IAESTE 2000 for pdf...story. Our exchange programme really belongs to our clients, and it has a real...

32000 iaeste annual report

The International Associationfor the Exchange of Students

for Technical Experience – IAESTE

IAESTEINTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR THE EXCHANGE OF STUDENTS FOR TECHNICAL EXPERIENCE

An independent non-governmental organisation (NGO)with 71 member countries in operational relations with UNESCO

Founded in 1948 on the initiative of James Newby (1893 – 1978)

IAESTE ANNUAL REPORT 2000

Published by IAESTEEdited by James E Reid, General Secretary of IAESTE

12,000 copies designed and produced in August 2000 by European Quality Publications LtdCover illustration by Chris Reid

Distributed for circulation to all member countriesCopies available from IAESTE National Secretariat in member countries or from the

General Secretary, IAESTE, PO Box 6104, Swords, Co. Dublin, Ireland

www.iaeste.org

IAESTE acknowledges with thanks the support of Ericsson, Nortel Networks, Philips SemiconductorsSpecial thanks to Alberto Arzoz, photographer ([email protected])

and to all interviewees and contributors

CONTENTS1 a warm welcome2 our organisation

4 report of the general secretary10 annual conference report

13 exchange profiles14 Brazil – the UNICAMP journey15 China – our newest member

16 Iceland – going for gold17 Sweden – smooth transmission

18 USA – learning global skills19 Philips Semiconductors – rapid development

20 the engineer and the brain – Professor Igor Aleksander

Our focus remains on the technicalgraduate, and the opportunities providedthrough IAESTE must continue to be ofthe highest quality and of sufficientduration to achieve our objectives.

Like any other worthwhileorganisation, IAESTE provides a usefulservice to its markets. Our clients arestudents, employers and educationalinstitutions. They choose to participate inthe IAESTE exchange because it deliverstangible benefits in terms of careers,business advantage and life-enhancingexperiences.

We have tried to capture this spirit inthis, IAESTE’s first annual report of the21st Century.

While the primary purpose of thisreport is to review the exchange activitiesand performance of IAESTE in 1999, thefacts and figures are only one part of the

story. Our exchange programme reallybelongs to our clients, and it has a realimpact on them. So, as well as providing apublic record of the scale of IAESTE’sactivity, this year’s annual report also aimsto convey the quality of the clientexperience.

In this Report you will find articles andprofiles that reflect, in some small way, theprogress made by IAESTE since itsfoundation in 1948. We returned to thebirthplace of IAESTE for an interviewwith Professor Igor Aleksander, Pro Rectorof External Relations at Imperial College, aformer IAESTE trainee and currently oneof the world’s most eminent scientists. Wealso have profiles of a small selection ofexisting and new national members whichhelp to give a feel for the stories behind thefigures. And we have a small number ofcorporate supporters whose advertisementsunderline their long association withIAESTE’s work.

IAESTE could not exist without thesupport of industry and educationalInstitutions. I would like to thank the3,202 employers and the 992 educationalinstitutions that participated in theprogramme in 1999. The employersoffered 5,644 training and work experienceopportunities to students from 60 memberand 24 non-member countries. We aregrateful for this continued level ofsupported for IAESTE.

The IAESTE core business is studentexchange and, together with employersupport, we will continue to ensure thatgraduates from member countries andothers, benefit from a broad cultural andtechnical experience and are available topractise their professions at home and in

IAESTE enters the

21st Century with a rich

heritage of more than 50

years of service to students,

institutions and employers

across the world. Our

challenge is to continue to

meet the continuing and

expanding need for skilled

and experienced young

graduates.

other countries. Our challenge in the newMillennium must be to develop ourexchange with a firm focus on quality, toincrease our membership and broaden therange of opportunities available to studentsand employers.

We are very grateful to all that haveagreed to participate in this edition. Iwould like to particularly thank IAESTESweden and IAESTE Switzerland for theirencouragement and practical advice duringthe preparation stages and the IAESTENational Committees that provided copyfor the Report. Without this help it wouldnot have been possible to produce the2000 Annual Report in the present format.

Finally, I would like to welcome thenew members that joined IAESTE sincethe publishing of our 1999 AnnualReport. The new Co-operatingInstitutions are DAAD Alumni ofAzerbaijan, CEDUBAL-IAESTE Bosniaand Herzegovina, Council for PracticalTraining and Exchange, China,Universidad San Francisco, Ecuador,Kyzyl-Kiva Institute of Technology,Economy and Law, Kyrgyzstan, TheTechnical University of Moldova,University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka, HanoiUniversity of Technology, Vietnam. Wewish them every success in thedevelopment of the exchange programmein their countries.

James E. Reid,General Secretary


a warm welcometo the IAESTE Annual Report 2000

2 iaeste annual report 2000

The International Association forthe Exchange of Students forTechnical Experience (IAESTE) is aconfederation of National Committeesrepresenting academic, industrial andstudent interests. Each NationalCommittee is responsible for theadministration of the exchange in its owncountry.

The Association was founded inJanuary 1948 at Imperial College,London, on the initiative of the ImperialCollege Vacation Work Committee.National organisations of ten Europeancountries represented at this meetingbecame members and Mr. James Newbywas elected General Secretary. Thegeographical coverage was soon to spreadto most of Europe and beyond, as newcountries were admitted to membership.

The international body of IAESTE is anon-political, independent, non-governmental organisation, in operationalrelationship with the United Nations

offers from employers willing to receivestudents from abroad for a temporarytraining period relevant to the students’areas of study, as a supplement to theiruniversity or college education. Theoffering companies or organisations areexpected to pay students a wage sufficientto cover their cost of living during theactual training period.

The offers of training are exchangedwith other members on a reciprocal basis.Through their affiliated universities andcolleges, national secretariats selectqualified students to meet employers’requirements as outlined on the trainingoffer. Details of the selected candidates aresent to the companies for approval.

Participation in the IAESTE exchangeis open to bona fide students attendingcourses at universities, institutes oftechnology and similar institutions ofhigher education.

Educational, Scientific and CulturalOrganisation (UNESCO) andmaintaining consultative relationships withthe UN Economic and Social Council(ECOSOC), the United NationsIndustrial Development Organisation(UNIDO) and the International LabourOffice (ILO).

IAESTE is also in contact with theUnited Nations Economic Council forAfrica (ECA), the Food and AgricultureOrganisation (FAO), the Organisation ofAmerican States (OAS) and the EuropeanUnion (EU), as well as with othereducational non-governmentalorganisations.

National secretariats and committeesmake up the membership of theAssociation. Each year the AnnualConference brings together therepresentatives of these bodies to decideissues of general policy and to carry out theexchange of offers for training. Prior to theconference, each member country collects

our organisation


The aims of IAESTEThe association is an organisation for the exchange ofstudents at institutions of higher education wishing toobtain technical experience abroad relative to theirstudies in the broadest sense.

It shall promote international understanding and goodwill amongst the students of all nations irrespective ofrace, colour, sex or creed.

The association operates an exchange programme forthe benefit of students, academic institutions,industrial and other organisations offering traineeships.


General ConferenceThe General Conference has full power totake formal decisions for the fulfilment ofthe aims and regulations of theAssociation. It is composed of onedelegate from each member country. Itmeets every year in January.

Advisory CommitteeAn elected body which prepares the workof the General Conference and advises theGeneral Secretary on all matters ofinterest to the Association. It is composedof three elected members and the GeneralSecretary.

General SecretaryThe General Secretary is elected by themembers to co-ordinate the dailyadministration of the Association and isresponsible to the General Conference forall financial matters.

