Pressroom

BOSTON UNIVERSITY IN INTERNSHIPS JOINT VENTURE

European Cities Targeted with Practicum Europa

BOSTON, 28th February 2002
Study abroad leader Boston University has announced the formation of a joint venture with London-based Practicum Europa, to develop academic internship programs in Europe for North American colleges and universities.

The new enterprise, to be called EUSA, will establish and operate study abroad programs incorporating professional practice internships in major European cities in several countries, initially including Belgium, France, Ireland, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom. The new venture will complement Boston University's existing study abroad programs at several European sites.

"This is an exciting new operation," explained Boston University Associate Provost Ben deWinter, "and it draws on BU's two decades of experience with internship programs in Europe and its excellent resources there." De Winter added that "the new venture will work directly with higher education institutions, not individual students."

EUSA will provide a range of services, from establishing and managing the internship portion of an existing study abroad program, to setting up and running a full academic program including lodging, academic courses, and a resident director, as well as the internships.

BU's joint venture partners are Practicum Europa, an organization set up in 1999 to provide professional practice opportunities in Europe for European students and other young people. In spring, 2001, Practicum Europa began conversations with several US colleges to determine how best to meet the increasing demand for work placements in Europe's business capitals.

"We have seen a great deal of interest in high-quality internships in a wide range of fields," explained Tony Johnson, Managing Partner in London for Practicum Europa, "and these opportunities clearly are not just for business majors or other pre-professional students. But most colleges simply find the costs, the logistics and the learning curve involved in setting up and running their own programs to be prohibitive. EUSA fills that gap."

"U.S. educational institutions of all sizes are recognizing the need to build a bridge from the classroom to the professional world," explained Aden Hayes, Practicum Europa's Managing Partner in Madrid. "Students, their parents and boards of trustees are putting pressure on colleges to provide access to professional experience, which should be a part of any undergraduate education, just as English composition and world history are," he said.

Boston University founded its first internship program abroad in London in 1983. That program currently places over 600 students per year in professional practice situations.

Recent statistics indicate that 86% of all US undergraduates complete one internship before they graduate, and about 69% complete two or more internships.* With increasing globalization, demand is growing for internships in a second culture and second language.

EUSA, a London-based company offering top quality, made-to-measure European study abroad options for North American educational institutions, draws on more than two decades of industry experience to help client institutions start, improve, expand or maintain the quality of their own programs. EUSA works in partnership with client institutions to provide flexible and integrated international experiences to U.S. students in the European Union - soon to embrace
25 countries, 31 languages and unlimited possibilities.

* Source: Quintessential Careers, "Making the most of your internship(s)," www.quintcareers.com