New Trends in International Internships

It didn’t take much to persuade us that it made sense to exhibit at the recent Global Internship Conference in Berkeley, California. This was 2012’s most targeted event for the community of education abroad professionals, university career advisors and fellow service providers that Connect-123 belongs to. And yes it’s California. In June. Easy decision!

So what can we tell you about GIC 2012? The stats show it was a rip-roaring success – three days, forty presentations, and over two hundred attendees. As the dust settles and I reflect on some of the main take-aways from the event I think we can share three things in particular:

1. Internships are going global!

As universities are being asked to commit to internationalization, and implement concrete steps in that direction, establishing overseas internship programs is becoming a priority in many institutions. Fortunately this drive coincides with many universities adopting a more open-minded attitude towards experiential education, and examining ways in which the outcomes of these experiences can be evaluated with the same academic rigor as any on-campus course. Little wonder that there was such interest in two presentations by Michigan State University, a longtime thought leader in Education Abroad, whose internship coordinators walked us through the practicalities of establishing a successful international internship program, with the help of trusted service providers.

2. Service providers are valued university partners

These days few of the university advisors at the ‘coal face’, sending students overseas for internships, question the value of partnering with organizations that provide important on-the-ground services. These advisors are incredibly committed professionals who have their students’ best interests at heart. The specialist local assistance these service providers offer, reassures them that arriving at the airport, finding their internship host organization, and figuring out public transport will all go smoothly for their students. Even better if they find a trusted partner who focuses on career development and personal growth and ensures their activities in this area are aligned with what the university’s Career Center or International Office is trying to achieve on campus. A number of papers at GIC were co-presented by university speakers and one of their service providers – an indication of how successful these partnerships can be!

3. Expectation-setting is key

Many of the presentations focused on a particular geographic area – Ireland, China, India for example – and it was interesting how the recommended pre-departure advice for each country could be so different. Obviously there are common themes – do your research; expect to feel some culture shock; make copies of your passport and medical insurance. But then we get tips from Ireland like ‘Take tea-breaks with your colleagues – you won’t get any brownie points for staying at your desk when you could be building relationships!’. We learned that a ‘one size fits all’ approach won’t work and when advising students we must take into account their own background and objectives for the experience as well as the particulars of the situation they are going into.

So plenty of food for thought, both from the presentations and the many interesting discussions we had with other conference delegates. GIC 2013 will be held in Singapore, and it looks like one we won’t want to miss!