Summer of 2024

Esteé D’huyvetter:

This past summer, I spent six weeks in Austria for an internship, which turned out to be one of the best decisions I’ve made during my studies. I always believed spending some time abroad would be valuable, so when the chance to do a summer internship with IAESTE came up, I jumped at it. I ended up at the Montanuniversität in Leoben, a smaller university town surrounded by mountains in Austria. I study sustainable materials engineering and my internship focused on ceramic materials, specifically unconventional production methods of barium titanate. Ceramics aren’t a major focus at my university back home, so I started with a bit of research to gain more knowledge on the topic. My supervisor, a PhD student, was super helpful and always there to explain concepts and answer questions.

While I was initially hesistant about working with the sintering machine and setup, I quickly gained confidence and was soon producing multiple samples daily and preparing them for materials characterization. The work was quite different from university labs, requiring greater independence and responsibility. Outside of work, I had plenty of time to explore Austria and nearby countries. I shared an appartment with four other interns from Greece, Jordan and Japan and we bonded quickly. It was reassuring to have people around who were also adapting to a new country and environment. After work, we would cook together or plan a weekend trip. Also, the IAESTE committee in Leoben was incredibly supportive, helping me settle in and organizing events to connect interns and introduce us to Austrian culture.

This internship was about so much more than gaining work experience and improving my lab skills. I learned about a new field, made great friends from around the world and returned with beautiful memories. I am truly grateful for everything this experience offered me, knowing it will stay with me as I continue my studies and career. If you have the chance to pursue an internship, whether through IAESTE or somewhere else, I would definitely recommend taking it!

Summer of 2023

Joanna Popiel:

My internship in Austria was one of the best experiences in my life. For a while I wanted to go on Erasmus although a full semester abroad seemed just a bit too long for me. So when I discovered that IAESTE was organizing internships abroad, I knew immediately that I wanted to do it. Without hesitation I signed up and a little later I was told I could go. Thank goodness because I had some unforgettable moments!

My internship lasted 6 weeks and went on at Montanuniversität in Leoben, in Austria. During my internship, I had to find a way to optimize the accuracy of classification of non-metallic inclusions using machine learning. Despite having a materials science background, this was something I had not really come into contact with before. This seemed a little scary at first, but I was very well guided, so in a short time I gained a lot of new knowledge. Of course, working was not the only thing I did!

During my internship I got to know 5 incredibly sweet trainees from other countries. They came from India, Iran, United States and Slovakia. We travelled a lot together! On the one hand we arranged trips on our own and on the other hand we participated in activities organized by IAESTE. For example, together with IAESTE we went hiking near Salzburg, we participated in Prague Challenge and we went bowling and hiking with the local committee. Besides the activities organized with IAESTE, we also went with our group to Salzburg, drove to Bratislava, did several hikes, we went wall climbing, cooked together several times, etc. In short, we did a lot!

All trainees also get a few days off. For 6 weeks, I had 3 days off, which gave me a lot of freedom. This way I could stay an extra day in Prague and I could also go to Vienna a day earlier. IAESTE internship was an unforgettable experience! Austria a wonderful destination! This internship has been nothing short of amazing, filled with learning, growth, and cherished memories

Summer of 2024

Jonas Van der Meersch:

This summer I did an IAESTE internship in Brazil. At first I was hesitant to apply for this internship, because Brazil is so far away and I was not familiar with the culture. But after some consideration I realized that I could not pass up in this once in a life opportunity. I did my internship at the university of UNESP, where I researched high entropy titanium alloys for biomedical applications. I worked in a fine lab, where I met even finer people. Even though I had to get used to the relaxed work attitude in Brazil, I still had a really good time in the lab.

This internship has expanded my metallurgical background and is definitely a boost for my career. During my 8 week stay in Bauru I lived together with local students in a “Republica”, which is kind of like a frat house. The people there were really nice and immediately made me feel at home. They showed me around, invited me to party’s and were always eager assist me with anything. When I was not doing research, I would be planning trips with locals and other IAESTE trainees. Traveling alone and with people I just met in a beautiful country as Brazil was just an amazing experience. These two months were incredible and I know I will always fondly look back on them. For everyone who wants to combine an educational internship with an amazing adventure, I really recommend to consider to do an internship organized by IAESTE. The paper work might be slow and annoying but it is definitely worth it!

Summer of 2026

Thomas Devlaminck:

When I arrived in Jena, I quickly realised that it was the perfect place for a student internship. Jena is a real student city, with a young and international atmosphere. There always seemed to be something happening, whether it was meeting friends, exploring the city or simply enjoying the summer together.

Before leaving Belgium, I had found a shared apartment online, where I lived with Nora, a German student. Having a German roommate was especially nice during my first weeks. She helped me get settled in and introduced me to German culture and everyday life, which made arriving in a new country much easier.

One of the best things about staying in Jena was how easy it was to travel around Germany. Public transport was very affordable, which made it possible to visit different cities without spending too much money. The Deutsche Bahn experience, however, was a little less straightforward. Delays, cancellations and unexpected changes were almost part of the journey, but somehow this also became part of the adventure. Despite the occasional chaos, I got to visit cities such as Dresden, Leipzig and Kassel, each giving me a different impression of Germany.

Of course, the most memorable part of my internship was not the places I visited, but the people I met. Through the internship and the international student community, I made friends from all over Europe and the world. These are people I will never forget, even though we all eventually had to return to our own countries.

A lot of our best memories were actually very simple. During the warm summer days, we would go swimming together in the river that runs through Jena. We watched the World Cup together, sometimes while drinking a little more than we probably should have. On other evenings, we would stay in and play board games for hours or we watched the local football team “Carl Zeiss Jena”. These moments made Jena feel less like a temporary place where I was doing an internship and more like a home for the summer.

The internship itself also gave me valuable experience in an international research environment. Working abroad allowed me to experience a different working culture and become more independent, while being surrounded by people from different backgrounds taught me a lot outside of the workplace as well.

Looking back, my IAESTE internship was much more than just a few months abroad. It was a combination of professional experience, travelling, discovering another culture and, most importantly, meeting people from all over the world. The friendships and memories I made in Jena will stay with me for a long time.