National CommitteeNational committees represent themember countries and are composed ofpersons representing academic, industrialand student interests.

HeadquartersJames E. Reid,General SecretaryP.O. Box 6104SwordsCo. DublinIreland

Advisory Committee1998- 2001Ms. Riitta UotilaIAESTE FinlandCIMOP. O. Box 34300531 HelsinkiFinland

1999-2002Mr. Javier YarzaIAESTE MexicoP. O. Box 41-65411001 Mexico D. F.

2000-2003Ms. Mirielle SuterIAESTE SwitzerlandPraktikantendienst ETHZRamistrasse 101CH-8092 ZürichSwitzerland

2000Reserve MemberMr. Mario KauzlaricIAESTE CroatiaUniversity of ZagrebTrg Marsala TITA 1410 000 ZagrebCroatia

Representatives of theGeneral Secretary to theUN and its agenciesNew YorkMs. Ginny ArnoldIAESTE CanadaP. O. Box 1473, KingstonOntario K7l 5C7 Canada

GenevaMs. Mirielle SuterIAESTE SwitzerlandPraktikantendienst ETHZRamistrasse 101CH-8092 ZürichSwitzerland

Vienna (UNIDO)Univ. Professor Dr. PeterSkalickyTechnische UniversitätWienKarlsplatz 13A-1040 WienAustria

Paris (UNESCO)Mr. Jean MichelAlaverdovIAESTE FranceCampus JarlardF-81013 Albi Cedex 09France


IAESTE STRUCTURE

General Conference

National Committees

General Secretary Advisory Committees


3000 6000 9000 12000 15000

This report is a summary of theexchange activities between members ofthe Association during 1999. The detailsof these exchanges are presented in the1999 IAESTE Activity Report publishedin December 1999. The exchange tookplace between the 60 member countriesand 24 non-member countries.

The 1999 IAESTE Activity Reportcontains the detail on the bilateralexchanges, study fields of trainees sent andreceived by each member country, thenumber of participating employers and

EXCHANGE DEVELOPMENT IN 1999

The total number of trainees exchangedshows a small decrease in numbers fromthe modest increases achieved over theprevious four years. The total number oftrainees exchanged in 1999 was 5,644 ofwhich 5,213 were nationals of, or studyingin, a member country. 431 trainees wereexchanged with non-member countries.This resulted in an overall decrease of4.2%. This decrease can be explained inpart by regional conflicts. The averageincrease over the last five years remainspositive at 9.1% and this reflects the goodwork being done by member countries inspite of other difficulties and the difficult,though improving, employmentcircumstances in many of the Europeancountries who are the major contributorsto IAESTE.

Table 1 shows the number of traineessent abroad in 1999 and compares thiswith placements for the previous six yearsand the total average trainee months. Thetotal average trainee months figures weremeasured in 1999 using trainee placementtimes from less than 4 weeks to greaterthan 52 weeks and are not exactlycomparable to the earlier figures. Thismore accurate reporting requirement fortraining periods was introduced in 1999and will continue to be used for futureAnnual Reports. (*)

The number of trainees to benefitfrom long-term placements nowrepresents 25% of total placements. 15member countries increased their numberof training opportunities in 1999, basedon the number of trainees received – andnot counting the new members

institutions, training periods, age,nationality and gender of the trainees andother useful comparative information. Itincludes detail on the exchange with non-member countries. The report alsocontains a summary of the administrativeprocedures, reports from each member onactivity as well as the names of the staffhandling the exchange and the addresses ofthe national secretariats. Readers interestedin this report may order a copy from theIAESTE national secretariat in their owncountry or from the General Secretary.


report of thegeneral secretary

1993

Trainees Sent 4918Total Average Trainee Months 13054

1994


1995


1996


1997


1998

Trainees Sent 5417Total Average Trainee Months 15056.5

1999

Trainees Sent 5213Total Average Trainee Months 14335*

Table 1 ● Trainees sent and total average trainee months


exchanging for the first time in 1999.

REGIONAL EXCHANGE

71% of participants receive theirplacements in Europe, with 2,686 (51%)traineeships provided within EuropeanUnion countries and 1,039 (20%) in otherEuropean countries. The European Union(EU) countries continue to be thepreferred destination for trainees from theother regions and the EU receives between35% and 70% of the participants from theother continents.

The EU provides under one-third(30%) of its places to students from EUmember states. This internal exchangebetween the other European members is25% and within North and CentralAmerica the exchange is 14%. For theother continents the internal exchangefigure is between 3-6%.

The open international exchange isclearly illustrated by the number ofcountries that exchange with eachmember. In 1999 each memberexchanged, on average, with 20 othermembers. Some 21 member countriesexchanged with 25 or more members andof these 10 exchanged with 35 or moremember countries.

While the number of traineeshipexchanges outside Europe remains small,their contributions to long-termplacements is significant. In 1999, some1,001 students received placements of 3-6months duration and 259 placements ofbetween 6-12 months. The comparativefigures for 1998 are 880 and 175. Long-term placements in South America, Northand Central America, Africa and Asia/Australia are more common and are

Bosnia and Herzegovina, China,Ecuador, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Sri Lankaand Vietnam to the Association. TheIAESTE membership going into the2000 exchange is now 71 membercountries.

Examining the spread of IAESTEmembership outside of Europe and NorthAmerica shows that the expansion of theIAESTE exchange programme in Africaand Asia still requires attention. Additionalmembers in South and Central Americawould also benefit the exchange. Anincreased intercontinental exchangedepends on increasing the membership ofthe Association in these continents andremains a priority for IAESTE.

attractive to students, particularly whentravel costs are a consideration.

IAESTE continues to be focused onexpansion, increasing the number ofmember countries and also the number oftraining places available. Regionalexpansion in itself is not sufficient and therequirement must be to aim for regionalexpansion while at the same timeincreasing the number of training placesin established members’ countries. Thisinternal and external expansion isnecessary to meet the aspirations of newmembers and to ensure the maintenanceof the existing exchange relationships. Inthe last 12 months IAESTE welcomedco-operating institutions from Azerbaijan,


Table 2 ● Trainees sent and received by continent 1999

European Union

23652686

Rest of Europe

14161039

North and Central America

480626

South America

430368

Asia/Australasia

343332

Africa

179162

. . . . . . . .


RECIPROCITY OF THE EXCHANGE

The IAESTE exchange programme isbased on a bilateral balanced exchangebetween members. Most membercountries attempt to maintain a balancebetween outgoing and incoming studentsbut a bilateral balance is rarely possiblewithin any given year. Only long-termbalance is sought and this is often worked

out on a trainee-month basis. Thisflexibility is needed for the best allocationof training places and the selection of theappropriate students.

In 1999 a total of 23 countriesreceived more students than they sentabroad. This benefited 37 members whosent more students than they received.909 training places were involved, 17%of the total exchange.

It has been established and is withinthe tradition of IAESTE that memberswith high GNP receive more traineesthan they send. In general the newermembers, members in developingcountries and members from the smallercountries benefit. Countries in this GNPbracket provided 802 (88%) of theseplaces in 1999.


report of theG E N E R A L S E C R E T A R Y

% Students in AfricafromAfrica 2.5%South America 0.0%North & Central America 1.3%Asia/Australasia 9.4%Rest of Europe 25.0%European Union 61.8%

% Students in South AmericafromAfrica 0.3%South America 5.7%North & Central America 6.8%Asia/Australasia 1.4%Rest of Europe 19.3%European Union 66.5%

% Students in North & Central AmericafromAfrica 0.8%South America 6.6%North & Central America 14.4%Asia/Australasia 3.5%Rest of Europe 13.6%European Union 61.1%

% Students in European UnionfromAfrica 4.4%South America 10.9%North & Central America 10.8%Asia/Australasia 8.2%Rest of Europe 35.8%European Union 29.9%

% Students in Rest of EuropefromAfrica 4.1%South America 6.0%North & Central America 5.1%Asia/Australasia 5.8%Rest of Europe 25.3%European Union 53.7%

% Students in Asia and AustraliafromAfrica 2.7%South America 2.7%North & Central America 5.4%Asia/Australasia 6.0%Rest of Europe 20.1%European Union 63.1%

Table 3 ● Origin of trainees received by continent 1999

. . . . . . . . .


