About Us

[Translate to English:] IAESTE Logo

What is IAESTE?

The International Association for the Exchange of Students for Technical Experience, in short IAESTE, is an indepentend, nonpolitical, international Internship Exchange Organisation. It mediates internships to immatriculated students of the engineering and natural sciences studies as well as agriculture and forestry studies in a new cultural einvironment.

IAESTE in short:

  • Worldwide trainee exchange
  • More than 80 member countries
  • IAESTE Germany is part of the DAAD
  • Every year about 700 internship exchanges for Germany
  • The service in the receiving universities is offered mostly by voluntary students
  • Number of internships offered = Number of internships received

IAESTE History

IAESTE was founded in 1948 in London and has so far sent more than 350 000 students to over 85 countries. Germany is a member of the IAESTE program since 1950. It is represented by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD).

Structure of the IAESTE organisation

In every member country there is a national committee (NC) and several local committees (LC) at the universities. In Germany the national committee is represented by a department of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD). IAESTE is supported by the the Federal Foreign Office. The local committees consist of committed students of the particular university. Where this is not possible, the international offices takes care of the assignments of IAESTE.

Assignments of IAESTE

For one thing, the local committees (LC) receive the applications of the German students for internships abroad. These internships, usually from 8 to 12 weeks, will be arranged free of charge. Additionally the LCs support the foreign trainees in their City. This includes for example finding accommodation, dealing with the authorities and social program to get to know the receiving country.

Aims of IAESTE

IAESTE internships offer students a better practical relevance to students of engineering, science, agriculture and forestry. Furthermore they are an opportunity to get an insight to the life, the culture and the way of thinking of other cultures and people.