Internships and research

Absolute Internship are a leading international internship program. They enable university students and graduates to develop their career aspirations across the globe. Their programs take place in Barcelona, Beijing, Hong Kong, Lisbon, London, Madrid, Paris, Shanghai, Seoul, Singapore, Stockholm, and Tokyo.

Absolute Internship is a pioneering firm working with world-class companies to provide life-changing opportunities to our students. Their award-winning programs aim to develop both the personal and professional skill sets of those who enrol, allowing ambitious individuals to follow their passions alongside other like-minded students from all around the globe.

Absolute Internship is frequently featured as an industry-leader on renowned media outlets such as The New York Times, BBC, Bloomberg, Reuters, and Sky News.

Absolute Internship are dedicated to providing international opportunities that would otherwise be difficult or impossible to find, and with a growing number of talented participants joining them each year, Absolute Internship continues to help students and graduates step out of their comfort zones and follow their dreams – wherever they may be.

How does it work?

Absolute Internship assists you with organising an international internship. Their comprehensive services do a preliminary assessment of the things that you're seeking in an internship, and either matches you with one of their existing business partners or go and actively searches a placement to match your needs.

How long do the internships last?

Usually for 4, 8 and 12 weeks between June and August. You can choose a duration which suits you best.

Where could I go?

Absolute Internship currently offers programmes in Barcelona, Beijing, Hong Kong, Lisbon, London, Madrid, Paris, Shanghai, Seoul, Singapore, Stockholm, and Tokyo.

How much does it cost?

The cost varies depending on your destination and duration. Absolute Internship offers a guaranteed discount of €100 to University of Essex students.

Their international internship program includes a guaranteed internship, housing, transportation to and from the internship, group dinners, career speaker seminars, cultural excursions and weekend activities, as well as 24-hour on-site support.

Each year Absolute Internship offers a range of scholarships to students that covers the cost of their programme. To find out more please contact Absolute directly via info@absoluteinternship.com 

When do the internships start and when do I need to apply?

Most programs run between June and August. It can take around three months from applying to when you start your placement.

Interested?

• Watch this short video to learn about Absolute Internship in 60 seconds! Or if you've got more time there's also a more in-depth video.
• Keep an eye out for talks we'll be doing with Absolute Internship.
• You can also read more about previous student experiences via the Absolute Internship blog posts.

You can apply for this programme online - just be sure to mention you are an Essex student.

Funding support from Essex Abroad

We also recommend you read our summer funding pages to see if you are eligible to apply for any funding support.

Visit Absolute Internship for more information and to apply

An internship program with The Intern Group is perfect for those who wish to travel outside of their comfort zone, both literally and metaphorically. It is for those who wish to gain that crucial experience in their chosen industry while simultaneously learning about the way of life and culture of a different country.

How does it work?

The Intern Group provides international internship programs that enable individuals to gain valuable professional experience at leading companies and organisations while exploring exciting new places and developing extensive global networks. Take your global experience to the next level by completing an international internship.

They have full-time local teams in each of our destinations, who are equipped and ready to set you up with the experience of your dreams. All aspects of the program are designed to enhance your professional and personal development and to allow you to experience diverse cultures in a new way.

How long do the internships last?

You can specify how long you want your internship to last. The Intern Group offers internships from 4 weeks up to 24 weeks. It's a good idea to check the location you're interested in as program lengths may be more limited.

Where could I go?

The Intern Group offer destinations worldwide and are always adding to their destination list.  Check out their options!

How much does it cost?

Their programs include much more than a professional internship in your desired career field. You are also provided with quality housing, social & cultural events, professional career training, and full-time local support.

Discounts

• The Intern Group offers 10% discount on program fees to University of Essex students.
• If you are a college or university student in the UK receiving a Maintenance Loan of over £7,700, you are eligible for a 500 USD discount off any of their programs.
• Each year The Intern Group offers a scholarship grant which is available for all students to apply for.

When do the internships start and when do I need to apply?

Programs are available all year on a rolling admission. It can take around three months from applying to when you start your placement, but it is best to apply as soon as possible.

Interested?

• Keep an eye out for talks we'll be doing with The Intern Group.
• Read this blog post about Kushal's experience of completing a remote internship alongside his studies during 2023.

Technische Hochschule Mittelhessen (THM) and Essex are pleased to offer exchange/internship programmes in the field of computer science, informatics, electronic engineering or business studies.