STUDENT TRAINEE PROFILE

Age and gender balance: Average ageand gender balance of trainees varies littlefrom year to year but differs appreciablyfrom country to country. In 1999, 34 % ofthe trainees were women. The figure for1998 was 33%. This figure has been risingslowly but steadily and was 26% in 1992.This percentage for individual membersvaries from 0% to 62%. The genderbalance relates to the cultural andeducational traditions in the membercountries. In Europe and North Americathe figures reflect the available informationon the enrollment of women inengineering and technical studies.

The age of trainees in 1999 rangedfrom 20 to 26 years with the majoritybeing 22 to 23 years old. This detail isindicative of the educational systems andthe study level at which practical training isusually required.Study fields: As usual, the majority oftrainees (67%) are students inengineering and related technologies. Theremaining 33% are divided between thesciences, 15%; applied arts, 7%;agriculture, 5%; and other fields of study,6%. These figures are quite stable andchange only by a few percentage pointsfrom one year to the next.

Sub-division of the engineering groupshows mechanical engineers accounting for22% of the trainees, 14% are civilengineers, 16% are computers disciplines,13% are electrical engineers, 10%chemical engineers and 7% electronic andtelecommunications. The remainingrepresent other engineering disciplines.(See table 5.) In line with the presentindustrial demands it is not surprising to

note that the percentage of opportunitiesfor computers students has risen to 16%and this compares with 14% in 1998 and12% in 1997.

These proportions vary from countryto country. In the developed areas,computer, electronics, telecommunication,electrical, mechanical engineeringrepresent a good proportion of thetraineeships while in the less industrialcountries disciplines such as civilengineering are important. These differentrequirements bring an additional difficultyto the exchange. The offer and demandbetween countries of differentindustrialisation levels may be difficult tomatch. Student training needs may oftennot be matched by the availability of offersin the desired discipline.Nationality: The majority of studentsparticipating in the IAESTE exchangeprogramme are citizens of the 60 membercountries. Some are from non-membercountries and are studying abroad ateducational institutions co-operating withIAESTE.

In 1999, a total of 225 students withdifferent nationalities to the sendingmember received places on the


programme. Of these 41 were from thefollowing non-member countries: Albania,Algeria, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bosnia andHerzegovina, China, DominicanRepublic, Guatemala, India, Iran, Kenya,Latvia, Liechtenstein, Morocco, Nigeria,Peru, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Singapore,Sri Lanka, Turkmenistan, Venezuela.

Eleven IAESTE member countriesexchanged 431 trainees directly from non-members and this included trainees from:Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina,Cameroon, Chile, China, Costa Rica,Cuba, Ethiopia, Georgia, India, Indonesia,Iraq, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Moldova,Monaco, Morocco, Paraguay, Peru,Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan,Venezuela.

PARTICIPATING INSTITUTIONS

Employers: In 1999 a total of 3,202employers participated in the exchangeprogramme. This is a decrease of under3% over 1998. We are grateful for thisessential level of support from thoseemployers who continue to work with theIAESTE secretariats in their countries eachyear. We welcome the new employers whohave joined our exchange programme in

5 5 5 6 6 7

15 15 15 16 15 15

Engineering

Applied Arts

Others

Agriculture

9 12 5 13 10 6

66 64 70 61 65 67

5 4 5 4 4 5

Science

1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999

Table 4 ● Training specialties (%) based on trainees received 1994-1999

Source: IAESTE Annual Reports 1994-1999

. . . . . . . .


1999. On average employers offer 2training opportunities to students. Sometake more than 10 trainees but in mostcases the figure is between 1 and 3.Educational Institutions: The numberof participating institutions in membercountries increased by 40 to 992. Theaverage number of students from eachinstitution is a measure of the spread ofIAESTE activity within a country. The1999 figures indicate about 6 students perinstitution. Individual countries reportfigures in the range 1 to 60. This largescatter relates to structural differences fromcountry to country. Some have a smallnumber of institutions, for exampletechnological Universities with a largeenrollment while others have a greater

number of engineering schools withlimited enrollment. IAESTE is pleased toacknowledge the continued support ofthese Institutions.

TRAINING OFFERS

Training periods: Based on members’returns, a small number of IAESTEplacements, under 3%, were for less than4 weeks. 65% of students exchangedbetween member countries receivedplacements for up to 12 weeks, 25%received 3-6 month placements and 7%placements for periods of 6-12 monthsor longer.

Most of the training takes place in theperiod May to September and coincideswith the Northern Hemisphere vacation

period. In the Southern Hemisphere,opportunities are available betweenOctober and April. More than 34 of themember countries are now in a positionto offer long term training opportunitiesand 11 members offer trainingthroughout the year. Categories of Offers: TraditionallyIAESTE classifies placements as scientific(S), professional (P) or manual (M) andthese classifications refer generally to thetype of work on offer. The category Srefers to work of a scientific nature suchas research. Category P is used forprofessional activities, practical designwork, site work and similar. M, ingeneral, indicates manual work in theindustrial area relevant for the student,

report of theG E N E R A L S E C R E T A R Y

1

2

34

5

6

7

ES

AAA O

Engineering 66.6%Science 15.1%Applied Arts 6.6%Agriculture 4.7%Others 7.0%


1. Mechanical 21.94%2. Computers 15.53%3. Civil 13.53%4. Electrical 12.64%5. Electronic & Telecoms 6.54%6. Chemical 10.32%7. Others 19.50%

Table 5 ● Training specialties (%) based on trainees received 1999 (below left) Engineering trainees received 1999 (below right)

. . . . . . . . .


for example, mechanical assembly workfor engineering students. In 1999, a totalof 7,123 training places were reported tobe available with the followingbreakdown: Scientific (S) 2,880 (40%),Professional (P) 3,929 (55%), Manual(M) 314 (5%). The percentage of offersused, reported by the members bycategory, were (S) 2,017 (40%), (P)2,741 (55%), (M) 245 (5%).

Most students favour the Scientificand Professional training places which aremore in line with academic requirements.In many instances such training is arequired part of the curriculum. TheManual offers are valued for the higherpay and the opportunities they provide toexperience working conditions inindustry in other countries.Technical Speciality: Traditionally,most training places exchanged throughIAESTE are in the fields of engineering andtechnology and in 1999 this represented67% of the places available, unchangedfrom the previous year (see table 5.)

The average breakdown of training byspeciality follows closely, but not exactly,the breakdown of students by study field.Whereas IAESTE national secretariatsgenerally attempt to find training places tofit student requests, the present difficultyin raising offers often results in a reverseprocess. This results in students beingselected from those disciplines for whichthe training places are available. In othercases, students in a given field are able toqualify for offers in another field. Thismatching across disciplines occurs mostoften between engineering and physics,and between engineering and computerdisciplines.

