University of Rhode Island students in STEM fields can select from a robust list of international internships from around the globe with new affiliation with the International Association for the Exchange of Students for Technical Experience.
IAESTE is a global non-governmental, non-profit organization that facilitates a reciprocal exchange program for engineering, technology, science, and architecture students across the globe. Created in the aftermath of World War II, IAESTE is dedicated to promoting international understanding and collaboration to jointly tackling global challenges.
URI’s International Engineering Program has similar goals. IEP’s growing demand for international internships motivated the program’s director, Sigrid Berka, to propose that URI partner with IAESTE to colleague Kristin Johnson, vice president for global initiatives. “Incorporating this program was an ideal match and opens so many more opportunities for not only IEP students, but all STEM students from URI. Both the students and faculty can benefit from this global initiative,” said Berka. URI became one of the few U.S. universities exchanging interns among 100 member countries globally in 2024.
Interns in the IAESTE program range from undergraduates through master’s and Ph.D.-level students. Applicants should be enrolled full-time or a recent graduate in a technical field and fluent in English. Those accepted are eligible to travel to host countries within the program’s network where they complete paid internships at companies, universities, and research organizations. IAESTE helps with the work authorization and visa process. Each host city typically arranges housing accommodations, coordinates arrival details, and organizes opportunities to meet other international trainees and local students. These experiences abroad help students gain professional experience and cross-cultural skills. Employers and universities gain access to talented international interns.
Every opportunity offers various lengths of stay, allowing it to be flexible enough to fit in between semesters or even as post-graduation experience. Students don’t need to be in an international program to have this international experience.
URI junior John Witczak recently completed an internship through the IAESTE program.
“This IAESTE opportunity appealed to me because it combined my natural curiosity with my love for travel and experiencing new cultures,” said Witczak. “I was excited by the chance to broaden my perspective while also gaining meaningful professional experience.”
John was in Slovakia for about two and a half months doing research at the Technical University of Kosice. “My internship had a lot to do with finite element analysis, where I was tasked with automating a stress analysis of a pre-stressed concrete beam in ABAQUS using the software’s python environment to build a database of frequency steps,” said Witczak. “The final goal was to find a digital copy with a similar composition to each of the beams we had in the physical lab.”
Prior to his experience, Witczak’s travels abroad was limited to a destination wedding he attended as a child and a quick trip to the Canadian side of Niagara Falls his freshman year.
“Doing an internship through IAESTE is the most accessible option for engineering students who want to go abroad, but cannot commit to the International Engineering Program,” said Lauren Creamer, coordinator of career services and employer relations for the College of Engineering. “Opportunities last from as little as one month or up to a year, and even recent graduates can participate. IAESTE representatives help make the transition for students to life in another country more manageable, too.”
“The process to get to Slovakia was generally very smooth with Dr. Berka and Ms. Creamer being extremely helpful,” Witczak said. They introduced him to the people that would guide him through the experience. Once he got to Slovakia and settled, he found the perfect balance of support as well as room to let his curiosity flourish.
“I was able to travel frequently, as my advisor at the host university understood what the opportunity meant to me, however, that did not come at the expense of hands-on experience and learning,” said Witczak. “It was a once in a lifetime trip, and I met unforgettable people, saw amazing places, and will cherish the memories I made for the rest of my life. The ability to connect with like-minded people everywhere is a lot easier than I originally thought, and being a part of IAESTE unlocked that for me.”
Blanca Sesé is on the flip side of the exchange. She is earning a master’s degree from the University of Zaragoza in Spain. But through the IAESTE program, she is doing a semester abroad at URI in the college’s chemical engineering department.
She’s working in the soft matter research lab studying innovative design and characterization of soft materials. “Through this internship, I have the chance to work with a wonderful team under the supervision of assistant professor Ryan Poling-Skutvik. Thanks to them, I am learning how to work in a different environment more independently, which I think will do wonders for furthering my career, no matter where that may take me,” said Sesé.
“The thing I enjoy the most is the rich cultural environment built in the university, as everybody has a quite different background and a different story to tell, but all of them share how passionately and brightly they shine.” She lives on campus in the IEP house with people from around the world, including another Spanish exchange student from the University of Deusto, Naia Soto.
“When the opportunity arose to spend the final year of my bachelor’s degree at the University of Rhode Island, I did not hesitate,” said Soto. “Studying and working in the United States not only allows me to learn from professors who are leaders in their fields, but also to live in a diverse environment, grow as a person, face the challenge of adapting to a new place, and build personal connections that will last for years.”
Soto is earning her degree in biomedical engineering and conducting research in assistant professor Irene Andreu’s chemical engineering lab. The team is developing a magnetic thermoplastic polyurethane filament designed for 3D printing of flexible magnetic components. “Campus life here is vibrant and multicultural, offering countless opportunities to meet people and get involved in new activities,” said Soto. “What I enjoy the most is how open and welcoming everyone is.”
“I encourage any student who has the chance to study or do an internship abroad to take it,” said Soto.
“The program offers a great opportunity as it directly connects universities and companies, while also supporting students throughout the process and helping them grow academically and personally,” said Sesé. “The internship is well organized. I really appreciate the everyday effort that the staff put in to make it work.”
This spring, an additional intern from Japan will be hosted by assistant professor Tingting Zhao in the College of Business to help develop advanced machine learning methods tailored for financial applications. In exchange, Japanese IEP and electrical engineering double major Jack Russo will complete an internship in the Department of Quantum Science and Energy Engineering at the Graduate School of Engineering at Tohoku University in Sendai, Japan, during his senior year abroad.
There are also two Spanish IEP seniors studying abroad in Spain who Berka hopes will likewise find placements in participating Spanish companies in 2026. She encourages other engineering and STEM faculty to host interns for a semester or summer to continue the collaboration and provide continuous opportunities for students to gain global experience.
Faculty interested in participating should contact sigrid_berka@uri.edu and students who wish to intern abroad should contact Lauren Creamer at lauren_creamer@uri.edu.