Slide 1
International
internships
How a Partner
Organization Can Help John Monahan
COO, The Intern Group
How a partner organization, which specializes in international internship programs, can help a university and its students to maximize the benefit of the internship abroad
First, what is an international internship program, and how does it relate to a university education
Next, how does this relate to the theme of the conference, “Sustainable partnerships through equitable internationalization”
Then, how it relates to some of the emphasized topics of this conference, with some examples from my organization and from published research
Finally, how do all of these elements come together for the benefit of the university and the student
An internship-abroad program complements a university education
The university experience
Cultural immersion Internship role Professional development
What do we mean by “international internship program”? My organization believes that a program should be based on 3 pillars to support & complement a university education:
Cultural immersion: A safe, convenient place to live and use as a base for experiencing a foreign city, and a program of scheduled activities which highlight the best of the local culture
Professional development: Evaluations and exercises oriented towards transferable skills for the workplace, such as CV writing, public speaking, office etiquette
Finally, the internship role itself: A meaningful role in a business, non-profit org, or government department in the student’s area of study or interest
Slide 3
How an internship-abroad program aligns with “Sustainable partnerships through equitable internationalization”
Student
Employer
Now let’s relate this to the theme of the conference. First of all, how do we make an internship sustainable?
First, let’s think of what we DON’T want an internship to be. In some cases, the student and the employer have a casual, arm’s-length relationship for some period of time – say, 6 months.
The 6 months fly by, the student & the employer drift apart, and the experience does not have a serious lasting impact.
How an internship-abroad program aligns with “Sustainable partnerships through equitable internationalization”
Student Employer University Student-focused internship organization
To make an internship sustainable, first let’s bring the student and the employer closer together.
In a typical international internship, the student has a closer relationship to the employer because their co-workers are the people whom they meet first and spend the most time with in the foreign country.
Next, let’s include a role for the university, to oversee and guide the internship, and monitor the relationship with the employer.
Finally, let’s include a specialist organization, which is focused on the student, supporting all of their needs, helping them solve the typical problems of traveling and living abroad.
In the end, the student is at the center of a sustainable structure of employer, university, and internship organization who all work together and contribute towards the goal of maximizing the benefit to the student, over the long term.
Slide 5
How an internship-abroad program aligns with “Sustainable partnerships through equitable internationalization”
Student EmployerUniversity Student-focused internship organization
One criticism of internships and their importance in building a career is that students who have family connections or a privileged background may find them more accessible.
So it is beneficial for a university and an internship organization to form a sustainable partnership to support any deserving student into this experience.
This includes financial advice & aid; guidance on visas for people who may not have traveled or studied abroad before; providing the educational background to succeed in the internship role; and a program of organized social & cultural activities where students of all backgrounds can mix.
• Internship placement support
•
Personal support
How an internship-abroad program aligns with “Sustainable partnerships through equitable internationalization”
Student Student-focused internship organization • Visa support • Housing support
An international dimension is fundamental both to a well-rounded university education and to the internship abroad experience. A specialist organization can help the student achieve this in several important ways:
Visa support – Many of my org’s participants, and especially Brazilian students, have identified complex & costly visa processes as a major obstacle to interning or studying abroad. A specialist organization helps to break down this barrier.
Internship placement support – As we have mentioned, not every student can rely on personal or family connections for finding an internship role. The network of relationships brought by the organization is key.
Housing support – It is difficult to arrange housing in an unfamiliar foreign city, can be expensive, may even be legal/financial barriers when trying to sign a contract, pay, etc. An internship org. should have a network of low-cost but high-quality housing options in a safe & convenient area.
Most importantly, personal support: An internship org. should have someone to meet each student arriving at the airport; orient them to the city; introduce them to public
transportation; organize social events; and also be ready at any hour of any day to help solve problems: Someone needs to go to a doctor or pharmacy, is locked out of their apartment, any other small or large problem.
Slide 7 Related topics Foreign languages International Projects Networks South-South cooperation
Now let’s quickly look at international internship programs in relation to 4 of the topics that were identified as areas of interest for this conference.
• Natalia Antiqueira - Fundação Armando Alvares Penteado (SP)
• VideoPlugger – Leading independent news video agency
• BBC, Sky, RAI, Deutsche Welle, TVE, Antena 3, Fuji TV
• Renata Castro - Senac (SP)
• Oliver’s Travels – International real estate
• Properties in Europe and Caribbean; clients worldwide
• Caroline Tesser – Universidade Positivo (PR)
• Tep Wireless – Global mobile communications
• Services in 30 countries
International Projects
Projects can be small, individualized programs developed between a student and an employer/mentor
First, international projects. When participants in this conference use this term, they usually mean a large ongoing program between universities and other institutions. But we can also look at this on a small scale, as a specific project that an intern may be involved in as an individual.
