Lessons from the UNET Selection Process: Do’s and Don’ts for the Applicant

This session was designed to provide participants with a better understanding of the selection process for UNET fellows from the perspective of a selection committee member. Drawing on real examples and insights gained through reviewing applications and conducting interviews, it looked at what makes a proposal compelling or ineffective and advised candidates on how to present themselves as strong fits for a given programme. Through a combination of focused inputs, open exchange, participants gained a clearer sense of how selection panels evaluate applications, the criteria they prioritise, and common pitfalls to avoid. Rather than presenting a fixed formula for success, the session offered practical reflections intended to help participants refine their own strategies for both written applications and interviews.

You can download the visual notes for printing in English and Ukrainian on this webpage below.

Anastasiya Leukhina is a facilitator and trainer in the area of conflict management, negotiation and facilitation and a Fellow at the Hertie School. Before her war-induced relocation to Berlin, Leukhina taught at the Kyiv School of Economics, led the ‘Horizontal Connections’ NGO, and was engaged in activism to make education and healthcare more human-centred. In previous positions, she conducted security sector reform monitoring with the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, supported the process of reforming the Ukrainian police, and managed the democracy and governance portfolio of USAID Belarus.
She also published two books. The 'Non Scary Book' was 2021 Book of the Year in Ukraine. And the Guide to Teaching Humanity and Empathy in Healthcare became the first manual for human-centred curriculum development in Ukrainian medical schools.
Anastasiya is a sociologist by training. Her academic background is in interdisciplinary conflict management and peace studies. She completed her Master’s degree at the University of Notre Dame, USA, and supplemented it with a long-term diploma in processwork psychology. She has been coordinating the Ukraine Research Network@ZOiS since November 2022.