Office of International Programs

ALTIS GROUP
Location: Lima, Peru
ALTIS GROUP is a company with international experience in the design, management, and promotion of real estate projects in Peru. Through their work, they apply a dynamic and innovative approach from a human point of view to all kinds of challenges, maintaining a dialogue with clients and working with the agents needed to ensure the success of any project. IIP interns may work on any of the following projects: beach community design, urban design, hotel design, office building structures, and private residency design. IIP interns and are required to think of all projects as open-ended opportunities to develop ideas that might contribute to the success of the projects. As a small office, the ALTIS GROUP offers a very personal service to its clients and involvement on  projects is complete--from concept to business strategy to implementation. IIP interns with experience in AutoCAD, Photoshop, and a 3D program (3Dmax, Rhino) are preferred. Spanish speaking, reading, writing skills and a willingness to design would be an asset. Two placements have been created for International Internship Program (IIP) interns.

Bayer (China) Limited
Location: Shanghai, China
Bayer is represented in Greater China by its Bayer HealthCare, Bayer CropScience, and Bayer MaterialScience subgroups and the service company Bayer Technology Services, and operates several production facilities here. Bayer's links with China go back to 1882, when the company first began marketing dyes on the Chinese market. Bayer's interests in this exciting region(Mainland, Hong Kong, Taiwan) have grown steadily over the years, from step-by-step investment in the early 1990s to large-scale, world-class facilities today. With the commitment of "Bayer's Solution for China's Needs," Greater China has now become Bayer's largest single market in Asia, with sales of around EUR 2.9 billion in 2010. Currently around 11,000 people work for Bayer in Greater China, which is also among the major focuses of the company’s global investment. The intern will assist an internal project manager. All projects service internal customers. The intern would be serving in two general areas:

• Assistant to the team: Support in general administrative tasks and general office affairs (e.g. scheduling of meetings, etc.), document handling, provision of back office support (preparation of charts and presentations)
• Project Management: Possible projects would be SAP roll-out or servicing other specific needs of the finance department. The intern could be assigned a specific project management task that he/she will need to proactively engage

One placement has been created for an International Internship Program (IIP) intern. Academic background and/or interest in computer science or finance/accounting is preferred. Candidates should be proficient in Chinese.

Bridges to Prosperity
Location: Cochabamba, Bolivia; Maliana, East Timor; Matagalpa and Condega, Nicaragua; Kigali, Rwanda
Bridges to Prosperity provides isolated communities with access to essential healthcare, education, and economic opportunities by building footbridges over impassible rivers. By working within the local context and training local technicians, their programs aim to develop locally appropriate designs, which can be economically and safely replicated. The ideal candidates for this internship would have experience working in rural areas of the developing world and experience in basic construction and masonry skills. The interns will be expected to train and work on a cable-suspended bridge project, approximately 60 meters in span. The project will be under the guidance and, when necessary, supervision of the Bridges to Prosperity Program Manager. Candidates with an academic background in Civil Engineering are encouraged to apply. Interns should be prepared to live and work in a rural area, lacking electricity and running potable water. Four placements have been created for International Internship Program (IIP) interns. See the placement descriptions under IIP Placements by Region for details related to the specific locations.

Centre for Internet & Society
Location: Bangalore, India
The Centre for Internet & Society is seeking interns with a strong background in policy research and advocacy in Access to Knowledge (IP Reforms), Openness (Open Access, Open Content, Open Video, Open Standards, Openness, Free and Open Source Software and Open Data), Internet Governance (Free Speech and Expression, Privacy, Information Technology Act and Rules), and Telecom (Broadband Policies and Spectrum). The Centre for Internet & Society is devoted to policy research and gives feedback to various state departments on programs dealing with Access to Knowledge, Openness, Internet Governance, and Telecom. Interns are expected to have sound knowledge (or a willingness to learn) Indian and international laws, public speaking skills (including interaction with the media), a willingness to travel (nationally and internationally), the ability to conduct research on the topics listed above and to draft documents that can be submitted to various ministries such as the Department of Telecommunications, the Department of Electronics and Information Technology, Ministry of Human Resource Development, etc., and also to write blog entries of their experience from participating in workshops and other events. Two placements have been created for the International Internship Program.

