Azar Eskandarpour
BA 2006: Political Science and International Relations
Where did Azar work?
Work term 1 (4 months)
Municipal Solid Waste Tracking Researcher, The Recycling Council of British Columbia
Work term 2 (4 months)
Voluntary Sector Analyst , Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA)
Work term 3 (4 months)
Newsroom Diversity Researcher, Canadian Television News (CTV News) British Columbia
Work term 4 (4 months)
Political Section Attaché, Mission of Canada to the EU
What did Azar accomplish?
Recycling Council for British Columbia
During her time with the Recycling Council for British Columbia, Azar conducted research on municipal solid waste in British Columbia. She then analyzed the data and wrote a 70 page report for the Provincial government which was later published. This annual publication enabled this organization to record the amount of solid waste produced in BC and also track changes to solid waste produced in the province over time.
CIDA
Over her summer with CIDA in Ottawa, Azar analyzed Voluntary Sector Development (VSD) programs and projects in order to inform the department of their work overall in terms of development by sector, region and program type . She collaborated with Program Managers to prepare 5 stories from the field which highlighted lessons learned and best practices from VSD programs and projects. Azar also organized 2 important meetings between the president of CIDA and a small group of co-op students as well as between the Minister of Cooperation and a dozen summer student employees at CIDA.
CTV News
As a Newsroom Diversity Researcher, Azar led the CTV Diversity initiative. She developed a database of 350 contacts which was used by CTV news, promotions and sales departments to increase the representation of diverse cultural and ethnic communities in daily newscasts. This position involved conducting hundreds of phone and in person interviews as well as attending daily newsroom meetings.
Mission of Canada to the EU
For her final work term, Azar moved to Brussels and worked as a Political Section Attaché with the Mission of Canada to the EU. She attended and reported on meetings and international negotiations between Canada and the EU and wrote over 15 reports which were distributed to supervisors and headquarters. In addition, she created summaries and prepared research requests for councillors across the Mission on topics such as mutual legal assistance and development issues in Sudan.
What would Azar tell others about Co-op?
Azar would “fully recommend the Arts Co-op Program at UBC. The staff is excellent and very helpful, the job postings are challenging and relevant, and the continual networking opportunities will last many years down the road towards a successful career after graduation. “
Where is she now?
Azar works in the humanitarian sector and has recently been recruited as a Delegate at the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). Her work involves working in conflict affected areas helping to protect the lives and dignity of victims of conflict.
Benefits of Co-op
Azar’s most memorable co-op experiences were ones where she had the opportunity to work for the Federal Government in Ottawa and Geneva in the field of development and diplomacy. This allowed Azar to gain professional international experience that was directly relevant to her International Relations major. She also had the opportunity to “network and inform [herself] of possible career paths for post-graduation.” Through Co-op, Azar gained valuable experience and transferrable skills that helped her get accepted into a competitive Masters program in International Affairs in Geneva, Switzerland. In addition, the experiences she gained through co-op have made her a competitive candidate in the job market for positions that would otherwise have been out of reach. Azar feels that “Arts Co-op has made an important contribution towards [her] career accomplishments to date.”
Azar Eskandarpour
BA 2006: Political Science and International Relations
Where did Azar work?
Work term 1 (4 months)
Municipal Solid Waste Tracking Researcher, The Recycling Council of British Columbia
Work term 2 (4 months)
Voluntary Sector Analyst , Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA)
Work term 3 (4 months)
Newsroom Diversity Researcher, Canadian Television News (CTV News) British Columbia
Work term 4 (4 months)
Political Section Attaché, Mission of Canada to the EU
What did Azar accomplish?
Recycling Council for British Columbia
During her time with the Recycling Council for British Columbia, Azar conducted research on municipal solid waste in British Columbia. She then analyzed the data and wrote a 70 page report for the Provincial government which was later published. This annual publication enabled this organization to record the amount of solid waste produced in BC and also track changes to solid waste produced in the province over time.
CIDA
Over her summer with CIDA in Ottawa, Azar analyzed Voluntary Sector Development (VSD) programs and projects in order to inform the department of their work overall in terms of development by sector, region and program type . She collaborated with Program Managers to prepare 5 stories from the field which highlighted lessons learned and best practices from VSD programs and projects. Azar also organized 2 important meetings between the president of CIDA and a small group of co-op students as well as between the Minister of Cooperation and a dozen summer student employees at CIDA.
CTV News
As a Newsroom Diversity Researcher, Azar led the CTV Diversity initiative. She developed a database of 350 contacts which was used by CTV news, promotions and sales departments to increase the representation of diverse cultural and ethnic communities in daily newscasts. This position involved conducting hundreds of phone and in person interviews as well as attending daily newsroom meetings.
Mission of Canada to the EU
For her final work term, Azar moved to Brussels and worked as a Political Section Attaché with the Mission of Canada to the EU. She attended and reported on meetings and international negotiations between Canada and the EU and wrote over 15 reports which were distributed to supervisors and headquarters. In addition, she created summaries and prepared research requests for councillors across the Mission on topics such as mutual legal assistance and development issues in Sudan.
What would Azar tell others about Co-op?
Azar would “fully recommend the Arts Co-op Program at UBC. The staff is excellent and very helpful, the job postings are challenging and relevant, and the continual networking opportunities will last many years down the road towards a successful career after graduation. “
Where is she now?
Azar works in the humanitarian sector and has recently been recruited as a Delegate at the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). Her work involves working in conflict affected areas helping to protect the lives and dignity of victims of conflict.
Benefits of Co-op
Azar’s most memorable co-op experiences were ones where she had the opportunity to work for the Federal Government in Ottawa and Geneva in the field of development and diplomacy. This allowed Azar to gain professional international experience that was directly relevant to her International Relations major. She also had the opportunity to “network and inform [herself] of possible career paths for post-graduation.” Through Co-op, Azar gained valuable experience and transferrable skills that helped her get accepted into a competitive Masters program in International Affairs in Geneva, Switzerland. In addition, the experiences she gained through co-op have made her a competitive candidate in the job market for positions that would otherwise have been out of reach. Azar feels that “Arts Co-op has made an important contribution towards [her] career accomplishments to date.”