By Allan Madrid

The Daily Northwestern

McCormick freshman A.O. Smith became connected to people in more than 85 countries in just one move — by joining AIESEC Northwestern.

Recently reopening its NU chapter, AIESEC is a student-run cultural exchange program that offers internships at companies in locations around the world.

With chapters at more than 800 universities in 89 countries, the program gives college students and graduates the option of either traveling abroad through a paid internship or working locally with the chapter to help host and accommodate interns from other countries.

“The more I heard about traveling to different countries and learning about different cultures, the more the program sold itself to me,” said Smith, who helps host incoming interns. “It definitely makes (us) more culturally aware because we’re working with interns from around the world.”

AIESEC helps its members attain internships abroad with companies such as Kraft, Motorola, Mastercard, AT&T and IBM. Members have access to a database that pairs “trainees,” or potential interns, with the company that best matches their interests and needs.

“A lot of companies want these trainees as a way to internationalize themselves,” said Josin Chin-Sang, a Weinberg sophomore and AIESEC vice president. “AIESEC facilitates the process by searching the database, finding the company that best matches the trainee and sending them abroad for as little as eight weeks to as long as two years.”

Members at NU, who currently are hosting some 20 trainees, have had the opportunity to mingle with people from countries such as Romania, Switzerland and Brazil.

Trainees and local chapter members throw parties, spend evenings downtown and feast on traditional dishes from their home countries during an “international dinner.”

“(During these events), you can meet people from so many different cultures all in one room,” said Abdallah Khan, president of the NU chapter and a Weinberg junior. “The more you learn about these students, the more you learn about the world.”

Because members engage in active discourse with company owners and people of other cultures, most members said AIESEC prepares them for future jobs.

“By meeting and talking to heads of business and raising traineeships for people from abroad to come over and work on an internship, AIESEC really helps you hone your skills in the business world,” Weinberg sophomore Mary Ho said.

AIESEC first established a chapter at NU in the 1960s but was closed in 1999 because of waning interest. Khan re-established the organization at NU, after hearing about its benefits from his older brother.

“(AIESEC) provides a concept that is new to NU, since there is no other real opportunity for students to actually work and get paid abroad,” Kahn said. “It’s also different from most business clubs because we do a cultural exchange and provide a cultural experience.”

Although NU only has eight active members, the organization plans to increase its membership by the end of the year. Information sessions will be held during late January and early February.

“(AIESEC) is coming back in full force –ready to impact and internationalize this campus,” Chin-Sang said.

Reach Allan Madrid at [email protected].