Department of Telecommunications, AGH University of Science and Technology
Location: Kraków, Poland
The Department of Telecommunications (AGH University of Science and Technology, Krakow, Poland) is an important center for education and research in communications technologies focusing on high-speed networking and services to the e-world. Specific research topics carried out at the Department of Telecommunications include multimedia communication systems, next generation Internet, and wireless 4G networks. Interns will be involved in one of the research projects (solving a specific task). Academic background in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science is preferred.

Digital Solutions
Location: Entebbe, Uganda
Digital Solutions (DS) is a Ugandan-based software development company. The company builds custom applications mainly for the telecom industry for clients in Africa, Asia and the United States.
The interns will join the DS team as it seeks to meet demanding client expectations. DS’s  work involves significant research and innovative approaches to application building. IIP interns responsibilities may include: co-leading a team as programmer on existing projects; programming skills transfer/lead on in-house training for staff; helping in the maintenance of system development process and controls; and providing an independent quality assurance on existing applications to improve security, quality of execution and to ensure up-to-date documentation.  Specific projects may include MMS Gateway Development, Dynamic SIM Toolkit application development, and NFC programming. This placement is ideal for IIP interns with interest in computer science. Software development in C, Python, Ruby, or Java is required. Two placements have been established for International Internship Program (IIP) interns.

École Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées
Location : Marne-la-Vallée, France (east of Paris)
ENPC is the oldest engineering school in France and one of the most prestigious Grandes Écoles. The IIP placements are at the Joint Research Laboratory UMR-Navier. The IIP interns will participate on one of two research projects, which mainly concern mechanical vibrations of structures and modelling and identification of mechanical systems. Two placements have been created for International Internship Program (IIP) interns.

• The first IIP placement: includes research on the civil engineering aspects of monitoring recent and aging works of art and the second IIP placement focuses on the detection and identification of damage detects on civil engineering structures. In the field of civil engineering, on the one hand, there have been studies conducted on recent art work that has become more and more sensitive to wind and thermal elements, and on the other hand, there are studies on the impact of sensitivity during the aging process of existing works of art. Monitoring is useful in the commissioning of new works and becomes an important element of diagnosis in the choice of implementation of policies for maintenance of older works. Instrumentation systems developed for monitoring health of books require an optimization (number and position of sensors for example) to meet these new needs. In parallel, the need for global methods for the quantitative assessment of the health of the works has led the development and research methods which are usually based on change of vibration characteristics (frequencies, modal and deformed depreciation modal).
• The goal of the second project is to propose new diagnosis techniques based on the exploitation of vibratory signals to improve the maintenance of the works and civil engineering equipment. Often the mechanical model of the structure or the machine is not necessarily known, and the identification of defects is based on the operation of identification algorithms. The specificity of this research is to define the principles and approaches of practical implementation of sensors in vibration for structural dynamics assessment, and in particular for the detection of damage. The lab is primarily interested in "linear" corruption, that is, the response of the structure can still be modeled retaining the linear form of the equations of motion.

For more specific details on the research projects, contact the IIP. A background in material behavior, civil engineering, or signal processing would be an asset as would MATLAB and scientific text editor skills and scientific curiosity. French language skills would be an asset. French language skills would be an asset. 

École Polytechnique (Research in Mathematics, Applied Mathematics, Mechanics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Computer Science, Economics)
Location: Palaiseau, France (near Paris)
École Polytechnique is a state-run institution of higher education and research, renowned for its Ingénieur Polytechnicien (polytechnic engineer) program. Established during the French Revolution in 1794, Polytechnique became a military school under Napoleon in 1804. It relinquished this status to become a public educational establishment in 1970, though it is still overseen by the Ministry of Defense. It is a founding member of the ParisTech grouping of leading Paris-area engineering schools, established in 2007. Students can apply for a research internship in any research group within one of the 22 laboratories at École Polytechnique (you may also want to peruse the internship subjects within the research groups). Two placements have been created for International Internship Program (IIP) interns. French is not required. Do not fill out the application on the École Polytechnique website. If you are applying for this placement, put École Polytechnique on the IIP Placement application as your first or second choice and then indicate your top three choices of research groups in the "additional information or comments" section of the IIP Placement application. In your personal statement, be sure to clearly indicate why you are interested in these research groups and why you are qualified to work on such projects.

