IAESTE (the International Association for the Exchange of Students for Technical Experience) is an international organization with objective to make it easier for students in technical educations to get an international traineeship and to increase international understanding between students from different countries.
Founded in 1948
In the aftermath of World War II a new spirit pervaded the world; a desire for international understanding and cooperation. It was this spirit which brought forth both the United Nations and IAESTE, organizations dedicated to promoting these objectives. IAESTE was founded in 1948 at the Imperial College, London. Sweden was one out of ten countries that founded IAESTE.
All around the world
Today the organization involves more than 90 countries all over the world. The organization is non-political, independent and non-governmental, but it maintains a consultative relationship with several agencies of the UN and other international organizations. Since the start in 1948 more than 250000 traineejobs has been exchanged.
How the organization works
An international board coordinates the work and makes sure that the national committees are doing their job. The national committees are almost totaly independent and they can deside how the work is to be done in their country as long as it's not in opposition to IAESTE's basic objectives. The national committee represent education-, student- and industrial interests. The national committee also coordinate and supervise the local committees.
The local committee:
In Sweden there are six local committees, all of them in close proximity to technical universities in Gothenburg (Chalmers), Stockholm (KTH), Lund, Uppsala, Luleå and Linköping.
Their job is to:
Arrange new jobs in their region.
Help the Swedish students with thier applications.