RETURNED OFFERSAND CANCELLATIONS

This continues to be one of our majorproblems. Despite the efforts make todate, to minimize losses, the number oftraining places lost or unused remainsuncomfortably high. Lost and unusedtraining offers in 1999 amounted to1,696, about 24% of all offers available atthe time of the exchange Conference.Almost half of the offers, 828 (12% oftotal offers) were withdrawn by theemployers. Student withdrawalsaccounted for 391 (6% of total offers)and the balance were unaccounted for orunused. Individual figures show thatsome countries manage to maintain theiroverall losses at about 10%.

IAESTE members must continue tomake every effort to minimize theselosses, particularly the offers that remainunused. Improvements here would resultin the release of additional available places

and this should encourage members toseek improvements to their existingpractices and to examine theircommunication arrangements. Accurateand timely communications should helpreduce student and employerwithdrawals. The IAESTE Intranet site isnow providing a platform for the quickand accurate exchange of informationbetween members on available unusedoffers and nominations for these places.This should contribute to the effective useof all offers, new and unused, as theybecome available.●

50th ANNIVERSARY ROLL OF HONOUR

Congratulations to the following organisations who will be celebrating

their 50th anniversary of membership of IAESTE in 2000.

GERMANY

Deutsches Komitee der IAESTE im

Deutschen Akademischer Austauschdienst

USA

IAESTE United States of America


Ms. Katherine K. Clark, ChiefExecutive Officer and President,Landmark Systems Corporation wasdesignated Honorary President of theconference. Mr. Günter Müller-Graetschel, National Secretary, IAESTEGermany, chaired the conference workingsessions, having been elected to thisposition at the Tokyo Conference inJanuary 1999.

The conference hotel, J. W. MarriottHotel, was the venue for the openingceremony on Saturday 15 January. Mr.Eric Haines, National Secretary, IAESTEUnited States, acted as master ofceremonies.

In her opening address the HonoraryPresident of the 52nd Annual IAESTEConference, Ms. Katherine Clark, thankedthe members for selecting her to be theConference Honorary President. She said

that she was “proud to be speaking beforethis impressive gathering of internationalstudents and professionals who mergetechnology with international workexperience”. As a successful businessperson, the President went on to sharewith the assembled members the sixprinciples she uses to help guide herdecisions in building up her business. Sheoutlined each principle as follows: (1)Trust Your Instincts, (2) Think Big, (3) BeFlexible, (4) Don’t Give Up, (5) Give Backand, emphasised towards the end, theimportance of (6) To have fun! Sheconcluded by exhorting the participants todevote themselves to their good ideas witha missionary zeal and “to learn from yourmistakes along the way”. Starting with the“opportunities provided this week – enjoythe extraordinary job you do enablinginternational work experience. And havefun at all the social events, too.”

The General Secretary presented hisannual report on the performance of theorganisation and developments during1999. The Choiraliers of the First BaptistChurch of Deanwood entertained theguests with a thoughtful and entertainingrecital of gospel songs, supported by theirdance group. The opening ceremony wascompleted by Mr Haines who thanked theChoiraliers on behalf of the guests for theirfine performance and offered his ownwords of welcome to the visitors, wishingthem every success in the Conferencesessions and with the exchange.

One of the features of many of theConference events was the attendance bypast and present supporters of IAESTEUnited States. These events provided themwith the ideal opportunity to meet and

discuss IAESTE matters with the widerIAESTE membership.

The Conference was excellentlyorganised by IAESTE United States. Thefacilities allowed for comfortable anduncluttered exchange sessions where thedelegates worked on the exchange of the7,688 traineeships that were brought to theConference. The Conference sessions wereeffective and time was provided for theintroductory administrative seminar for newmembers, an administrative session and anextended half-day was allocated formembers’ discussions on policy anddevelopment. The proposed new bye-lawsfor the association were reviewed andamended. The members recommendedthat the bye-laws be discussed further by theIAESTE Advisory Committee (AC) and therevised document presented for discussionand/or approval, as appropriate, at the nextGeneral Conference.

The General Conference voted infavour of accepting Uzbekistan as anAssociate Member.

The SID Co-ordinator, Ms ChristinaVakomies reported on the work of theSeminar of IAESTE Development (SID)at the 14th SID held in Dubrovnik,Croatia from the 14-17 October 1999.The status of the existing work groups wasdiscussed. Christina Vakomies, the out-going Co-ordinator, was re-elected to theposition for 2000. The GeneralConference agreed that Mr. TobiasWittmann should continue as co-ordinator of the ‘Friends of IAESTE’network for 2000.

The 50th Anniversary Dinner ofIAESTE United States was a jointcelebrated with its host organisation, the


annualconference reportThe 52nd IAESTE Annual

Conference was held in

Washington DC, USA

between 15 – 20 January

2000. Some 202 delegates,

observers, accompanying

persons and guests attended

the conference, representing

64 countries.

Association for International PracticalTraining (AIPT). Mr. Timothy Collins,Chair, AIPT Board of Directors (Procter& Gamble), acted as Master ofCeremonies and gave the welcome address.Ms. Elizabeth Chazottes, ExecutiveDirector and CEO, AIPT, addressed thedelegates and introduced the ‘AmericanAbroad Initiative’. Performing anotherduty in her capacity as Honorary Presidentof the 52nd Annual IAESTE Conference,Katherine Clark gave the keynote speech.She was introduced by past IAESTEtrainee and now member of the US Houseof Representatives, Representative BobFilner (Democratic Party – California).

The General Conference electedAssistant Professor Tongdee Cheevepruk,National Secretary IAESTE Thailand andJan Prichystal, National Secretary,IAESTE Slovakia to audit the IAESTEaccounts. They reported on the correctnessof the Accounts, recommending thedischarge of the General Secretary andcomplimented him on his management ofthe IAESTE resources during 1998, 1999.

The outgoing General Secretary, JamesE. Reid, former National SecretaryIAESTE Ireland, was re-elected by theGeneral Conference to serve a second termas General Secretary for 2000 and 2001.

As required under the IAESTEstatutes, Mr. Goran Radnovic, NationalSecretary, IAESTE Yugoslavia, retiresfrom the Advisory Committee. Theconference elected Ms. Mirielle Suter,National Secretary, IAESTE Switzerland,to the vacant position for the period2000-2003. Mr. Mario Kauzlaric,National Secretary, IAESTE Croatia waselected as reserve member.

Professor Bernard Baeyens, NationalSecretary, IAESTE Colombia, was electedas chairperson of the 53rd AnnualConference to be held in Durban, SouthAfrica, 20-25 January 2001. Ms. GinnyArnold, National Secretary, IAESTECanada, was elected as reserve chairperson.

The Conference accepted the proposalof IAESTE Norway to host the 54thAnnual Conference in Trondheim, from19-24 January 2002.

At the farewell dinner and dance, held inthe Ballroom of the Conference Hotel, theGeneral Secretary invited Eric Haines,National Secretary, IAESTE United States,to present the IAESTE Award toMs. Elizabeth Chazottes, ExecutiveDirector and CEO, Association forInternational Practical Training (AIPT).This award is recognition, by IAESTEmembers, of the past and continuingsupport AIPT provides to IAESTE UnitedStates. On behalf of the delegates andparticipants at the Conference, Ms. JudyPowell, IAESTE UK, thanked IAESTEUnited States and their National Secretary,

Eric Haines, for all the good work inarranging the Conference and in providingsuch excellent facilities for the members. Aspecial thanks was reserved for LauraHudson and her conference team, the manyUS student helpers and the experiencedIAESTE activists from Denmark for theirkindness and courtesy and for the calm andeffective way they did their work.

