UCSB is one of 11 schools to receive an internship grant from the foundation.
“This is a first for our program, which is now in its 50th year,” said Juan E. Campo, EAP faculty director and professor of religious studies. “Study abroad is increasingly seen by our students as an investment in the future, where the opportunities and challenges posed by globalization require the merging of holistic knowledge with practical experience. The Freeman Foundation internships will help them take a giant step in this direction and contribute to the internationalization of our campus.”
The grant will be disbursed as stipends of $3,000 to $5,000, depending on the length of the internship. Additionally, the UC Education Abroad Program and UCSB’s EAP will each give $10,000 toward need-based scholarships to help defray non-internship expenses.
EAP students in Asia have held internships in the past, and the new program will build on these connections. The positions will include industries such as public relations firms, stationery design companies, hospitals, and social welfare agencies.
Students will be required to submit an internship-related research paper at the end of the period and will receive academic credit. Depending on the placement, up to 12 units will be awarded.
“The internships will be a valuable recruiting tool and will help raise the profile of programs in East Asia,” said Campo. “In addition to helping UCSB students connect with people in their host country, the internships will give students valuable real-world experience in a range of fields.”
The Freeman Foundation was created in 1994 in the memory of Mansfield Freeman, an American businessman, scholar, and philanthropist. The foundation seeks to promote relations between the United States and the countries of East Asia.