IAESTE

IAESTE asbl
legal form	international association
founding	1948 in London (Imperial College)
founder	United Nations
Seat	Luxembourg
motto	International Association for the Exchange of Students for Technical Experience
main emphasis	Students and employers
Action space	global
people	Thomas Faltner, President
Members	86 states (2017)
Website	iaeste.org

IAESTE ( International Association for the Exchange of Students for Technical Experience ) is an international association that overseas internships for students of technical and natural sciences as well as for agricultural and forestry fields of study organized. In addition to arranging internships (and, in some cases, long-term employment contracts), the organization also supports its interns with immigration formalities and organizes accommodation and a leisure program in the host country.

Founding principle and members

The organization is apolitical and independent. It was founded in 1948 at the suggestion of James Newby at Imperial College in London to contribute to better international understanding in post-war Europe. One of the goals of the organization is therefore expressly the cultural enrichment for the interns and their host countries. Today the organization places around 5,000 students per year.

The 10 founding members were Belgium , Denmark , Finland , France , Great Britain , the Netherlands , Norway , Sweden , Czechoslovakia and Switzerland . The number of member countries has grown from originally 10 European countries to 86 countries worldwide.

Since 2005, IAESTE has been a registered, non-profit association under Luxembourg law (" associacion sans but lucratif ").

goals and tasks

Letter from UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon .

The goals were strongly influenced by the situation in post-war Europe. The main goals are

To give students of technical universities the opportunity to gain professional and life experience in the broadest sense abroad .
The international understanding between students of all nations and states, regardless of their race, color, sex or belief to promote.
To provide interested companies and academic institutions with well-trained and motivated students (extended exchange program).

In some countries, the organization also organizes so-called company contact fairs at technical universities , to which companies send expert representatives and contact persons. Company presentations or panel discussions are intended to form additional links between students and companies.

For several years now, students from other subjects have also been accepted into the program. However, the focus remains on engineering and natural science, as well as agricultural and forestry internships.

General organizational structure

Each member country of the organization has a National Committee that is responsible for handling student exchanges in the respective country. Many university locations also have so-called Local Committees (LC) to look after the students on site. Once a year in January, delegations from all member states meet at the General Conference .

While the organization in German-speaking countries is very much supported by the voluntary work by students for students, in other countries it is often mainly organized by working volunteers or by specially paid people.

The student exchange usually works according to a 1: 1 exchange system, i.e. H. each country receives as many internship positions as it provides itself. Traditionally, however, countries with a relatively high gross national income ( GNI ) provide more places than they receive themselves. Germany is by far the country with the largest offer of internship positions. The main task of the IAESTE employees is not only to advise and support the students, but also to organize internships for foreign students in their own country as well as the organization of accommodation, visas and entertainment.

Germany

organization structure

The German National Committee is part of the “International Internship Exchange ” section of the German Academic Exchange Service . In addition, the work at the local level is supported by a large number of volunteer students and by the international offices of the universities.

Interns in Germany

Around 750 internship positions are offered in Germany every year. To this end, the local representatives advertise internships at local companies or public institutions. This gives potential employers the opportunity to access a very large pool of foreign students. IAESTE's services are in principle free of charge for both interns and employers. The remuneration for IAESTE interns in Germany is 650 euros. In addition to the administrative tasks, a variety of activities and trips are offered for the foreign students. Every year there are major events in Aachen , Berlin , Munich and many other cities in which the IAESTE is represented. The Munich Weekend (MüWo) has established itself as a well-known and larger event in Germany. In total there are around 140 local representations in various sizes and shapes at many universities in Germany.

Internship abroad

Students at a German university can apply to their local committee or the international office of their university for an internship through the organization. Apart from a good command of English, no further services are required for an application. However, the specific requirements for the intern can vary greatly depending on the internship. The organization only arranges internships that it has previously recruited and that are only offered through IAESTE.

Austria

organization structure

In Austria , the IAESTE is organized entirely on a student basis. The Austrian National Committee has its seat in Vienna . There are seven local committees throughout Austria, which also look after other universities and colleges in the catchment area:

IAESTE BOKU, at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna
IAESTE Graz at the Graz University of Technology
IAESTE Innsbruck at the University of Innsbruck
IAESTE Leoben at the Montan University Leoben
IAESTE Linz at the Johannes Kepler University Linz
IAESTE Salzburg at the University of Salzburg
IAESTE Vienna at the Technical University of Vienna

Every local committee in Austria is a voluntary association which is completely organized by students. All Austrian local committees are members of the Austrian national committee IAESTE Austria. The national committee is in turn a member of IAESTE asbl based in Luxembourg , the international umbrella organization. The national committee represents IAESTE Austria at international level and coordinates the local committees at national level.

