EU internship program
2019 EUSTIP group, photo credit by Sarah Grunert
In addition to the Study Tour, the Network offers optional internship opportunities with EU institutions and other organizations following completion of the Tour. Most internships are two months in duration.
This application is for acceptance to the internship program, not individual internship opportunities.
The internships build on the EU Study Tour experience. Besides extending the time students spend experiencing the workings of the institutions of the European Union, they also contribute their own skills and learn from operating in an international work environment.
The exact nature of the work will be established during the initial weeks of the internship and can involve research, policy development and analysis, report writing, media updating, and attending meetings. Most interns are quickly absorbed into the life of the host institution.
Students who indicated during their registration (non-UVic students) or application (UVic students) to be interested in the Internship Program will be receiving an email with further instructions soon after the registration deadline (January 26, 2023).
Students will be asked to provide supplemental materials (CV, cover letter in Europass format and specifications document) after receiving that email and will be asked to submit these supplemental documents by February 7, 2023. Students are also asked to pay the $800 internship fee at this time.
Please see examples of Europass CV and cover letters. Applicants should keep cover letters somewhat generic to aid program staff in arranging placements.
Placement will not occur unless and until the program has received the completed forms and the Internship Program fee. If the completed application/registration form and the fee are received, but no placement offer can be made, the $800 internship fee will be refunded. However, if a placement is made on your behalf and you decline to participate, there is no refund of the internship fee.
We work our hardest to match students with an appropriate internship placement and are delighted that we have close to always managed to do so in the past.
Host organizations have minimum requirements for interns (which might include a B.A. degree awarded, Canadian citizenship, as well as particular skills or languages). Furthermore, organizations have preferences for skills, language abilities, or other attributes. Application to the internship program does not entail immediate qualification for all the internship opportunities in the preliminary list.
Priority for placements is given to qualified graduate students; however senior undergraduates are also eligible for internships.
Academic credit is tied to both successful completion of the Virtual Study Tour and the optional internships for University of Victoria students. This aspect is totally at the discretion of the local institution but is greatly appreciated by the Network.
During the Virtual Study Tour program, time will be set aside for the selected interns to meet with the Tour Director, and discuss how best to succeed in this opportunity. Students might also have opportunity to communicate with representatives of their respective host institutions to provide them with relevant additional information where possible.
Evaluation of the internship experience is an important factor in developing future internships; hence each participant is required to provide Completion Reports of the internship experience, including a report from their supervisor at the host institution.
Insurance
Students who travel to Europe for an internship MUST have sufficient travel medical insurance to cover both the Study Tour and the duration of the internship. You will be asked to provide evidence of this insurance prior to your departure, to be submitted to eustudytour@uvic.ca. Additionally, all interns are required to have personal liability insurance, which is provided via registration at the University of Victoria. Host organizations will not permit students to begin the internship without first seeing evidence of valid insurance.
Living in Europe
Internships are non-remunerative, and all living costs are assumed by the intern. Internship applicants are responsible for finding their own accommodations, and should begin investigating options as soon as possible. Students who do not arrange accommodations until they arrive in Brussels will find that their options are limited and more expensive. The Director and/or Tour Assistant will provide advice on finding accommodations in March. Students should NOT confirm accommodations until an internship position is confirmed - locations and date of placements may vary.
Travelling to Europe
Interns should wait until they have confirmed internships prior to arranging travel. The Director endeavours to provide applicants an internship offer by mid-April, although each organization has its own selection procedures which can cause delays.
Below is a tentative list of some of our internship host organizations for 2022:
European Union Agencies
European Commission, Directorate General for Education and Culture (DG EAC)
European Commission, Directorate General for Maritime Affairs (DG MARE)
European Commission, Directorate General for International Partnerships (DG INTPA)
Civil Society Organizations in Europe
PAYOKE (NGO which works on issues of human trafficking. See: https://www.payoke.be/)
EuroHealthNet (Network for public health. See: https://eurohealthnet.eu/)
EU Matrix (Brussels-based International Trade Advisory. See: https://www.eumatrix.net/)
European Trade Union Institute. (See: https://www.etui.org/)
European Centre for Electoral Support. (See: https://www.eces.eu/en/)
Democracy Reporting International (Berlin-based consultancy, see: https://democracy-reporting.org/en/office/global)