Hanna Nuur Tsaniya, a student from Tokyo International University, started her internship at the Coral Triangle Center (CTC) in January this year. She did not expect to learn so much from her three-month experience that she would consider coming back again the following year to continue what she started.

Hanna, who studies International Relations, signed up for an internship at CTC to learn more about how non-governmental organizations work. She was also interested to apply her knowledge to support CTC’s Center for Marine Conservation. As the weeks went by, her internship exceeded her expectations and she did not only get to apply her skills to the fullest but it also sparked her interest about caring for our oceans and marine life.

“I learn the importance of education for the future, as the activities that CTC provides in the Center for Marine Conservation are mainly related to educating the masses regarding corals and the importance of the marine ecosystem for the future,” she said. “I was very much inspired to learn more about the different aspects of reaching more people to care for our oceans and marine life.”

During her three-month internship, Hanna assisted CTC’s Center for Marine Conservation to build new partnerships and facilitate various fun learning activities catering to different audiences – from school children, high school and university students, as well as tourists. She also assisted in developing new learning products and helped conduct a feasibility study to see whether this can be an effective tool in reaching more audiences to care about our oceans. Hanna got the chance to participate in spreading the word of marine conservation to the public.

CTC periodically hosts interns from all over the world, providing students opportunities to gain valuable experience in the on-the-ground work of marine conservation. Through this program, interns are able to develop networks, acquire and share knowledge and skills while at the same time contributing to the work of the organization. CTC’s internship program not only caters to the intern’s pre-existing capabilities, but also to their potential. Hence, Hanna mentioned that her internship experience has helped her learn and grow.

Photos by : Hendiliana/CTC