Interns in Austria

The members of the IAESTE in Austria advertise job profiles (job advertisements) locally and exchange these 1: 1 internationally. This enables a 1: 1 exchange. Conversely, every job for a foreign student means an internship for a student at an Austrian university abroad. This u. a. Visa formalities made easier. IAESTE interns in Austria are also exempt from the Aliens Employment Act (AuslBG). This means that there is no additional work for the participating companies compared to an Austrian intern. All IAESTE internships in Austria are advertised with a salary of at least € 1,000 per month to cover the living costs of the interns in Austria . For incoming trainees, the local committees in Austria not only provide accommodation but also help with visas and registration, and organize accommodation and a large leisure and cultural program on a voluntary basis. There are around 120 students in Austria every year.

Internship abroad

Every internship for an incoming trainee secures an internship abroad for a student at an Austrian university. All IAESTE internships must be paid for, with the salary covering the living costs in the respective country. An IAESTE internship can last between 3 weeks and 1.5 years. Most international employers advertise the desired duration in addition to the qualifications, but the applicant can usually organize the internship himself within a certain time frame. The IAESTE enjoys a special status worldwide with regard to work permits and visas and there is thus far less bureaucratic effort than would normally be the case. Accommodation and a large leisure and cultural program are also organized for students abroad. In order to be able to apply for an IAESTE internship from Austria, you have to be a student at an Austrian university. Participation in the program is also possible up to 1.5 years after graduation. Every year around 80–90 Austrian students complete an IAESTE internship abroad, many of them in Switzerland , Canada and China (including Hong Kong ).

Special projects in Austria

In addition to the international exchange program for interns in technical and scientific studies, the IAESTE in Austria, which is organized on a voluntary basis by students, is financed through the following successful projects and cooperation between students and companies.

TECONOMY

TECONOMY is the name of the largest student career fairs in Austria. It is derived from the English terms technology meets economy . TECONOMY is a registered trademark of the Graz Local Committee , but is also used nationally by the other local committees for the name of all career fairs in Austria. The career fairs enable companies to present themselves and their work at the Technical University of Vienna, the Technical University of Graz, the Montan University Leoben, the University of Salzburg and the Johannes Kepler University Linz and to get in contact with the students and professors as well as their academic staff .

Company shuttle

The IAESTE company shuttle was launched in 2009 and takes students from all over Austria to selected TOP companies from technology, industry and research for a day. With numerous lectures, exclusive tours and exciting discussions, you have the opportunity to experience the respective company structure and processes up close and personal, while gaining a deeper insight into the respective working world. These are not common company presentations and tours through production, but the students have the opportunity to get an insight into their future workplace and to exchange ideas with engineers and managers at eye level. Each company selects the students, who are then picked up by the universities. The company shuttle offers an ideal platform to make contacts and start your career.

Switzerland

IAESTE Switzerland works with almost 30 Swiss universities and 100 Swiss companies to provide students with unique work experiences all over the world. IAESTE specializes in arranging internships for students of technical and natural sciences, but positions in other areas are occasionally offered.

organization structure

IAESTE Switzerland originally belonged to ETH Zurich , but has been an independent and independent association since 2005. The association members form the national committee. It includes representatives from politics, universities, industry, associations and the IAESTE Local Committees. The National Committee elects a board from its own ranks every two years. The main office, the National Office, is located in Zurich . Since 2007 there has also been a branch in Lausanne which takes care of the work in French-speaking Switzerland. The National Office, headed by Sabine Lenz since 2012, is responsible for the core business of IAESTE Switzerland. a. Responsible for the placement of interns abroad, the employment of foreign interns in Switzerland, the search for an employer and the acquisition of partners. The National Office is supported by the Local Committees (LC). There are 4 such LCs in Switzerland: in Zurich, Basel, Bern and Lausanne. They mainly take care of the foreign interns in Switzerland, look for accommodation and organize numerous events.

Offer for students in Switzerland

Students at a Swiss university or (technical) college can apply to IAESTE Switzerland for internships abroad, which are advertised on the Internet. There is an application fee and, if the placement is successful, a participation fee. The prerequisite for an application is enrollment at a Swiss university and a completed 4th semester. The technical and linguistic requirements vary from place to place. The internships offered last between 6 weeks and a year and are remunerated.

Offer for companies and organizations in Switzerland

Every year numerous companies and organizations advertise internship positions via IAESTE Switzerland. In 2012, these included companies such as Alstom , Nestlé , Herzog & de Meuron and Doodle . The placement of a foreign intern is free of charge for employers. The employer defines the profile and IAESTE Switzerland then looks for the right candidate.