Betty Vining

by Charmane Malone
staff associate

UM-St. Louis' International Business program has partnered with Washington University to become the St. Louis AIESEC representatives. AIESEC (L'Association Internationale des Etudiants en Sciences Economiques et Commercial) is the world's largest student organization providing internship programs in over 87 countries. To date, it has more than 50,000 members from 800 higher-education institutions with over 5,000 annual exchanges.

The uniqueness of this non-for-profit organization is that it is completely managed by students. AIESEC was founded after World War II in 1948, by a French student who wanted to start an organization that united students around the world. Members are responsible for networking and developing internship opportunities for students from other countries. The student in the hosting country also must find the visiting student transportation from the airport and a place to live and then help them get acclimated to the community.

The UM-St. Louis International Business program was looking to change its program to become more demanding and competitive, with the goal of becoming recognized nationally. According to Betty Vining, interim director for Continuing Education and Outreach in the School of Business Administration, the new criterion would be to require a semester working or studying abroad. By partnering with AIESEC, the International Business Program will be able to link more students with internships abroad.

Because AIESEC is internationally known, it opens doors for young business graduates that would normally take years to open. Whether an AIESEC member opts to work in a foreign country or to stay at home, the skills they learn working with AIESEC--time management, organization, sales, leadership, and presentation skills--are priceless.

"It's a way of networking around the world," Vining said.

An AIESEC information session will be held on Jan. 26 at noon in SSB 301 and on Jan. 27 at 2 p.m. in the same room. More information on AIESEC can be found on its web site at www. AIESEC.org.

For information about UM-St. Louis International Business Program, contact Betty Vining at 516-6292.