Noemi Thiran

As part of my Master’s degree in Population and Development Sciences at the ULB, I undertook a full-time internship in ECMS/Health at Ucoopia (formerly ULB-Coopération) from 13 October to 19 December 2025. I then continued the experience as a volunteer until April 2026 to complete my involvement in the 5th edition of the Cooperation Games.

Although internships abroad are often seen as more valuable, I chose to stay in Belgium so that I could take the time to reflect on my place within the development sector and consider North-South dynamics before heading out into the field. Ucoopia seemed to me to be an excellent starting point for my first professional experience.

My desire to join the team arose after taking part in the 4th edition of the Cooperation Games. The discussions I had with members of the organisation, the concrete examples drawn from their work, and the importance placed on issues of gender and decolonisation immediately made me want to apply. I was also impressed by the organisation’s academic roots, which are reflected in its numerous collaborations with academic and research staff at the ULB.

During my internship and voluntary work, I had the opportunity to work on a variety of projects: the 5th edition of the Cooperation Games, projects relating to armed conflict, a gender assessment, the DJESA, and the knowledge-sharing initiative of the North Kivu Health Observatory. This diversity has enabled me to develop a wide range of skills.

The experience of working on the Cooperation Games was particularly memorable. I was able to oversee the project from start to finish: analysing feedback from the previous edition, drafting a response to the call for proposals, managing logistics, handling social media communications, coordinating the schedule, ensuring the event ran smoothly, and documenting the lessons learnt. Seeing all the pieces of the puzzle gradually fall into place was extremely satisfying.

What stands out most for me is the working atmosphere and the genuine value placed on interns and volunteers. I felt fully included in discussions and decision-making. At Ucoopia, everyone is treated as a full member of the team. The interactions were supportive, enriching and very stimulating, both with colleagues and with the other interns.

The ECMS events also served as valuable learning opportunities. Alongside the participants, I was able to deepen my understanding of global issues, different forms of civic engagement and possible courses of action.

This experience also taught me how to juggle multiple responsibilities at the same time, which was sometimes a challenge given the demands of both the ECMS projects and my work on knowledge management in healthcare. It required a great deal of organisation and adaptability on my part.

Today, I am completing my dissertation on the feminisation of HIV in Brazil, as well as my Master’s degree. After that, I am still undecided between pursuing a PhD on women’s sexual health or specialising further in project management within the field of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) and awareness-raising. In any case, I would like to continue developing initiatives addressing global inequalities, gender equality and sexual health.

Thank you to the whole Ucoopia team for this educational and enriching experience.