The University of Massachusetts Amherst

Nujhat Purnata

Headshot of Nujhat Purnata
The People’s Republic of Bangladesh Mission at the United Nations in New York City

Degree and graduation year: Master of Public Policy and Administration, 2022

Hometown: Dhaka, Bangladesh

Where I interned: The People’s Republic of Bangladesh Mission at the United Nations in New York City

What I did there: I shadowed diplomats all day long. I went to negotiations to establish United Nations regulations and fully experienced how statutes come forth in the United Nations. I also went to any meeting where Bangladesh’s interests were relevant and reported back to the ambassador. I researched international legal mechanisms and the structural marginalization of the Rohingya in Myanmar, for an event at the New York City Bar Association, where the ambassador was presenting on genocidal accountability with regard to the present situation with the Rohingya community in the Myanmar/Bangladesh border. I attended all United Nations Convention on the Law of the Seas (UNCLOS) conferences during my time there and took a particular interest in Biodiversity in Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ), a convention that is only now setting up the laws of the seas for areas beyond national jurisdictions.

The most important thing I learned: I am capable of achieving my wildest dreams.  

The most challenging part of my internship: Living in New York City itself was the greatest challenge. I had an hour-long commute to work each day. Crowded would be an understatement to describe the subway. Unpredictable would be another understatement.

What surprised me the most: I was surprised to see the leaders of the world being just like regular people!

Why I’m studying public policy: I think one of the best ways to improve a political economy is through government.

Future plans: I want to work in transnational politics and academia. I want to create a social enterprise that works towards accelerating education in specific areas, in order to achieve social justice.