On behalf of all of the members and inrecognition of their individual contributionsto IAESTE, outgoing AC member, GoranRadnovic, IAESTE Yugoslavia, made apresentation, a small appreciation of ouresteem, to Ms. Judy Powell, NationalSecretary IAESTE UK, and ProfessorAbdallah Sfeir, past General Secretary ofIAESTE (1992-1998). AC member MirielleSuter, IAESTE Switzerland, thanked GoranRadnovic on behalf of the AC and themembers for his contribution during hisperiod as AC member, 1997-2000.

The 53rd Annual Conference ofIAESTE will be held in Durban, SouthAfrica, hosted by IAESTE South Africafrom 20-25 January 2001.●


Above ● Elizabeth Chazottes, AIPT Executive DIrector,

receives the IAESTE Award from Eric Haines, National

Secretary of IAESTE United States. Also pictured: James Reid,

IAESTE General Secretary.

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Exchange profilesThe profiles on the following pages offer a sample of the exchange experience fromthe points of view of existing and new national members, employers and alumni.While these articles can only scratch the surface of the wealth of experience andactivity represented by the exchange, we hope they will give a flavour of the IAESTEnetwork and help show the Association in a warmer light than is possible through thepresentation of facts and figures alone.

14 Brazil – the UNICAMP journeyProfessor Joao Frederico C. A. Meyer offers his perspective on the value of the exchange.

15 China – our newest memberAlbert Xu outlines the importance of international exchange to a rapidly developing society.

16 Iceland – going for goldReykyavik played host to representatives from 13 member countries for the 15th Seminar on

IAESTE Development (SID) in April 2000. As IAESTE Iceland approaches its 50th (golden)anniversary, Heida Dögg Jónsdóttir, National Secretary 1999-2000, and Rannveig

Magnúsdóttir, National Secretary 2000-2001 offer a brief overview of the organisation.

17 Sweden – smooth transmissionABB Power Systems has found that tapping into the IAESTE network helps enrich the cultural

diversity of its Swedish based organisation and creates ‘ambassadors’for the company around the world. For the students, the benefits include

a structured training programme within an informal and democratic environment – anddiscovering a new culture and landscape.

18 USA – learning global skillsCongressman Bob Filner and former US Ambassador David Dunford, IAESTE alumni,

testify to the value of gaining an international perspectivefor American participants in the IAESTE exchange.

19 Philips Semiconductors – rapid developmentMartin Schellenberg, development engineer at Philips Semiconductors in Zürich, remembers

his introduction to the company as a student trainee.

20 the engineer and the brain – Professor Igor AleksanderWhy eminent scientist Professor Igor Aleksander views his IAESTE placement as key step on

his glittering career path.

One of Saul Bellow’s charactersonce stated that the only eyes he had to seethe world with were his own... So writingfor an international report reminds me totake care – my eyes are Brazilian, olderthan most, and (for almost 40 years) thoseof a teacher.

In the present university structure it hasbeen my privilege to coordinate theStudent Support System (SAE) in ourschool – Sao Paulo State University atCampinas, UNICAMP. This office isresponsible for several aspects of studentsupport, from grants to guidance, frominternships to odd jobs – and we are also incharge of IAESTE interchange students.

Our participation in this program hasbeen submitted to constant (as well assevere) evaluation on the part of otheruniversity services, and it has passed allexaminations with flying colours. Theremust be several reasons for this, and I willmention some of them.

The first very positive aspect is that ofthe physical presence of interchangestudents from many other countries in ourmidst. Their contribution to our dailyacademic existence is multiple. Not only dothey question our structures, they even wantto make us explain our ‘whats’, ‘hows’,‘whens’ and ‘whos’. This makes thesestudents, representatives of different moresand cultures, the catalysts to a very healthyexercise in the criticism of our own patterns,our habits and structures, and our values.

Another aspect is that we can makethem work hard. My own experience inApplied Mathematics has been that thesestudents are a key to cooperationpossibilities with other researchers: Throughinterchange students I have worked with

colleagues from Marine Biology, ShoreDynamics, Food Engineering, Pest Controland Agricultural Engineering.

Have I been lucky with the exchangestudents who come my way? Luck doesn’thappen this often – this has been aconstant situation in our university. Oncethe interchange student’s profile isdetermined, adequate scientific initiationwork can be appropriately defined – withexcellent results.

On the other hand, our students goelsewhere, and not only do they learn newthings, they learn to learn: somethingmodern society demands of professionalsmore and more. Besides that, they have acontact with different values, differenttruths, different reasoning – essential forworking in the transdisciplinaryenvironments that challenge society now.

Michel Sérres states that universitiesmust give their students the opportunity totake three trips: the first trip, which everyuniversity does, (or maybe mostuniversities do, anyhow...) takes thestudents through the field in which theyhave chosen to major. It is a trip throughscientific knowledge and discoveries. Thiscan be done in (almost) any school. The

second trip Sérres recommends is a tripthrough geography. We must let ourstudents know what they must preserveand manage, and what are the trueconsequences for nature of many of ourtechnological decisions – the losses andcosts. In some cases, these consequencesmay mean the death of dreams. Finally,the third trip is a trip through society,during which students can learn what theirfuture technological decisions will imply interms of social relationships, socialmobility, and social divisions. As professorsand university structures, we do not alwaysgive our students a chance to go on theselast two trips. And the price for this failureis paid for by society.

I would like to add a fourth trip: a tripthrough differences, and truth. Ourinterchange students go to different places,meet different people, eat different food,laugh to different humour, cry to differentpains – and they learn by living whatscience tries to teach with words, and fails:truths are manifold. This can only be donein interchange programs. ●


Brazilthe UNICAMP journeyProfessor Joao Frederico C. A. Meyer offers his perspective on the value of the exchange.

Left ●

Professor

Meyer (left)

with

Professor

Antonio

Carlos Gilli

at UNICAMP.


Chinaour newest memberA new millennium, a new beginning.Since China was accepted as a newmember of IAESTE at the WashingtonAnnual Conference, Dr. Richard Wufounded IAESTE’s Co-operationInstitution in China – The Council forPractical Training and Exchange (CPTE)and I was assigned to take charge of theoffice operation on 29 March of this year.

When I first learned about the IAESTEproject, I was immediately and deeplyimpressed. It offers our students not onlyhands-on experience that is interesting andfruitful, but also rare opportunities tounderstand more broadly exotic cultures. Ibelieve such a student exchange programwill effectively be able to help studentsbecome more reflective, more inquiringand insightful.

I feel lucky but unfortunate at the sametime. Lucky because I think the IAESTEproject is a very meaningful andchallenging cause, and I have theopportunity to make a bridge for students’cross-cultural communication betweenChina and foreign countries. Unfortunatebecause when I was in university, I justintensively pursued my major field ofstudy, in electronics. Most of our studentsexpected to spend some time on activitiesoutside the classroom and provide socialservices to social communities. However,they actually seldom embarked on theirprofessional training abroad during theyears of university education.

At the moment, China is undergoingan unprecedented reform. Great effortshave been made by the government todeepen the educational reform andpromote the qualification-oriented highereducation in an all-round way.

Correspondingly, our universities havetaken significant steps to open their doorseven more widely to people at home andabroad. More and more Chinese studentsare eager to develop practical abilities and aspirit of innovation, in addition to thestudy in the classroom. They believeinternational technical experience will helpthem to learn more about the world as wellas about themselves so that they can bettermeet the increasing requirements of arapidly developing society.

At the same time, many Chineseuniversities and companies have showngreat enthusiasm for the IAESTE exchangeprogram. They are willing to providecorresponding financial support and acceptactive foreign students to promotetechnical exchange. Here, I want to expressmy sincere thanks for all the kind helpfrom the following organizations: ZhejiangUniversity, Hangzhou Institute of AppliedTechnology, Hangzhou University ofCommerce, Zhejiang Energy ResearchInstitute, etc.

