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UN Emerging Leaders e-Learning (Fall Edition 2025)
Geared to mid-level UN staff, this unique digital learning journey will help you refine your leadership and management abilities, enabling you to develop yourself and work better with others. By honing how you apply the key behaviours of the UN System Leadership Framework, this programme will also help position you to transition into increased leadership roles.
UN Emerging Leaders e-Learning (UNEL-e) builds upon the signature elements of the previous face-to-face United Nations (UN) Emerging Leaders experience and introduces new features to create a rich, lasting learning experience, that is:
- driven by the leadership vision of the UN System Leadership Framework, which has been adopted by the Chief Executives Board (CEB) for all UN personnel regardless of their level, duties and location;
- strongly anchored in a value-based leadership approach, and a leadership culture that is called for in the UN System Leadership Framework and applicable across mandates and areas of operation in the UN;
- reflective of the changes in the UN system, enabling and inspiring transformational and behavioural change through a rich immersive learning experience;
- integrated with content on managerial competencies, fundamentals of people management and emotional intelligence;
- accompanied by two individual coaching sessions to help translate the learning into improved performance and practical insights.
The programme will enable middle managers to tap into their leadership potential, and prepare them to approach transitions with courage, confidence and trust. By completing this programme, participants gain practical skills and benefit from a wider professional network to better lead and influence.
In 2023 UNEL-e celebrated its ten year anniversary - get familiarized with our key achievements over the last decade. Click here to read summary results and testimonials from the Spring 2024 edition and here to read spotlight interviews so you can learn more about the programme.
Upon successful completion of the programme, participants will be able to:
- Demonstrate a common reference to a value-based leadership approach and be better able to deliver on the UN’s mandates;
- Explore personal leadership styles, recognizing strengths to build on and challenges to overcome;
- Apply mindsets and transformational leadership behaviours using the UN System Leadership Framework;
- Take specific actions to develop and sustain an effective relationship with their supervisor that supports both of them working at their best;
- Enhance their communication skills to build and sustain lasting relationships with team members and stakeholders;
- Act with increased self-awareness and emotional intelligence;
- Explore how unconscious bias, discrimination, social norms and identities impact relationships at work, and how they can, as UN leaders, foster an inclusive environment;
- Cultivate stronger connections by networking with UN colleagues working in various duty stations.
UNEL-e is an immersive virtual learning journey which makes use of mixed methodologies and formats as it combines asynchronous and synchronous activities through a unique skill-based online modular programme; a virtual Face-to-Face component; a 360-degree Assessment; and individual coaching.
The programme supports (1) knowledge acquisition, (2) knowledge application, and (3) personalization and knowledge transfer. UNEL-e seeks to promote and support the managerial and leadership culture transformation formalized in the UN System Leadership Framework, by strengthening participants’ capability to fulfil their roles as managers and leaders who can drive fast and efficient transformational change.
As part of the learning experience, participants also gain exposure to leading professionals and subject-matter experts in the field of leadership, access to UN specific knowledge, documents and experience, state-of-the-art resources from top universities and consulting firms, and knowledge resources from UN staff members who are UNSSC leadership and management alumni.
Weeks 1- 4
The first 4 weeks online give participants the opportunity to experience learner-centered design and scenario-based learning through a self-paced learning path from selected management and leadership modules. These are complemented by webinars, which consist of a weekly average of five to six hours.
Weeks 5-7
The final three weeks of virtual classroom training are designed to complement learning through practice, peer and instructor interaction, individual and group activities, as well as brainstorming and experience sharing that will take place in the virtual Face-to-Face format.
The average learning time per day is up to three hours plus 30-60 minutes of study time (depending on the day).
The programme consists of three mutually reinforcing building blocks:
1) The online learning path will be focused on the following key selected modules:
- Orientation: webinar on 16 October 2025, 2-4 pm CEST*
- UN System Leadership Framework: webinar on 23 October 2025, 2-4 pm CEST*
- Managing Emotions: An Intro to Emotional Intelligence: webinar on 30 October 2025, 2-4 pm CET*
- Leading through Communication: Webinar on 6 November 2025, 2-4 pm CET*
- Managing Up: webinar on 13 November 2025, 2-4 pm CET*
* Some modifications to the agenda and time schedule are possible. Find your local time zone: click here.
- The programme’s engaging online micro-content is designed to respond to the needs and challenges of managers and leaders across the UN system. The two-hour-long weekly webinars are delivered by renowned subject-matter experts from UNSSC’s academic network and across the UN system.
- Participants can expect consolidation of takeaways through reflective practices and social learning that facilitate information exchange, and peer-to-peer learning in a moderated forum.
- Each module is released weekly allowing for a structured approach to learning.
2) The 360-degree Assessment and Individual Coaching Sessions
We strive to ensure that the learning opportunities we offer are meaningful.
- UNSSC uses a 360-degree Assessment tool specifically tailored and aligned to the UN System Leadership Framework.
- Two one-hour individual coaching sessions are to assist participants to review 360-degree Assessment results, making sense of learning, to help reflect on personal development goals, and to address priorities.
3) Virtual Classroom Training (up to three hours of online activities for real-time engagement per day, for a total of six days)
- Day 1, 18 November 2025: Leadership Styles and Influencing, Zoom Meeting from 2-5 pm CET
- Day 2, 20 November 2025: Practicing Emotionally Intelligent Leadership, Zoom Meeting from 2-5 pm CET
- Day 3, 25 November 2025: Diversity and Inclusion- Key to Leadership, Zoom Meeting from 2-5 pm CEST
- Day 4, 27 November 2025: Communication, storying-telling and public speaking as your leadership tools, Zoom Meeting from 2-5 pm CEST
- Day 5, 2 December 2025: Leading for Motivation, Collaboration, and Engagement, Zoom Meeting from 2-5 pm CEST
- Day 6, 4 December 2025: Leadership journeys in the UN. Reaching our destination. Closing, Zoom Meeting from 2-5 pm CEST.
*Virtual breaks are factored into the live sessions of the virtual classroom training.
UN staff at P2, P3, and P4 levels who are either new to the UN system or have never taken a leadership course before, as well as national officers with managerial responsibilities, both at headquarters and in the field by nomination and open enrolment.
The programme fee of $3,400 covers:
- the four-week online learning path with micro-content designed to respond to the needs and challenges of middle-managers and leaders across the UN system accompanied by weekly webinars and a moderated forum;
- 360-degree Assessment aligned with the UN System Leadership Framework;
- six intensive days of virtual classroom training composed of:
- live sessions with leading experts/leaders;
- interactions between participants, instructors and peers;
- individual and group activities;
- takeaways and commitments;
- unlimited access to the dedicated online learning platform with a curated resources repository (recording of webinars, virtual sessions, activities, readings, tools, videos related to the content of the programme, moderated forum, leadership challenge, behaviour buddy system, etc.)
- two 60-minute individual coaching sessions
Certificates from the United Nations System Staff College will be awarded to participants who complete the course.