Highlights of the summer programme include

• July to September
• Supervised placements with experienced partner companies of THM
• Salary of min. 600 €/month
• Guidance by a professor, a company supervisor & a student buddy
• Support in finding accommodation

The mission of Eurodesk is to raise awareness among young people on mobility opportunities and to encourage them to become active citizens. Eurodesk offer a range of internship opportunities across Europe, which you can search via their opportunities finder.

It's useful to note that many of the Eurodesk internship opportunities are funded opportunities and are open to EU citizens. Please check each opportunity for eligibility and do let us know via email if you apply for any of the programmes as we track student mobility and can offer further support such as funding information, travel insurance cover and recognition of your experience.

Deutscher Akademischer Austauschndienst (DAAD) is the German Academic Exchange Service. Through the RISE Germany program, they are offering summer research internships for undergraduates and postgraduates studying in the fields of science and engineering.

This is a funded opportunity and therefore highly competitive. There are around 300 scholarships available each year.

About the program

RISE Germany is for undergraduate students and offers research internships with research groups at universities and research institutes.

RISE Professional is for Master and PhD students and offers research internships with companies in Germany.

How much will it cost?

Most costs are met by the scholarship, you will receive a monthly scholarship to cover everyday costs.

How to apply

Applications for both programmes are open from 15 October to 30 November 2023.  There are virtual information sessions on both programmes which can be accessed from the programme pages above.

Euraxess is a hub for all things related to international research. It works in three key areas: jobs, services and rights, and is completely free to researchers who are interested in working abroad. You get funding for your travels, can apply for fellowships and placements overseas, find a new job on the other side of the world, or just get useful pointers for life in a different country.

By providing support, advice and funding for researchers, Euraxess UK can help you collaborate with other international researchers in your field and share your knowledge across the world. They also have a wealth of experience helping people relocate to other countries, so whether it's medical care or childcare, accommodation or taxation, Euraxess is the place to find the answers.

Funding

Available grants vary from country to country and specific fields of work. You can find current opportunities depending on your own personal skills, level of experience, and where you’re looking to go. New opportunities are constantly posted and each one will have its own individual deadline.

Further details and how to apply

Please visit the Euraxess website to learn more and to search through numerous international research opportunities.

Operation Wallacea has run biodiversity research expeditions for the last 25 years to a series of remote locations, helping university students from around the world gain valuable experience and get their hands dirty with real biodiversity research. From tropical rainforests and European grasslands to coral reefs and Mediterranean seagrass meadows, Opwall’s network of more than 200 academics leads cutting edge research projects that help to inform local conservation management strategies.

More than 500 papers including some in high impact journals such as Nature and PNAS have been published from these annual programs, so by joining the field surveys students are guaranteed a high level of academic involvement.

How does it work?

By working alongside academics in the field, students can either gain broad experience as research assistants, or gather data on a specific conservation issue or taxa for their independent research project (dissertation). For all students, full scientific training will be provided on site before data is collected. For dissertation students, academic supervision will be provided before and after the expedition, ensuring students can attain a high quality research project.

How long do the expeditions last?

The expeditions vary in length from 2 to 6 weeks between the months of June and August.

Where can I go?

Operation Wallacea currently conduct research in a range of countries and ecosystem types around the world.

Locations include Croatia, Transylvania, South Africa, Madagascar, Mexico, Honduras, Dominica, Guyana, Peru and Indonesia.

How much does it cost?

The cost of an Opwall expedition is dependent on the number of weeks spent on-site:

Prices start from £1465.00 and this fee usually includes all food, accommodation, scientific training, equipment, surveys and supervision. As the cost of travel varies dramatically between research locations, this is not included. 

All students are provided with full support from the Opwall fundraising team, with more than 20 years of experience in raising expedition costs through of grants, sponsorship, and fundraising activities.

When does it start and when should I apply?

Expeditions begin in early June each year and applications are open now.

Interested?

One of Opwall’s lead academics is holding a series of webinars, where you can learn about how to join one of these expeditions and how the data collected are being used to help with wildlife conservation measures.

Find out more and register for a webinar.

You can also follow Operation Wallacea on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter for regular updates on Opwall expeditions, competitions and upcoming events.

Each year our partner universities all over the world offer research opportunities.  These opportunities can be found via our exchange finder - just select "research abroad" under programme type.

There are usually programmes from The Chinese University of Hong Kong and Masaryk University (Czech Republic).