Endeavor Chile
Locations: Santiago, Temuco, Antofagasta, Puerto Varas, and Concepcion, Chile
Endeavor transforms emerging countries by establishing high-impact entrepreneurship as the leading force for sustainable economic development. At Endeavor Chile, we search & select for high-impact entrepreneurs and then support them with services to improve their business models, expand their networks, and catalyze sustainable growth. IIP interns will have the opportunity to support the Search & Selection, Entrepreneur Services, Outreach, or Metrics Analysis team at one of the Endeavor offices. A detailed description of each position area is available in the IIP office.  Endeavor Chile also spearheading an education initiative called “Aprendimiento”. The “Aprendimiento” program aspires to promote a culture of entrepreneurship within Chile by sponsoring programs that inspire and empower students to become responsible global citizens. The program supports IIP interns by fostering entrepreneurial values such as leadership, creativity, taking initiative, thinking “outside the box”, and trustworthiness. The IIP interns will learn to leverage their entrepreneurial spirit, identify opportunities for their future, and prepare for their future. IIP candidates interested in working on the education initiative would be staffed at the Puerto Varas office. This IIP placement is an ideal opportunity for IIP candidates with interests in entrepreneurship and Latin America. Skills and/ or experience in business would be an asset. Spanish proficiency is preferred, but not required. When applying interns should rank the offices at which they would be interested in working. IIP Interns should also specify if they are applying to work on the “Aprendimiento” education initiative. If an IIP intern is not applying to work on the education initiative,please indicate if you have a strong preference for supporting Endeavor in a certain focus area: Search & Selection, Entrepreneurship Services, Outreach, & Metrics Analysis. This placement is ideal for students with interest in entrepreneurship; Latin America and Latin American development, economic development, microfinance, finance, economics, engineering, business, management, public policy and/or information technology. Good knowledge of Spanish is required. Three placements have been established for International Internship Program (IIP) interns.

Energy for Opportunity
Locations: Freetown and Makeni, Sierra Leone
Energy for Opportunity (EFO) is a not-for-profit organization working to improve livelihoods in West Africa through the provision and installation of clean, sustainable, photovoltaic, electricity-generating infrastructure. Their strategy is to develop innovative ways to promote the use of renewable energy across the region with an emphasis on both solar installations and solar training projects. EFO’s work addresses the need that comes with a large proportion of the world’s population lacking access to modern forms of electricity, a problem that is particularly acute in West Africa, home to some of the least developed regions in the world. IIP interns will be based in EFO's offices in Freetown and Makeni and will work on a wide variety of areas relevant to EFO's work, including socio-economic research, project monitoring and evaluation, community training, report and proposal composition, and solar power installations. IIP interns must be comfortable living in a rural African setting with basic amenities and must have previous research experience and strong writing skills. This placement is ideal for IIP candidates with interest in anthropology, engineering, development studies, or the social sciences. Prior travel experience in Africa is a must. Note: Placements for this internship are for a minimum of 10 weeks long. Two placements were created for International Internship Program (IIP) interns. View a Powerpoint presentation (.pdf) by a past intern.

Eurofish
Location: Copenhagen, Denmark
Eurofish is an international organization established to assist the development of fisheries and aquaculture in Central and Eastern Europe focusing on post-harvest fisheries and aquaculture industries. Eurofish contributes to the development of fisheries and the aquaculture sector through the publication of marketing and industry related information in the Eurofish Magazine, Eurofish website, Eurofish Magazine website, as well as through the organization of conferences, workshops and seminars, business–to–business meetings and by executing a variety of projects in the fields of trade and market, processing and aquaculture. The key objectives of Eurofish are to contribute to the sustainable development of the fisheries and aquaculture sector; promote trade of high quality, value-added fishery products; and facilitate the transfer of information and knowledge. IIP interns with Eurofish may have any of the following responsibilities: assisting in the preparation of market studies; writing project applications in the field of fisheries; performing IT/web design/ maintenance and database management; assisting in promotion and communication activities; conducting market research and socio-economical studies; research various sales and promotional agencies/ institutions and perform other duties as required. IIP candidates with interests in marketing, business administration, economics, journalism; project management and/or computer science are encouraged to apply. One placement has been created for an International Internship Program (IIP) intern.