Up to now, 22 excellent Chinesestudents have been involved in this year’sIAESTE exchange program and 15 ofthem had been accepted at the time ofgoing to press. They will receive theirtraining in the United Kingdom, Greece,Switzerland, Norway, Finland, France,Slovakia, Thailand, and Sweden. CPTEalso has received applications from 17candidates from 11 countries, and 10 ofthese have been successfully arranged.

However, everything is hard in thebeginning. Owing to the delayedpreparation after the Washington AnnualConference, the exchange arranged thisyear is mainly confined to Zhejiang (an

eastern province of China). And CPTEstill needs some time and patience toregister with the appropriate authorities toensure normal operation of CPTEafterwards. We have made much progressand accumulated some useful experiencethis year, but we still face many challengesand have to work increasingly hard tosustain and extend the IAESTE project.

With the globalization of the economyand the revolution in informationtechnology, China is gradually merginginto the global economic and culturalsystem. Education is absolutely noexception. Universities of the 21st Centuryneed to be able to work effectively in aninterdependent society, having aworldwide scope. We will see studentstaking classes together and working oncollaborative projects in universities thatmay be hundreds and possibly thousandsof miles apart. On this point, I have fullconfidence that more and more Chineseinstitutions and companies will beinvolved in the IAESTE project in theyears ahead.●

Albert Xu outlines the importance of international exchange to a rapidly developing society.

IAESTE Iceland has been a memberof IAESTE since 1951. It is based at theUniversity of Iceland, Faculty ofEngineering and Faculty of Sciences.IAESTE Iceland exchanges between 10and 20 offers each year and has received intotal 356 students and sent 315 Icelandicstudents and graduates for work placementsince becoming a member. Icelandnormally exchanges with between 9 and13 member countries each year.

IAESTE Iceland hosted the 15thSeminar on IAESTE Development (SID)in Reykjavik in April 2000, organised byNational Secretary Heida Dögg Jónsdóttirand 16 Local Committee members. Theseminar, attended by representatives from13 member countries, worked on projectsnecessary for the development of theAssociation.

However, April also brought somesadness to our organisation. Dr. PorsteinnHelgason, the National Secretary ofIAESTE Iceland for 20 years and a wellknown personality within the widerIAESTE family, died on 5 April and wewould like to honour his memory bymentioning him in this profile.

Dr. Helgason, a civil engineer, wasborn in Reykjavík April 8th, 1937. Hequalified from the Illinois Institute ofTechnology, Chicago, having completedhis Bachelors and Masters degrees there,with his Ph.D. degree in civil engineeringin 1963. He filled various positions in theUSA until 1975 when he started teaching

at the University of Iceland. He served onseveral boards and councils both in Icelandand abroad and became the NationalSecretary of IAESTE Iceland in 1979. Henever actually retired from that positionbut withdrew himself slowly from theactivity in the last few years.

IAESTE Iceland is now student-ledand the incoming National Secretary isRannveig Magnúsdóttir.

IAESTE Iceland plans to celebrate its50th anniversary next year with eventsinvolving former board members ofIAESTE Iceland, employers and sponsors.The companies supporting the exchange in2000 are: DeCode Genetics Inc., MarineResearch Institute, Ístak hf., The NationalPower Company of Iceland, Línuhönnun

(Consulting Engineers), Nyherji,distributor of geothermal water for househeating and electricity to Reykjavík, TheIcelandic Building Research Institute, TheMeteorological Company of Iceland,Public Roads Administration andTaugagreining hf.


Icelandgoing for goldReykyavik played host to representatives from 13 member countries for the 15thSeminar on IAESTE Development (SID) in April 2000. As IAESTE Iceland approachesits 50th (golden) anniversary, Heida Dögg Jónsdóttir, National Secretary 1999-2000,and Rannveig Magnúsdóttir, National Secretary 2000-2001 offer a brief overview ofthe organisation.

Iceland is an island of 103.000 km2, situated in the North Atlantic Ocean.

Population: 275,000.

Capital City: Reykjavik with a population of 135,000.

Iceland has two universities, the University of Iceland in Reykjavík and

University of Akureyri in Akureyri.

Reykjavik

Akureyri

Sweden receives about 150 IAESTEtrainees every year. Most years, someof them do their training at ABB PowerSystems AB, a leading world-wideenterprise within high power transmissionwith its head office situated at Ludvika, atown in central Sweden.

“We receive lots of trainees of all kinds,as training is often an integrated part ofstudies in Swedish schools. However,when it comes to foreign students,IAESTE trainees are always my firstchoice,” says Liv Lindegren, responsible forrecruiting at ABB Power Systems AB.

Liv Lindegren believes that workingwith the IAESTE organisation and thepeople within its network has clearadvantages for employers like ABB.“IAESTE has a network of contactswhich is very well established both inSweden and internationally, andadministrative procedures are reduced toan absolute minimum. An additionaladvantage is that IAESTE trainees canstay for a longer period of time, at leasthalf a year,” she says.

“They are mostly very competent, theyare enthusiastic, energetic and eager tolearn. They become a stimulus for ouremployees and help spread knowledgeabout other countries and cultures. Havingreturned to their own countries, theybecome ‘ambassadors’ for ABB. They helpus get a broader network of contacts inother countries,” says Liv Lindegren whothinks that many more enterprises should

use IAESTE in order to open up the worldfor students.

Wissem Balegi from Tunisia is one ofthe IAESTE trainees at ABB PowerSystems in the year 2000. Marcia Martinsfrom Brasil is one of several former traineeswho now has a permanent contract withthe enterprise.

“ABB Power Systems AB is very bigand well known and the work and tasks weget are very instructive. The traineeshipsystem here functions very well. Weespecially appreciate the informal anddemocratic culture within the enterprise,”Wissem says.

“Another interesting aspect is to get tolearn about the Swedes and their habitsand customs,” says Marcia. “The landscapearound here is beautiful, and we havelearnt skiing. It’s very exotic for us andgreat fun!” ●


Swedensmooth transmissionABB Power Systems has found that tapping into the IAESTE network helps enrich thecultural diversity of its Swedish based organisation and creates ‘ambassadors’ forthe company around the world. For the students, the benefits include a structuredtraining programme within an informal and democratic environment – and the joys ofdiscovering a new culture and landscape. By Tryggve Gustafsson.

Above (left to right) ● Marcia Martins, a former IAESTE trainee and now permanent employee

with ABB Power Systems; Wissem Balegi, IAESTE trainee from Tunisia; and Liv Lindegren,

responsible for recruitment at ABB Power Systems, Sweden.

In today’s global society, the need fortalent and perspective in the workplace isimperative. Technology is advancing, andpeople around the world are finding theneed for experienced staff. One way to getthe understanding needed to compete inthe global economy is throughinternational on-the-job practical training.

Since 1950 IAESTE United States haslinked thousands of America’s brighteststudents with innovative employersworldwide. Two particular governmentleaders know just how beneficial theIAESTE experience can be for the future.Enhancing university-level education withon-the-job experience in their profession,these alumni have used that opportunity tomove onward and upward.

Representative Bob Filner was electedto the US House of Representatives in1992. He represents California’s 50thdistrict, which encompasses the southernhalf of San Diego. An alumnus of theIAESTE program, Filner went to Swedenin 1963 with a focus in chemistry. In aspeech at the 50th Anniversarycelebration he concluded, “from speakingand being a part of this program, I knowhow important these exchange programs[IAESTE] are in the development ofpeoples’ own self esteem and confidencein dealing with the world.” Filner’spersonal experience helped shape histhinking and attitude.

