International Internship Connection Program

The Centre for Social Research (CSR) and the Academy for Educational Development (AED) are pleased to announce the International Internship Connection Program, a professional exchange program for young professionals from Iran, Sri Lanka and Nepal working in the fields of health, social work, education and the environment.

The Centre for Social Research (CSR) is a non-political, philanthropic organization located in New Delhi, India, that is dedicated to strengthening private and government sector cooperation to resolve critical social issues. AED is an independent, private, nonprofit organization based in Washington, DC, whose work focuses on innovative solutions to social and economic problems around the world. AED works in all the major areas of human development, with a focus on improving education, health, and economic opportunities for the least advantaged in 150 countries throughout the world. Its programs are funded by private donations, U.S. government agencies, foreign governments, foundations, and corporations. The Internship Connection Program is funded by AED, CSR and the U.S. government.

The International Internship Connection Program will include placement with a host organization in India where participants will have the opportunity to learn about how colleagues in different professional contexts address issues in their field and share technical skills and professional best practices. The internships will be flexible in length, depending on the preferences of the participant and the host organization, but will preferably last between four weeks to eight weeks. Each participant will be assigned an Internship Mentor from their host organization. Mentors will provide professional leadership and guidance, as well as in depth technical assistance in their field. The program includes a fully-funded reciprocal visit to the participants home country by their internship mentor from India. Participants will be selected on a rolling basis. The deadline for the next cycle of the exchange program is February 15, 2008.

The internship is designed for junior to mid-level professionals in social fields and is not suitable for senior leadership. All expenses, including travel costs, lodging, and food, will be covered. Internship placements will be made by matching participants with organizations doing similar work in the fields of education, health, the environment, and social work. English is the common language for the internship program. English language instruction will be provided as needed to strengthen participant language skills.

This program is intended to increase mutual understanding and the development of capacity through sharing of technical knowledge and best practices. It is in this spirit that the Internship Connection Program has been established. We encourage you to visit both organizational websites to learn more about our work at www.aed.org ( http://www.aed.org/ )and www.csrindia.org ( http://www.csrindia.org/ ).

Interested parties should complete the attached application and email it to malimi@aed.org, or fax it to 011-202-884-8407.

We look forward to an exciting opportunity for exchange and learning.