FIGENER Consultores de Engenharia Ltda.
Location: Sao Paulo, Brazil
FIGENER is an engineering and consulting company that has clients all over Brazil and Latin America. They specialize in energy – thermal power plants, cogeneration plants, energy conservation, gasification, fuel substitution – and develop studies and projects for all industrial sectors: agricultural, biomass, cement, chemical, fertilizer, food, mining, petrochemical, pharmaceutical, pulp and paper, metallurgy, mining, sugar and alcohol, etc. The IIP interns will participate in all stages of a real project: meetings with the clients, visit to the industrial plants for data gathering and measurements, computer simulations, sizing of equipment and systems, working in a team of engineers, interns and designers to develop the project documentation and many other tasks crucial to project optimization. This placement is ideal for IIP candidates with interests in mechanical and/or chemical engineering, thermodynamics, heat transfer, fluid mechanics, and chemical reactions.  Computer programming skills would be an asset as would Portuguese and Spanish skills. Two placements have been established for International Internship Program (IIP) interns.

• Listing of projects for the summer of 2012. You may select any of the projects in India that are listed for BACHELOR’S DEGREE. To search for projects, type BAC (not Bachelors) in the box for Academic Concentration and then scan through the listings. Internships at Infosys will be fully funded for any length of time 8 weeks and above.

To apply: On your IIP application, you should list Infosys as your first or second choice and then list your top two preferences for specific projects in the "additional information/comments" section of the IIP Placement application. (Do not apply directly to Infosys!). You can either write a personal statement for each of your preferences or treat both preferences thoroughly in a single, longer statement.

Innovations for Poverty Action
Location: Asunción, Paraguay
Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA) is a non-profit organization that creates and evaluates solutions to social and development problems and works to scale up successful ideas through implementation and dissemination to policymakers, practitioners, investors, and donors. In Paraguay, interns will work on a project called Big Math Paraguay: In the education systems of the region there is much less interest for the development of mathematical competencies and abilities in preschool education than for the competencies in reading and writing. Emerging research on early childhood quantitative understanding indicates positive outcomes resulting from teaching math in early years. As a result, interest in early childhood education is on the rise. In the hope of facilitating the transition from preschool math (for example, counting) to primary-level math (for example, arithmetic), and reducing the number of students that need later intervention, the governments of many countries like Paraguay have shown an interest in introducing early childhood math in preschool education. In Paraguay the Ministry of Education and Culture of Paraguay and the Inter-American Development Bank are collaborating on the implementation of a pilot that seeks to adapt, develop, evaluate, and disseminate a curriculum for the teaching of mathematics in preschool, with emphasis on the development of learning strategies differentiated for each phase of childhood development. Interactive Radio Instruction (IRI) will be used to deliver the curriculum to the students. Interns will:

• Participate in an on-going field experiment: Interns assist with overall project monitoring and implementation: coordinating between field survey teams, strategic partners, vendors, data entry teams, and other support staff; facilitating the data entry process; and contributing to data cleaning and analysis.
• Conduct exploratory qualitative work: Interns may conduct open-ended interviews with school staff and communities to document puzzling facts or behaviors and help develop new research ideas and designs.

Candidates should have course work or experience in research methods; coursework in econometrics, advanced knowledge of Stata or experience with data management; and Ffamiliarity with randomized control trials. Spanish fluency is required. Two placements have been created for International Internship Program (IIP) interns.

Instituto Nacional de Matemática Pura e Aplicada Brazil (IMPA), OBMEP PROJECT
Location: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 
Instituto Nacional de Matematica Pura e Aplicada (IMPA) is a teaching and research unit of the Ministry of Science and Technology. IIP interns will contribute to the Mathematical Olympiads for Public Schools (OBMEP) project, a project financed by the Brazilian Government, under responsibility of IMPA. The objective is to provide academic support for students who, due to social or economical conditions, cannot afford a good education. The Olympiad project has resulted in producing many talented students, from the public school system, usually from low income families. In this program the students receive a scholarship, for one year from the Government to improve their mathematical background and skills. The project involves a national examination, a special program for medalists of the three levels (Level III: High school, Level II: 8 and 9th grades, and Level I: 6th and 7th grades). Specific internship responsibilities include providing English training for selected medalists of OBMEP, presenting classes of workshops on elementary (but challenging) mathematical topics, and writing content about interesting elementary problems. This position is ideal for mathematics concentrators, especially those with interests in teaching and/or Latin American studies.  An understanding of Spanish and Portuguese would be an asset, but is not required. Two placements have been established for International Internship Program (IIP) interns.