Another leader who participated in theexchange program is former USAmbassador David Dunford. A graduateof MIT, Dunford participated in anIAESTE internship in 1964, where he

travelled to Spain and learned more aboutaeronautical engineering at the NationalInstitute of Aerospace Technology. Heexplains: “I did learn that working withdifferent languages and cultures wassomething I wanted to do more of.” Andfor that reason, Dunford didn’t end uppursuing engineering, but in the ForeignService where he was appointed asAmbassador to the Sultante of Oman.

Both of these influential individualsused the IAESTE program to gain valuablework experience in an internationalsetting. While some used the experience ason-the-job training for their future careers,others used the program as a guide for newaspirations. In the current high-techeconomy, international work experiencewill prove invaluable to students, as it hasto these IAESTE United States alumni.

While the IAESTE program hasbenefited students, it has also assistedemployers. Companies directly benefit byreceiving a well-educated, highlymotivated individual to add to thecompany team. Gaining internationalinsight can increase employee growth andlead to potential recruitment.

Praecis Pharmaceuticals, a leader inpharmaceutical development, taps into thescientific expertise of young professionalsand fourth-year college students. SeniorDirector of Development Gary Mussoexplains: “the work is highly technical innature, requiring background inpharmaceutical sciences, chemicalsynthesis and analytical chemistry. Thetrainees are highly motivated and eager tolearn.” The company benefits by having

skilled trainees complete scientific anddemanding applications.

Rexroth Hydraulics, a world leader indrive and control technology, requirescommitted international communication.Participating in the IAESTE program,Rexroth sees the relationship strengthenbetween manufacturing workers andEuropean trainees. Else Krause, internshipcoordinator at the Bethlehem,Pennsylvania location says: “the energy iscontagious.” The trainees learn corporatebusiness culture and techniques they cantake back to their home country. Manytrainees are even offered employmentopportunities after graduation. Therecruitment is once again worthwhile, theskills and talents are demonstrated.

The growing high-tech economy canbe made more manageable with IAESTE.Companies are able to receive qualifiedand eager interns to help complete short-term projects. Trainees receive invaluableon-the-job experience, which heightenscareer growth and potential. All thesebenefits are made possible by IAESTE, theinternational network dedicated tocreating global experience for technicalstudents. ●


USAlearning global skillsCongressman Bob Filner and former US Ambassador David Dunford, IAESTE alumni, testify tothe value of gaining an international perspective for American participants in the IAESTEexchange. Profile by Jennifer Lange.

Call it luck, call it fate. But bothMartin Schellenberg and PhilipsSemiconductors – his employer for thepast 10 years – are glad that he chose tobecome an exchange student. When hefirst applied for a placement, half-waythrough his course in electrical engineeringat the Federal Institute of Technology inZürich, Martin was eager simply to gainexperience in industry and to live inanother country for a while.

In 1988 he secured a three-monthtraineeship at Philips Semiconductors atNijmegen, The Netherlands, courtesy ofan IAESTE offer.

Martin speaks highly of the working

environment for trainees at Philips, andthe value that is placed on theircontribution. “I was immediately put in acentral design team for audio applicationsand given the very motivating project ofdesigning an amplifier block. As a student, itwas exciting to be working on somethingthat might be put into practical use,” he says.

The company assigns a tutor to studenttrainees, and Martin found that thegenuine interest shown by his tutor was agreat help. “I didn’t feel lost and the wholeatmosphere helped me to make the mostof my three months in The Netherlands,inside and outside work.”

Indeed, Martin says the journey to his

current position as a designer of integratedcircuits started with his student placement.

“At that time I was at the point in mystudies where I needed to decide on aspecilisation. The work at Philips caught myinterest and definitely had an influence ondeciding my future career.”

On completing his studies in 1990,Martin was offered the chance to return toNijmegen, but chose to work for PhilipsSemiconductors at home in Zürich.

“The experience of working in anothercountry was very valuable,” he says. “AtPhilips I have also had the opportunity ofhelping other students with their careers,which is very satisfying.”●

Philips Semiconductorsrapid development

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www.semiconductors.philips.commail: [email protected]

Communicating with the future.

Martin Schellenberg, development engineer at Philips Semiconductors in Zürich, remembershis introduction to the company as a student trainee. Interview by Matthew Kelly.

IAESTE alumnus Professor IgorAleksander is an internationally renownedscientist, recognised for his leading-edgeresearch into the workings of the humanbrain using computerised models based onneural networks. A skilled and charismaticcommunicator, Professor Aleksander is oneof the best known scientists in England – hisadopted home for the past 40 years. As wellas being a Fellow of the Royal Academy ofEngineering, he is in great demand as acontributor to radio and televisionbroadcasts that aim to further the publicunderstanding of science. He is one of thefew living scientists to have his image in theNational Portrait Gallery and has evenappeared as a guest on Desert Island Discs,the popular BBC Radio and World Serviceprogramme on which celebrities choose theirall-time favourite pieces of music.

Professor Aleksander is currently Pro-Rector of External Relations at ImperialCollege, London, and he is happy to beconnected with the institution whereIAESTE was born. His recent work withUK IAESTE has included chairing thepanel of judges for the IAESTE UK Traineeof the Year Award, and appearing as a guestspeaker at the 50th Anniversary conferencein Cardiff in 1998. “My experience as amember of the IAESTE exchange waswonderful and I think IAESTE is a splendidorganisation. The volume of work it doesnow is quite astounding,” he says.

Born in Zagreb, Yugoslavia, his familymoved to Italy when he was three years old.Following the Second World War they leftEurope for South Africa, where ProfessorAleksander went through school andentered university. In 1958, for the vacationbetween his third and fourth year as an

engineering student at WitwatersrandUniversity, he became an IAESTE traineewith the Telettra company in Milan.

“It was exciting for all sorts of reasons.Of course I could speak Italian and I wasback in Italy after being away for 13 years. Iwas working in a company in the early daysof transistors, and I was being treated as a‘serious person’ rather than ‘just a student’,which was tremendous. They called me‘signor ingegnere’, there were lots of thingsgoing on in the company and they movedme around to work in different parts of it. Istayed with a really good family and we allgot along very well. We went to the operaand so forth, and I had a little car to getaround in. It was really invigorating.”

Being an IAESTE student was not justfun, it was fundamental to the developmentof his career. “It had a profound effect on mebecause it made me pretty determined to getout of South Africa, something I managed todo the year after when I came to Englandand I have been here ever since. My time inItaly gave me the chance to think aboutwhere I wanted to be. One practicaladvantage it had for me was that my first jobin England was very similar to the job I hadin Italy, because I had started looking forjobs in the communications field.”

At Imperial College, ProfessorAleksander supports his colleagues in theirwork to encourage students and institutionsto participate in the exchange.

“The benefits are clear, for the studentand for the organisations involved. There isan element of a special character aboutpeople who choose to do the IAESTEexchange. Anyone who expresses an interestin becoming an IAESTE student must havesome ‘go’ in them, so the place they are

going to benefits because they are getting aperson who is enthusiastic, interested in thelocal culture, prepared to learn otherlanguages and so on. That is not the profileof the average student, who would ratherstick at home and do whatever is necessaryto pass exams. It gives the student this viewof the world out there which they will bejoining, and that it is something you do notget very easily. You are treated seriously andthat gives you confidence.”

