About IAESTE

The International Association for the Exchange of Students for Technical Experience (IAESTE A.s.b.l) is an Association of National Committees representing Academic, Industrial and Student interests. Each Member and Co-operating Institution is responsible for the administration of the exchange in its own country.

The Association was founded in January 1948 at Imperial College, London, on the initiative of the Imperial College Vacation Work Committee. National Organisations of ten European countries represented at this meeting became Members and Mr James Newby was elected General Secretary. The geographical coverage was soon to spread to most of Europe and beyond, as new countries were admitted to Membership.

The Association became a registered body according to Luxembourg law at its General Conference 2005 in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia. It is a non-political, independent, non-governmental Organisation, in operational relationship with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) and maintains consultative relationships with the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) and the International Labour Office (ILO). IAESTE is also in contact with the United Nations Economic Council for Africa (ECA), the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), the Organisation of American States (OAS) and the European Union (EU), as well as with other educational non-governmental Organisations.

National Secretariats and Committees make up the Membership of the Association. Each year the Annual Conference brings together the representatives of these bodies to decide issues of general policy and with the IAESTE Co-operating Institutions to carry out the exchange of offers for training. Prior to the Conference, each Member and Co-operating Institution collects offers from Employers willing to receive students from abroad for a temporary training and work experience period relevant to the students' areas of study, as a complement to their university or college education. The offering Companies or Institutions are expected to pay students a wage sufficient to cover their cost of living during the actual training period.

The offers of training are exchanged with other Members and Co-operating Institutions mainly on a reciprocal basis. Through their affiliated Universities and Colleges, Members and Co-operating Institutions select qualified students to meet Employers' requirements as outlined on the training offer. Details of the selected candidates are sent to the Employers for approval. Participation in the IAESTE exchange is open to bona fide students attending courses at Universities, Institutes of Technology and similar Institutions of Higher Education.