Instituto Nacional de Matemática Pura e Aplicada Brazil, LUA PROJECT
Location : Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Instituto Nacional de Matematica Pura e Aplicada (IMPA) is a teaching and research unit of the Ministry of Science and Technology that created and executed the “Lua” programming language. Lua is a powerful, fast, lightweight, embeddable scripting language, which is ideal for configuration, scripting, and rapid prototyping. Lua has been used in many commercial applications (e.g., Adobe's Photoshop Lightroom), with an emphasis on embedded systems (e.g., the Ginga middleware for digital TV in Brazil) and games (e.g., World of Warcraft). Since 1999, LuaSocket has been the leading API for network access from within Lua. The library is divided into a core C module that provides basic functionality, supported by high-level libraries implementing protocols such as FTP, SMTP, HTTP etc. Although the library is still very popular, there has been growing demand for support for newer asynchronous APIs in the core module, such as kqueue or epoll on Unix, and I/O Completion Ports on Windows platforms. IIP interms will help design and implement the new-generation network support for the Lua programing language. Skills required for the first IIP internship include experience in computer programming in C ,and network programming and Lua programming are desirable. A second IIP internship focuses on state-of-the-art recursive filtering on CPUs and GPUs: Recursive filtering is a basic signal-processing operation that has many applications in computer graphics (e.g., summed-area tables, Gaussian blur, B-Spline interpolation). The dependent nature of the computation poses significant challenges to the parallelization of the computation. An algorithmic framework was recently proposed for GPU-efficient (i.e., massively parallel) computation of recursive filters. A CUDA implementation is being released to the public, but there is still room for contributions.  For example, it would be interesting to provide ports to DirectX Compute Shaders, OpenCL, or C++ AMP or provide sample applications that showcase the technology (for example, for higher-quality re-sampling in open-source video players). Finally, the framework may also lead to a highly efficient multi-core SIMD CPU implementation. IIP interns will be mentored through any of these challenging possibilities. Skills required for this IIP placement include computer programming in C/C++, and CUDA.  Knowledge in computer graphics or signal processing would be an asset. and Sao Paulo. Two placements have been established for International Internship Program (IIP) interns.

International Water Management Institute (IWMI)
Locations: Hyderabad and New Delhi, India; Pretoria, South Africa; Accra, Ghana; Kathmandu, Nepal; Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
IWMI is an international scientific non-profit organization that undertakes world class research to help improve water management in developing countries. IWMI’s major outputs are the results of the scientific research. How this science is communicated is critical to overcome the looming global water crisis. IWMI must continually be evaluating the effectiveness of its science communications. The interns will be place in pairs. Each intern pair will conduct research that will include: defining the main products/activities, target audiences and aims of the different products/activities; setting up the methodology, based on face-to-face interviews, for assessing these; undertaking this analysis (travel in the allocated country may be required), analyzing the results, and participating in a workshop, presenting these results and making recommendations for future marketing and communications. IIP candidates with interests in communications, science, agriculture, environmental studies, or development are encouraged to apply. Experience conducting surveys, interviews, and data analysis would be an asset. Two placements have been created for International Internship Program (IIP) interns. See the listings in Placements by Region for descriptions of the specific projects available. View a Powerpoint presentation (.pdf) by a past intern.

Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization
Location: Goettingen, Germany
The Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization is a research institute for investigations of complex non-equilibrium systems, particularly in physics and biology. Its founding history goes back to Ludwig Prandtl who in 1911 requested a Kaiser Wilhelm Institute to be founded for the investigation of aerodynamics and hydrodynamics. As a first step, the Aeronautische Versuchsanstalt (now the DLR) was established in 1915 and then finally the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute for Flow Research was established in 1924. In 1948 it became part of the Max Planck Society. In 2003 it was renamed to Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-organisation. It is one of 80 institutes in the Max Planck Society (Max Planck Gesellschaft). The institute has four departments conducting research in the following areas: nonlinear dynamics, fluid dynamics, pattern formation, biocomplexity, and dynamics of complex fluids. IIP interns will work on tasks related to the experimental and theoretical projects of the Institute. IIP candidates with interests in physics, biology, math, and natural sciences are encouraged to apply. Four placements have been established for International Internship Program (IIP) interns.