Professor Aleksander’s sense ofadventure helped him build a fund ofmemorable experiences – “not all of themprintable!” – and make lifelong friendshipsduring his short time as an IAESTEstudent. He remembers taking the scenicroute back to South Africa from Italy, viaParis where he intended to do somesightseeing. However, a chance meetingwith a fellow jazz musician meant that hespent three days playing the drums in theAmerican Club rather than beating theParisian tourist trail.

He no longer plays the drums, butmusic remains an important part of his life.For his luxury item on Desert Island Discs hecraftily chose a virtual reality version of theLondon Symphony Orchestra, therebyensuring he had the pick of its entirerepertoire. And, in keeping with his field ofstudy, his chosen book was RichardGregory’s Companion to the Mind, “becauseyou’ll always find something new in there”.

Today it is rare privilege to meetsomeone as modest and at ease with hismany accomplishments as ProfessorAleksander. IAESTE is proud to have playeda small but significant part in his remarkablecareer, and is honoured that he continues tolend the Association his time and support.●


the engineerand the brainWhy eminent scientist Professor Igor Aleksander views his IAESTEplacement as key step on his glittering career path. By Matthew Kelly.

Professor Igor Aleksander as seen in

the National Portrait Gallery, London.

© Photograph by Alberto Arzoz.

Are you a graduateor an undergraduate who believes

that strangers are just friendsyou don’t know?

Ericsson is now offering you a chance of a lifetime!

In co-operation with IAESTE and AIESECwe are now focusing on increasing the number of international openings offered to graduates and undergraduates.

Our people invite you to apply for inter-national internships, degree projects ormaster thesis offered by Ericsson.

Interested? Well, you are in fact just anemail away from the chance of meeting friends you don’t know!

For further information please refer to www.iaeste.org or www.aiesec.org

Make yourself heard.

e

“Ericsson is the truly global company. With activities in 140 countriesand even more nationalities employed, Ericsson understands the impor-tance of creating possibilities for students and graduates to get inter-national experience.”

Per-Olof NyquistVice PresidentCompetence and Talent ManagementCorporate Function People and CultureEricssonIAESTE exchange student, Egypt 1983

Ericsson is the leading communications supplier, combining innovation in mobility and Internet in creating the new era of mobileInternet. Ericsson provides total solutions covering everything from systems and applications to mobile phones and other communicationtools. With more than 100,000 employees in 140 countries, Ericsson simplifies communications for customers all over the world. Please visithttp://www.ericsson.com/pressroom

IAESTE world-wideFULL MEMBERS

1. ArgentinaComité Argentino del IAESTE (1961)2. AustriaIAESTE Austria (1949)3. BelgiumIAESTE Belgium (1948, FoundingMember)4. BrazilCI-Central de Intercambio, IAESTE Brasil(1982)5. CanadaIAESTE Canada (1953)6. CroatiaIAESTE Croatia (1993)7. CyprusIAESTE Cyprus (1980)8. Czech RepublicCzech National Committee of IAESTE(1965)9. DenmarkIAESTE Denmark, Polyteknisk Forening(1948, Founding Member) 10. EgyptEgypt’s IAESTE Committee (1961)11. F.Y.R. MacedoniaIAESTE (FYR) Macedonia – MakedonisiOdbor Za Razmena Na Studenti OdTehenickite Fakulteti (1994)12. FinlandIAESTE Finland (1948, FoundingMember)13. FranceIAESTE France (1948, FoundingMember)14. GermanyDeutsches Komitee der IAESTE imDeutschen AkademischerAustauschdienst (1950)15. GhanaIAESTE Ghana (1970)16. GreeceGreek National Committee, AthensTechnical University (1958)17. HungaryNational Committee of IAESTE Hungary(1983)18. IcelandIAESTE Iceland (1951)19. IrelandIAESTE Ireland (1962)20. IsraelIsrael IAESTE Committee (1951)21. ItalyIAESTE Italy – Centro Nazionale Stages(1951)22. JapanIAESTE Japan (1964)23. JordanIAESTE Jordan (1978)24. Korea (Republic)IAESTE Korea (1970)25. LebanonIAESTE Lebanon (1966)26. LithuaniaIAESTE Lithuania (1990)

27. LuxembourgComité Luxembourgeois pourl’Organisation de Stages IndustrielsCLOSI (1961)28. MaltaIAESTE Malta (1984)29. MexicoAMIPP, AC / IAESTE Mexico (1985)30. NetherlandsIAESTE Nederland (1948 FoundingMember)31. NorwayIAESTE Norway (1948 FoundingMember)32. PakistanIAESTE Pakistan (1990)33. PolandIAESTE Polski Komitet (1959)34. PortugalComissao Portuguesa da IAESTE (1954)35. RussiaRussian Association for the Exchange ofStudents for Technical Experience –IAESTE Russia(1991)36. SlovakiaNational Committee of IAESTE Slovakia(1965)37. SloveniaIAESTE Slovenia – Slovenski NacionalniOdbor IAESTE (1993)38. South AfricaThe National IAESTE Committee ofSouth Africa (1956)39. SpainComité Espanol para Intercambio deEstudiantes Técnicos (1951)40. SwedenSvenska IAESTE Komittén (1948,Founding Member)41. SwitzerlandSchweizerisches Nationalkomitee derIAESTE (1948, Founding Member)42. SyriaSyrian IAESTE National Committee(1965)43. TajikistanTajik IAESTE National Committee (1992)44. ThailandIAESTE Thailand, King Mongkut’sInstitute of Technology, North Bangkok(1978)45. TunisiaThe Tunisian Committee of IAESTE(1959)46. TurkeyIAESTE Türkiye (1955)47. United KingdomIAESTE UK (1948, Founding Member)48. UruguayIAESTE Uruguay (1988)49. USAIAESTE/United States of America(1950)50. YugoslaviaJugoslovenski odbor za medjunarodnuramenu studenata za strucnu praksuIAESTE (1952)

ASSOCIATE MEMBERS

1. AustraliaIAESTE Australia (1996)2. ColombiaIAESTE Colombia (1995)3. EstoniaTallin Technical University (1993)4. Sierra LeoneIAESTE Sierra Leone (1991)5. UkraineIAESTE Ukraine (1994)6. UzbekistanIAESTE Uzbekistan (1997)

CO-OPERATING INSTITUTIONS

1. ArmeniaAssociation for Educational, Culturaland Work International ExchangePrograms (1998)2. AzerbaijanDAAD Alumni of Azerbaijan (1999)3. Bosnia and HerzegovinaCEDUBAL-IAESTE (2000)4. Bulgaria‘Dynamic Market, Plovdiv (1998)5. ChinaCouncil for Practical Training andExchange – CAST (CPTE/CAST) (2000)6. EcuadorUniversidad San Francisco (1999)7. Hong KongThe Hong Kong Polytechnic University(1997)8. KazakhstanEngineering Academy of the Republic ofKazakhstan (1995)9. KyrgyzstanKyzyl-Kiva Institute of Technology,Economy and Law (2000)10. MoldovaThe Technical University of Moldova(2000)11. Romania ‘Gh. Asachi’ Technical University of Iasi(1998) 12. ‘Politehnica’ University ofBucharest (1999) 13. Institute of Architecture, ‘IonMincu’ Bucharest (1999)14. Sri LankaUniversity of Moratuwa (2000)15. SudanNewton Educational Centre, Khartoum(1999)16. Trinidad and TobagoJoyst Trinidad Students Services Ltd(1999)17. VietnamHanoi University of Technology (1999)

The International Association for theExchange of Students for TechnicalExperienceP. O. Box 6104Swords, Co. Dublin, Irelandwww.iaeste.org

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