Senior Massey University staff and internship employers involved with the National Expedition and Internship Programme.
For the next ten weeks more than 60 international students from the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom will be part of a study abroad programme hosted by Massey University.
The National Expedition and Internship programme is an intensive 30-credit in which students complete a customised academic study tour of New Zealand and are also assigned to work-place internships in Hawke’s Bay and Wellington.
Programme coordinator Christina Baldarelli at Massey’s Centre for Professional and Continuing Education, which has organised the programme with the University’s International Relations Office, says the study abroad offering is unlike any other in New Zealand that attracts “high calibre” international students for short term academic experience that includes both travel and an internship placement.
“This is the first year that staff from all three of Massey’s campuses have been involved in the delivery, so this is a programme that is exposing students not only to a very broad cross section of New Zealand culture and industry, but a real variety of perspective and expertise from the University community as well.”
The first 27 students arrived in May for programmes delivered by the Institute of Agriculture and Environment. Their first two weeks was spent studying the agribusiness and environmental perspectives of the New Zealand wool, wine and dairy industries. The students are currently in Napier completing a four-week internship at agri-food, environmental science and wildlife management organisations.
The School of Communication, Journalism and Marketing hosts 17 students currently travelling New Zealand examining issues of image and identity in the tourism industry before being based in Wellington filling internships at organisations including Age Concern, Wellington City Council, Forest & Bird NZ and the Nikau Foundation.
A new creative expression and digital media track offered by the School for English & Media Studies has 9 students visiting various creative media organisations after which they will take up placements with theatre, publishing and public art institutions in Wellington.
The last group of students arrive at the end of June for a disaster risk and emergency management programme delivered by the Joint Centre for Disaster Research. For two weeks the students will travel experiencing the unique hazard –scape across the country and engaging with local specialists in Regional Civil Defence and Emergency management offices. In Wellington they will be placed for internships at organisations including the New Zealand Fire service, Ministry of Primary industries, the Wellington Regional Emergency Management Office and the Ministry of Health.