Metis Gaia
Location: Lima and Arequipa, Peru
Metis Gaia connects science and engineering for development in order to discover new and better ways to help societies progress with a baseline goal of corporate social responsibility. Metis Gaia is committed to promoting integrated work, empowerment, and diverse critical thinking to find innovative, context-specific, sustainable solutions for development. IIP interns can help produce: socioeconomic diagnosis, baseline studies, stakeholder analyses; help in the planning on: socioeconomic and productive development initiatives, corporate social responsibility, impact management, citizen participation programs; and contribute to the evaluation, monitoring, and communication for these issues. She or he might also work on projects related to impact analysis, alternatives and projections, risk and management; cost-benefit analysis; economic impact valuation; socioeconomic programs and projects and social and public policy formulation and advisory services. Other tasks the IIP intern might assist with are fundraising efforts, specifically in research, writing and submitting grants, taking the grant writing process from beginning to end.  Interested interns will undergo an interview process through which Metis Gaia will discuss and determine which types of projects would be best for them personally based on their academic background and personal interests. Spanish proficiency (speaking, reading and writing) is a must. This placement is ideal for IIP candidates who demonstrate a commitment to development and have interests in economics, sociology, psychology or engineering. One placement has been established for an International Internship Program (IIP) intern.

Middle East Scientific Institute for Security (MESIS)
Location: Amman, Jordan
MESIS is a joint initiative between the Royal Scientific Society and the U.S. Department of Energy and Sandia National Laboratories. MESIS deals with a variety of issues on the regional level relating to energy, environment, and borders. MESIS’ main role is to develop and implement regional training and engagement programs for experts and officials with a view to enhance the role of scientific and technological solutions to the region’s challenges, specifically those that are cross-border by nature. MESIS works on exciting and cutting edge issues that lie at the nexus of science and security issues.  Examples include the development of a regional response plan for pandemic outbreaks/biohazard, outbreaks/radiological accidents, the localization of best practices on nuclear security and the testing of infrasound technologies to be used for the comprehensive nuclear test ban treaty verification regime.  This IIP internship is flexible in the sense that the IIP interns can be involved in a number of issues. Two previous IIP interns helped implement major international conferences at MESIS.  This included working on the logistics-side of the event (budgeting, logistics, protocol, outreach, and customer relations) and the content-side of the event (working to develop language of a code of conduct for a specific scientific discipline in the Middle East, helping to shape the U.S. Federation of Scientists' engagement in the region and interfacing with high level diplomats from Jordan, the U.S. and elsewhere). The MESIS organization is small (about seven permanent staff members) but has a wide network of supporters and deals with high level officials. The team is quite ambitious and driven. All staff members are fluent in English. However, there is still opportunity for IIP interns to improve their Arabic language skills. This placement is ideal for IIP candidates with interests in international affairs, public policy, development, Middle East studies, hard sciences, management, marketing, science, and technology. Engineering and computer skills would be an asset, but are not required. Two placements have been created for International Internship Program (IIP) interns.

Royal Scientific Society
Location: Amman, Jordan
The Royal Scientific Society is a one of a kind organization in the Arab region. It was established in the early 1970s with a view to build on Jordan’s human resources. Today the RSS has over 25 specialized laboratories in the areas of water, environment, energy, and all major engineering sciences. On the whole it has the largest number of internationally accredited laboratories in the Arab world. It is a relatively large organization with around 600 employees across the Kingdom. IIP interns with the Royal Scientific Society will be working as research assistants in the laboratories. During this experience, the IIP interns will be exposed to high levels of engagement with the senior management of the organization. Specific responsibilities may include participating in laboratory activities in the areas of testing and conformity, supporting and participating in research activities, and participating in environmental monitoring activities. IIP candidates with interests in energy, water, environment, nanomaterial, and/or biotechnology are encouraged to apply. Three placements have been created for International Internship Program (IIP) interns.

TRW Automotive
Location: TBD, Germany
TRW Automotive is among the world's largest automotive suppliers and is one of the top financial performers in the industry, with 2011 sales of $16.2 billion. The company is passionate about delivering safety and supplies more than 40 major vehicle manufacturers and 250 nameplates, while holding leading positions in all of its primary product categories. This IIP placement is ideal for students with interests in the automotive industry and mechanical and electrical engineering. Four placements have been created for International Internship Program (IIP) interns. Each IIP intern will be assigned to a specific project. In 2013, there will be four projects in the following areas: product testing, product design and calculation and customer committed capacity project:

