Students from Poland will Start their Internships in US Corporations

Fourteen students from Poland – Polish-American Internship Initiative interns – will start presently their internships in US corporations. The opening ceremony of the programme took place on June 10th in Warsaw.

Polish-American Internship Initiative is a an undertaking of Polish-American Freedom Foundation, and is implemented with a strong support from the U.S. Embassy in Poland. American Ambassador to Poland Stephen Mull, Jerzy Koźmiński, the President of Polish-American Freedom Foundation, representatives of companies hosting the interns, of ministries and organisations supporting his initiatives as well as PAII alumni met the internship beneficiaries at the PAFF head office.

„You will have an opportunity to work in dynamic American Corporation operating worldwide. We hope you will share your ideas, motivation and creativity with your friends in the future. We also expect the programme participants and their peers to boost Polish economy in the future” – said Ambasador Mull during the opening ceremony and highlighted that the programme is part of the developing Polish-American cooperation. „Being inside American business culture will enable you to closely see how the big corporations operate on a daily basis. This is a great opportunity” – he added.

„Today, by opening the Polish-American Internship Initiative for the fourth time, please remember this is just one of many good events that have occurred in Polish-American relations since the year 1989. It needs to be reminded that the 25 years of free and democratic Poland is also a time in which the US was deeply involved in activities supporting Polish transformation” – said the host of the meeting, the President of Polish-American Freedom Foundation Jerzy Koźmiński. In his speech, he also pointed out that the interns, apart from their excellent academic performance and command of English, have notable social and scientific achievements.

Professor Jerzy Dietl, the President of Educational Enterprise Foundation, institution responsible for the programme, when addressing the interns, referred to the 25th anniversary of democratic elections in Poland celebrated in June, and asked them to enjoy freedom in a reasonable way and to remember that freedom is based on tolerance for other people and their views.

Among the other guests there were: Minister Olgierd Dziekonski from the Chancellery of Polish President, dr hab. Jacek Guliński Under-Secretary of State in the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, Ilona Antoniszyn-Klik Under-Secretary of State in the Ministry of Economy, Grzegorz Kozłowski Director of the American Department in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr Paweł Pietrasienski Minister Counselor, Chief of Trade and Investment Section of the Polish Embassy in Washington, and representatives of corporations hosting the interns. In conversations behind the scenes, it was highlighted that internship in the US is a great opportunity for young people.

The programme is launched already for the fourth time. It enables students with outstanding academic achievement to intern in the reputed American corporations. Since the year 2011, 73 young and apt students got an opportunity to complete an internship and to gain the invaluable professional experience. Beneficiaries of internhips lasting 2-3 months will be paid. Organisers cover the travel costs and help in arraning an American visa.

Eligibility criteria are the following: at least a second year student of a fulltime programme at the Polish university, excellent command of English, outstanding academic performance and high level of social initiative. It is the participants of “Bridge Scholarships” programme of Polish-American Freedom Foundation who are particularly invited to participate. As the President Koźmiński noted Bridge Scholarships Programme, facilitating young people from small towns to study at universities, included already 20 thousand young people.
An entity responsible for the initiative is Educational Enterprise Foundation in cooperation with companies offering internships.

ABOUT THE PROGRAMME

Polish – American Internship Initiative is a prestigious programme of summer internships in leading American corporations for Polish students. The programme was launched in 2010 by Polish-American Freedom Foundation in cooperation with the US Embassy to Poland. It is a part of one of the biggest non-governmental scholarship programmes in place since the year 2002 – Bridge Scholarship Programme supporting young people from villages and little towns who study at the university. Educational Enterprise Foundation is an institution responsible for the programme in cooperation with companies offering internships.

https://usa.trade.gov.pl