Volunteer Mentor – AI Capstone Projects & Career Guidance

Host entity: UNDP Istanbul International Center for Private Sector in Development

Application deadline: 27/10/2026

Mission and objectives

Istanbul International Center for Private Sector in Development (IICPSD) supports the private sector and foundations to become transformative partners in development through research, advocacy for inclusive business, facilitation of public-private dialogue and brokering partnerships. IICPSD, established in 2011 in partnership with the Government of Turkey, is one of UNDP's six Global Policy Centres. It leads UNDP’s global work on private sector and foundations and supports UNDP’s offices all over the world. The Center focuses on four thematic areas:

1. Inclusive Business;

2. Private Sector Engagement in Skills Development;

3. Impact investing;

4. Resilience and Crisis Response.

The Center also hosts four global initiatives: Business Call to Action, SDG Philanthropy Platform, Global Islamic Finance and Impact Investing Platform and Connecting Business Initiative.

Assignment context

Samsung Innovation Campus is a global CSR programme that equips young people with skills in AI and emerging technologies. In Türkiye, the programme is implemented in partnership with the UNDP IICPSD SDG AI Lab. Participants complete an intensive AI curriculum and finish with a team-based capstone project focused on AI for the SDGs. Mentors play a key role in connecting students with real-world industry and research experience and helping them take their next steps toward careers in technology.

Task description

The UNDP IICPSD SDG AI Lab is seeking a volunteer mentor to support students of the Samsung Innovation Campus (SIC) AI programme in Türkiye. Students are working in small teams on capstone projects that develop AI solutions for the Sustainable Development Goals.

The mentor will work with 2 student groups, holding up to 4 online sessions with each group (8 sessions in total, approx. 60–90 minutes each). The mentor will:

-Provide technical guidance on the teams’ AI projects (problem framing, data, model selection, evaluation, deployment)
-Give feedback on project progress and help teams overcome technical challenges
-Support soft-skill development such as teamwork, presenting results, and communicating technical work to non-technical audiences
-Share career advice on entering the AI/data field, building a portfolio, and preparing for job applications

Skills and experience

-At least 3 years of professional or research experience in AI, machine learning, data science, or software development
-Hands-on experience with AI/ML project lifecycle (data preparation, model development, evaluation)
-Prior experience mentoring, teaching, or leading junior team members is an asset
-Strong communication skills and ability to give constructive feedback
-Interest in technology for social impact and the SDGs

Full eligibility requirements, conditions of service and application instructions are available on the official UNV platform.