UNU-WIDER Master Student Programme, Finland
- Omran Aburayya
- Sep 28
- 3 min read
If you are a Master’s student in economics or development studies in Finland, now is an excellent time to apply to the United Nations University World Institute for Development Economics Research (UNU-WIDER) Master Student Programme. This opportunity allows you to develop your thesis under supervision of UNU-WIDER research staff, expand your research skills, and engage directly with policy-relevant development issues in a leading UN research institute. Details below.
📚 Programme Summary
Location: Helsinki, Finland (United Nations University World Institute for Development Economics Research - UNU-WIDER)
Host Institution: UNU-WIDER
Study Level: Master’s degree / Master student working on thesis research
Target Group: Students enrolled in a Master's programme in economics (2nd year in Finland) or students enrolled in / who completed the Development Economics master-level course in Finland
Fields of Focus: Development economics, including topics like tax research for development, gender distribution in tax filing, institutional trust & peacebuilding, FDI, inequality, etc.
Value & Coverage: Stipend of EUR 715.00 per month from UNU to partially subsidize basic living costs for the duration of the visit.
Duration: The assignment coincides with the thesis work; timing to start between 1 February 2026 and 30 April 2026
Application Deadline: 30 September 2025, 23:59 UTC+3
🎓 Programme Overview
The UNU-WIDER Master Student Programme is designed to give Master’s students in Finland the opportunity to write their thesis under the supervision of UNU-WIDER research staff. Key features include:
Thesis supervision & research assignment: Students will closely collaborate with a UNU-WIDER research unit member, contributing to ongoing research projects.
Research topics offered (2025):
Tax Research for Development – e.g. analysing administrative tax data in several African countries, topics such as gender distribution in tax filing, or simulation of tax reforms using models like UGAMOD-TAX.
Building Trust and Institutions for Peace – including how foreign direct investment (FDI) affects inequality, poverty, state capacity, or how large investment projects interact with peacebuilding and resilience.
Learning objectives & experiences:
Be part of UNU-WIDER’s research unit and gain exposure to the workings of a UN research institute.
Access seminars and events held by UNU-WIDER, engage in policy dialogue, possibly present work within UNU-WIDER platforms.
Develop strong analytical skills, handling data (cleaning, merging, preparing), using tools like R or Stata.
🎁 Benefits
Master Students will receive a stipend of EUR 715.00 per month from UNU to partially subsidize their basic living costs for the duration of the visit.
Academic supervision from UNU-WIDER research staff.
Experience being embedded in a think-tank / UN research institute, exposure to high-level research and policy work.
Opportunity to select thesis topics that directly contribute to global development research and policy debates.
Skill development: data analysis, research design, writing, presentation.
✅ Eligibility Criteria
Be enrolled in a Master’s degree programme in economics in Finland and in your second year, or be enrolled in / have completed the Development Economics master-level course in Finland.
Have a valid residence and working permit in Finland.
Excellent spoken and written English.
Analytical skills; proficiency with tools like Stata or R, MS Office; experience or interest in data-handling tasks (data cleaning, merging, etc.).
Interest in development issues and international development, policy, UN-type research topics.
📝 Application Procedure
Check the assignment page on UNU-WIDER’s website (Master Student assignment) for full terms of reference.
Submit application via the UNU-WIDER “Master Student assignment portal here
Required documents:
Cover letter (in English) stating your interest and qualifications.
Current CV (in English).
Proof of study status / transcript or proof of enrolment in your Master’s programme or the Development Economics course.
Answers to a few programme-specific questions (motivation, potential research unit, which of the offered research topics you choose) as per the application form.
Timeline: Applications should be submitted by 30 September 2025; the assignment (thesis supervision) start date is between 1 February 2026 and 30 April 2026.
