Negocia Business School, in Paris, France

In response to growing interest from Western Michigan University students and faculty, the Haenicke Institute for Global Education has developed a system to assist students seeking internships abroad for academic credit.

Thirty-five percent of college-bound high school seniors plan to undertake an international internship during their undergraduate studies, according to a 2008 survey conducted by the College Board, with the American Council on Education, and the Art & Science Group LLC. Forty-six percent believe that internship abroad possibilities are an important component in their choice of colleges.

A March 2008 survey conducted by the Association of American Colleges and Universities tapping employers to learn what skills and characteristics they seek in new hires revealed that four out of five executives believe that faculty-supervised and evaluated internships are an effective way to ‘…ensure that recent college graduates possess the skills and knowledge needed for success at their company’.

“Internships are an integral part of the curriculum in most educational programs in Europe, where the average business student graduating with a five-year degree will have completed 12 months of supervised and graded work in a company,” said Brett Berquist, Haenicke Institute executive director of international programs. “In the United States system, professional experience has traditionally been the responsibility of the individual student and is not often a required part of the curriculum.”

Berquist developed an international internship program at a business school in Paris in the late 1990s that eventually resulted in fifty-five percent of the student body completing an internship abroad. “The challenge for students at many American universities, including WMU, is how to find information on what is possible for academic credit and the appropriate faculty supervisor,” he said. “Thirty two students received credit for internships abroad in 2005-2006. Hopefully the new system we are putting into place will encourage more students to combine the valuable work experience of an internship with the chance to experience another culture.”

Student interest in interning abroad as part of their studies at WMU is strong, said Lynn Kelly-Albertson, director of career and student employment services.

“Many students ask us whether they should study abroad or do an internship,” she said. “They want to know which project will help them stand out in the marketplace after their degree. Now, we can assist students to consider combining both these options,”

International internship opportunities offered through WMU will be posted on BroncoJobs (www.wmich.edu/career/ ). Advice on finding an internship abroad, as well as support during the internship, will be provided through Kelly-Albertson’s office.

The first and most important step for students to complete when arranging an overseas internship is to find a faculty supervisor who will support the project and evaluate the student’s performance. Haenicke Institute staff can help direct students to appropriate faculty supervisors. There are three options for students to find an internship abroad:

1. Intern abroad in conjunction with a study abroad program.
2. Use an internship placement service.
3. Secure an internship offer directly with an overseas employer.

See www.wmich.edu/studyabroad select ‘intern abroad’ from the left-hand menu for more information.

This system for promoting internships abroad was developed through extensive dialogue with academic departments and colleges as well as advising staff. In 2006, the International Education Council of the Faculty Senate passed a resolution to “…recognize international experiential education as an integral component of the internationalization of our academic community and the learning experience.”

The College of Engineering and Applied Sciences has opened a student chapter of the International Association for the Exchange of Students for Technical Experience, under the guidance of Dr. Said AbuBakr. The Haworth College of Business is also considering creating a similar chapter for business students (AIESEC). Both organizations train student members on how to work with local corporations to identify internship opportunities for international students in the Kalamazoo area. Internship offers produced by the chapter’s efforts are disseminated to members overseas through an online clearinghouse. Local members can then apply for internships identified by their counterparts in other countries.

Sean Pepin and Katie Smith, WMU graduate students in the higher education leadership program, worked with Berquist during this past summer and early fall to implement the application process. Pepin and Smith surveyed existing WMU internship credits and all department chairs and researched best practices in U.S. universities for facilitating internships abroad for academic credit. In collaboration with the office of Career and Student Employment Services, they will lead a special information session during the institute’s Study/Work Abroad Fair on October 8. The info session begins at 5 p.m. in the Bernhard Center Room 212. Many internship provider organizations will also be exhibiting at the fair from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the Bernhard Center’s South Ballroom.