Let me give you brief examples of international projects involving 3 Brazilian interns who have worked with my organization:
Natalia was exposed to these international networks and relationships
Renata was exposed to the management of properties located in Europe and the Caribbean, and to clients worldwide
Caroline was involved in providing devices and services for international communications across 30 countries
We can also note that in all of these cases, the interns were in London and had excellent opportunities to enhance their English, which brings us to our next topic –
Slide 9
Foreign languages
“English is now the global language of business. More and more multinational companies are mandating English as the common corporate language.”
- Harvard Business Review, “Global Business Speaks English”, by Tsedal Neeley, May 2012
Examples and cases:
• Airbus
• Samsung
• Renault
• Rakuten
• Merloni
Everyone knows that English is important (it is even the language of this conference.)
Some of you may know the research of Dr Tsedal Neeley at Harvard Business School. She studies the adoption of English as the “official language” of companies and MBA programs located outside of the English-speaking world, and also consults and helps to implement such English-language policies.
She points to Airbus, Samsung, and Renault as examples of well-known global firms which have an English-only policy internally. But she has also studied smaller firms which used an English policy to accelerate their growth.
For example, Rakuten is a Japanese online-services firm which has grown by acquisition and joint venture; and uses an English policy to help consolidate its network of subsidiaries (including a JV here in Brazil)
Merloni is an Italian manufacturer of appliances which achieved a large growth in sales after adopting an English policy, sales not only to the UK but to some unexpected countries such as Russia.
The key is, students in many fields will be at a disadvantage in their future careers if they do not learn English. An internship in an English-speaking country is a superior way for a
South-South cooperation
Colombia
Africa
Australia
As the world becomes more globalized and multi-polar, it is important for all countries to form new connections directly among themselves, rather than through the traditional 20th
-century nodes of Europe and North America.
It is important for an internship organization to offer these opportunities for students to participate in so-called south-south cooperation.
For example, my organization has an office in Colombia, Brazil’s neighbor with a dynamic and fast-growing economy.
We also have a presence in Australia, which may not be considered a traditional
participant in south-south cooperation, but which shares some important industries with Brazil (for example iron & steel) and some diplomatic/political goals (related to trade or the realities of a multipolar world), and is also a fine place to learn English as we
discussed.
Finally, I am hapy to announce that we will launch an Africa program in 2016, in Ghana or South Africa, offering further southern-hemisphere opportunities for Brazilian students.
Slide 11
Networks
Students leverage their internship roles, their immersion in the local culture, and the environment of professional development to build
networks which benefit themselves and their universities
Thaís Nascimento – Senac (PE)
• Underlines Magazine
• 5-month internship placement, January 2013
• Extended through end of 2013
• Hired as Online Editor, January 2014
Finally, let’s talk about networks. In an international internship, students leverage their role, their immersion in the local culture, and the environment of professional development to build networks which will benefit themselves and their universities.
As an example, let me tell you about another one of our Brazilian participants, Thais Nascimento.
We placed her in a 5-month internship at Underlines magazine, which is a trade magazine in the clothing industry.
She built her personal network within the company and was invited to extend her internship, and then to join the firm as a regular employee.
As an editor, she has built a network of contacts throughout her segment of the fashion industry, and she communicates frequently with textile and journalism professionals from around the world.
How these elements combine to benefit the university
University
Internship organization Career
• Credit and prestige
• Alumni influence
• University rankings
An internship abroad is an outstanding complement to university degree and differentiation from other job-seekers.
This is constantly reaffirmed in all our conversations with alumni, recruiters, employers – an international internship on the CV makes a candidate stand out.
When a university launches a student into an international internship, with the help of an organization dedicated to this process, it benefits the student’s future career.
When the student succeeds in their career, this in turn benefots the university, in several ways.
It reflects credit and prestige back onto the university.
The university’s alumni are more influential as they fan outward and upward through their chosen career paths.
It helps to improve the university’s position in various rankings:
In the university rankings published by Folha of São Paulo, 18% of the total ranking is based on the university’s reputation among employers in the labor market.
(Also, both Folha (4%) and THE (7.5%) rankings include “international outlook” in the ranking calculation)
And in some ranking systems used in the US, the methodology considers not only the university’s reputation among employers, but the percentage of graduates in employment, and even their salaries.
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