November 8, 2017

Every year, AGBU empowers young people from the diaspora and Armenia through its professional development programs, including the flagship AGBU Summer Internship Program. Interested applicants are welcome to apply to the Summer Internship Program 2018 by December 1.

The AGBU Summer Internship Program prepares young people for the future and helps them get closer to their roots and peers through enriching cultural, educational and social activities. Throughout the years, carefully selected placements that match interns’ background and career goals have ensured the success and sustainability of the program. In addition, the network of host organizations and companies continues to grow, including new industries.

Last summer, the AGBU Summer Internship Program offered placements to 76 young adults from 13 countries. Interns gained valuable hands-on experience in leading organizations and companies in New York, Yerevan, Paris, London and Buenos Aires. In 2017, the New York Summer Internship Program (NYSIP) and the Yerevan Summer Internship Program (YSIP) reached a significant milestone, celebrating their 30th and 10th anniversaries respectively.

NYSIP’s 25 participants interned in major host organizations and institutions, including AXA Advisors, Children’s Museum of the Arts New York, Fitch Ratings, Michael Aram Studios, NewsDeeply and the Permanent Mission of Armenia to the United Nations. YSIP’s 28 interns gained experience in several leading companies, including Arabkir Medical Center, Deem Communications, Europe in Law, Grant Thornton Armenia, Izmirlian Medical Center, Microsoft Armenia, National Instruments and Synopsys Armenia.

For George Tarabelsi, a student at the University of Massachusetts, YSIP was a special opportunity. “This internship has been educational and has exposed me to various types of operations. As an aspiring physician, shadowing doctors in different departments has allowed me to gain a better understanding of what specifically I would like to pursue in medicine,” said George.

Houshig Kaymakamian, of Lebanon, saw diplomacy in action while interning at Armenia’s Permanent Mission to the UN and the Lebanese Consulate in New York. “International Affairs wasn’t just a concept or theory in a textbook, it was real work that adds real value in the world,” said Houshig. “At various UN meetings, I witnessed diplomats negotiating with skill and grace and I realized that one day I want to be in their shoes.”

Interns had full exposure to life and culture in the United States and Armenia through the wide array of activities, ranging from workshops, classes, sightseeing and visits to Artsakh and Gyumri to meetings with high-ranking officials, clergy and community leaders, including His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of all Armenians; His Eminence Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate of the Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Church in America; Armenia’s Permanent Representative to the UN; Artsakh’s minister of foreign affairs and others.

In its first year, Buenos Aires Summer Internship Program (BASIP) hosted five participants from China, Estonia and the United States. For four weeks, the BASIP participants interned in Merval (Mercado de Valores de Buenos Aires), E-Planing, Bolivia y Divina, Cámara Argentina de Comercio e Industria, Fundación Luisa Hairabedian and Estudio Singerman & Makon.

Interns were introduced to Argentinean business environment and gained first-hand experience. “The professionals we spent time with were very helpful and knowledgeable. I really learned a lot from these individuals. They really showed interest in us,” said Simon Nahigian, a student at the University of Southern California.

Interns in London and Paris took full advantage of the placements in several major European organizations, including Backes & Strauss, Newscape Capital Group, StoneHedge Partners, Wigmore medical, OTS Solicitors, Amber Capital, Kafard Films, Southside Interactive and Daniel Rosange et Associés.

Kristina Ayanian, of Boston, made new friends in London, connecting with them on a deeper level. “I have never felt so close to a group of people in such a short period of time. I will always treasure the bond our group had and I am looking forward to a reunion soon,” she said. “Working for Newscape Capital Group was one of the best experiences for my professional career. I was able to gain experience in a side of finance I was not familiar with. I finally figured out what I want to do with my career.”

Carl Kilajian, a third-year student at the University of Montreal, learned a lot about finance and accounting during his internship. “Professional experience within Daniel Rosange & Associates, a Parisian accounting firm, is very valuable because I have been supervised and trained by energetic specialists of the field for the total duration of the program,” said Carl.

Interns in both countries attended much-expected talks, lectures and visited iconic landmarks, including the Louvre, Musée d’Orsay and the Palace of Versailles and trips to Oxford, Manchester and Brighton.

For more information about the AGBU Internship Program and applications, please visit https://agbu.org/program/internships/

Established in 1906, AGBU (www.agbu.org) is the world’s largest non-profit Armenian organization. Headquartered in New York City, AGBU preserves and promotes the Armenian identity and heritage through educational, cultural and humanitarian programs, annually touching the lives of some 500,000 Armenians around the world.

For more information about AGBU and its worldwide programs, please visit www.agbu.org.