focuses on development cooperation in the broad sense, i.e. organisations that cooperate at an international level to jointly realise the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Businesses, governmental departments, NGOs (developmental, human rights and environmental) and knowledge institutions participate in the programme. Organisations that participated in the past are:  Amref Flying Docters, Amref Kenia, ADS, AgriProfocus, AIM, Care Nederland, Cordaid, HIVOS, Friesland Campina, FMO, IDH, ISS, Liliane Fonds, Mott McDonald, MDF, MVO, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Oxfam Novib, NIMD, Free Press Unlimited, RNW Media, Plan, Red Cross, SomoRainforest Alliance, FNV International, IHE and Wageningen University (WUR) to name some.

Next to organisation participating in the Netherlands, there is also a growing number of organisations in Kenya and other countries, amongst which are KCDF, Rainforest Alliance, Amref, Young Africa, ADS, AKVO, Simavi and others. 

If are you currently working in an organisation involved in realizing the SDGs based outside of the Netherlands and are you interesting in joining AMID from that organisation, please contact us.

One of the entrance criteria of the AMID programme is having work experience (e.g. internship, thesis research) in an international or culturally diverse setting: developing countries, countries in transition, international organisations. The minimum requirement is three months of experience, but preferably six months or more. We realize plans for international research projects and internships might have been affected (changed location/shortened/cancelled) because of the COVID-19 crisis. In case you do meet the other criteria, we invite you to apply for the programme anyway and explain why you believe you are a good fit in your candidacy and how you dealt with COVID interferring with your plans.

Yes, we welcome you to apply for AMID Young Professional*. We offer a blended programme - most of it takes place online, which you can attend from anywhere in the world (taking time differences into account). Besides the online lectures, we offer four two-day face-to-face trainings which are organized in the Netherlands and in Nairobi, Kenya (with the Institute for Development Studies of the Univeristy of Nairobi). These are mandatory, so please consider whether or not you will be able and willing to attend these (blended or face-to-face) from where you are based. 

*Please note: if are you currently working in an organisation involved in realizing the SDGs based outside of the Netherlands and are you interested in joining AMID Young Professional from that organisation, please contact us. Answering to the call for 2023 applications is meant for those that are willing and able to work at an organisation based in the Netherlands. If you are unsure if this is the case for you, or you are sure that this is not the case for you but you still want to apply, please contact us (amidcandidates@ru.nl). 

If you wish to move to the Netherlands for AMID Young Professional. then please note that prior to their application, non-European applicants should possess a work permit and a visa to be able to work and live in the Netherlands. Check the IND website for more information, also to see if you would be eligible for an 'orientation year'. This applies to people who have completed a Bachelor’s, Master’s or PhD in the Netherlands, but also in some other cases, for example if you have obtained a Master’s degree in the context of an Erasmus Mundus course or at a ‘designated international educational institution’. Candidates must consult the Nuffic website for diploma recognition.

These are skills and competences that AMID Young Professional trainees might possess:

• Analytical skills: the ability to collect and analyze information, problem-solve, and make decisions based on that information.
• (intercultural) communication: being able to communicate effectively with people (from different cultures/backgrounds).
• Persuasiveness: the ability to make other(s) want to do or believe a particular thing.
• Business development: the ability to think of, develop and implement growth opportunities within (and between) organizations in a sustainable and profitable way.
• Facilitation: the ability of moving (a group of) people through meetings, planning sessions, or training, and successfully achieving a specific goal.
• Fundraising: the ability to think of, seek and gather financial contributions by engaging individuals, businesses, charitable foundations and/or governmental agencies and alike.
• Graphic design: the ability to create visual content to communicate messages.
• Negotiating: the ability to strategically discuss issues and resolve them in a way that both parties find acceptable.
• Networking: the ability to exchange information and ideas among people with a common profession or special interest (usually but not always in an informal social setting).
• Planning & organising: the ability to think about and prepare tasks that need to be done to achieve specific goals and managing the plan and arranging each task in the appropriate order by considering time constraints and workload.
• Qualitative research: the ability to collect and analyse non-numerical data (e.g., text, video, or audio) to understand concepts, opinions, or experiences.
• Quantitative research: the ability to collect and analyse numerical data.
• Technical/Digital: the abilities to use digital devices, communication applications, and networks to access and manage information.

These are behavioural characteristics that AMID Young Professional trainees might possess:

• Client-oriented: those with an eye for the wishes and needs of the customer, anticipating them and then acting accordingly.
• Committed: those very willing to give their time and energy to something.
• Courageous: those with mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand fear, insecurities and/or difficulties.
• Creative: those having or coming from original thought or imagination, sometimes characterized by expressiveness and the ability to create things.
• Curious: those marked by desire to investigate and learn.
• Diplomatic: those who can be sensitive in dealing with others and who can achieve peaceful resolutions.
• Energetic: those more often than not operating actively, with visible enthusiasm and excitement.
• Emphatic: those with the capacity to understand or feel what another person is experiencing from within their frame of reference (i.e. the capacity to place oneself in another's position).
• Eye for detail: those good at noticing small but important things that other people might not notice.
• Flexible: those ready and able to change so as to adapt to different circumstances.
• Integrity: those living in accordance with their values and having strong moral principles, with the quality of being honest.
• Open minded: those willing to consider new ideas, arguments, information and people they do not necessarily align with, unprejudiced.
• Organized/Structured: those able to plan things carefully, adhere to said plans (even when there’s many of them) and keep things tidy.
• Patient: those who accept or tolerate delays and/or problems without becoming annoyed or anxious.
• Hands-on approach: those actively involved in day-to-day activities, putting practical knowledge and experience to work.
• Prioritizing: those able to determine the order for dealing with (a series of items or tasks) according to their relative importance.
• Pro-active: those creating or controlling a situation rather than responding to it after it has happened.
• Problem solving: those able to define a problem; determining the cause of the problem; identifying, prioritizing, and selecting alternatives for a solution; and implementing a solution.
• Resilient: those able to withstand or recover quickly from difficult conditions and adversity.
• Responsible: those honouring commitments and obligations, accepting the consequences for what is said and done.
• Results oriented: those that focus on outcome rather than processes used to produce a product or deliver a service.
• Self-Reflective: those who think about your own feelings and behaviour, the reasons that may lie behind them, the consequences those feelings and behaviours might (not) have and how to, if possible, alter them.
• Sense of humour: those perceive humour, can appreciate a joke and see the funny side of things.
• Stress resistant/works well under pressure: those able to continue doing their job effectively despite demands and stresses like not enough help, time, money or expertise.
• Team player: those good at supporting others and working closely with them (towards a common goal).
• Working independently: those able to work self-sufficiently, self-aware, self-monitoring and self-correcting on (assigned) tasks.

AMID is a challenging programme, that is aimed at highly motivated young talents who want to contribute to a fair and sustainable world and want to work in international cooperation. To select a diverse and motivated group of candidates, the selection procedure is intense and sometimes demanding. Competition can be quite fierce: usually circa 250-300 people apply for the 35 AMID Young Professional positions. You can find more information on the selection procedure here.

We hold on to applicant's uploaded information for two years.

The Radboud University and the participating organisations do not provide scholarships.

The link to the application form can be retrieved from this website. In this application form, you can fill out you personal details, explain you motivation, and upload your cv and diplomas. At the end of the form, you will be redirected to a payment service to pay the registration fee. 

If you have paid a registration fee in 2021, your registration is still valid in 2022. You can indicate this at the end of the application form, by providing last year’s payment ID.

The trainee pays for all other expenses such as health insurance, accommodation and living costs.