• Product Testing: Examination of different influences on valve rotation: Regular valve rotation prevents deposits on the valve seats, which may cause leaks. Furthermore, rotation leads to equalization of valve head temperatures and avoids leaks from distortion. One factor that has an important influence on valve rotation is the valve fixation in the spring retainer. There is obviously an influence of many other factors like valve spring, resonances, geometry masses, inertia, clearance, etc., but a clear correlation has still not yet been found. To determine the influence on the valve rotation, different parameters have to be examined and the influence of the valve rotation has to be pointed out. The IIP intern will contribute to the following aspects: preparation/ modification of cylinder heads; execution of test series on a cylinder head test rig; test evaluation; and presentation of results.
• Product Testing: Measurement of tappet rotation: Different valve actuating systems like roller finger followers, rocker arms and bucket tappets with or without hydraulic valve lash adjustment are in use. Bucket tappets are a widely spread solution in car applications. The valve opening force of the camshaft is transmitted by the tappet button to the tip face of the valve. This area is highly loaded due to high contact pressure and relative rotational movement between valve and tappet. In case of too high relative rotational movement, it is assumed that wear will be generated. To measure the rotation of valves and tappets, an existing measurement system has to be installed in a cylinder head and measurements have to be conducted. The IIP intern will contribute to the following aspects: assembly of test set up; measurements on a cylinder head test rig; test evaluation; and presentation of results.
• Product Design/ Calculation: Kinematic Simulation of Valve Trains: IIP interns on this project will contribute to the design of typical valve trains, develop finite element models in ANSYS, define boundary conditions, simulate the valve train behavior using Ansys Rigid Body Dynamics, and verify simulation results with existing measurements. IIP candidates with interests in mechanical engineering are encouraged to apply. Skills in the finite element analysis program Ansys or knowledge of valve train design would be an asset.
• Customer committed capacity project: TRW Engine Components has contracts with Customers that agree on the quantity of product that the customer will call-off during a year, and the negotiated price. TRW Engine Components commits that they will reserve the necessary capacity for the agreed quantities.Today, they face the issue that their customer call-offs sometime exceed their current manufacturing capacities. As a consequence, they analyzed various cases and observed that the customer had demanded more products in a given time frame that was actually agreed to in the contract. However, to come to this conclusion needed significant reading and analysis, since they had not captured the existing contracts in a fashion that allowed comparison of the requested volume to the capacity committed in the contract. Therefore, this project will focus on both customer analysis and evaluation. Specific responsibilities for the IIP interns will include analysis of customer requirements by region, analysis of contracts, and evaluation of the current capabilities of their internal sales and operations planning system.

TropicalClinics
Location: Kakamega, Kenya
At TropicalClinics, IIP interns will support and learn from well trained local medical professionals. Through hands-on, structured activities, IIP interns will gain a comprehensive understanding about best practices in global health and social entrepreneurship and receive a Certificate in Global Health Delivery. The IIP interns work with local health care providers to eliminate patient barriers and strengthen health care delivery for people living in disadvantaged conditions. They also assist with patient education, patient intake, disease screening, and the distribution of medication prescribed by local doctors, and other important support tasks. They also will have the opportunity to observe surgeries provided by local doctors. Additionally, the interns may participate at the Diagnostic Lab, an optional program for those interested in pursuing global health research. This internship will provide IIP interns with knowledge of the electronic medical records, pharmaceutical inventory management, and business information systems in Kenya and will provide them with direct experience on healthcare infrastructure, patient interactions, and management systems of the developing world. The organization hopes that this internship program will create a desire for the IIP interns to participate in global health and contribute to remedying the health inequalities that remain ever-present on a global scale. IIP candidates with interests in global health, computer science, international development, and social entrepreneurship are encouraged to apply. Four placements have been created for the International Internship Program.  This internship is offered in partnership with the Program in Global Health and Health Policy and can be used by GHP juniors for completion of the GHP Summer Research Requirement (please check the appropriate box on your application).

Tsinghua University, Department of Precision Instrumentation and Mechanology
Location: Beijing, China
The Department of Precision Instruments and Mechanology (DPIM) originated from the Department of Mechanical Engineering, School of Engineering, Tsinghua University, which was founded in 1932. With a high reputation, the department is the earliest engineering discipline department in China, mainly engaged in talent cultivation and scientific research in the field of advanced manufacturing, including Mechanical Engineering, Optical Engineering, and Instrument Science and Technology. Adhering to the advanced educational conception of Tsinghua University, i.e. “cultivate talents with a sound character of state and social services”, the DPIM always treats talent cultivation as its primary task, with the aim of cultivating outstanding “research, managerial, innovative, international” personnel in advanced manufacturing who master the trends of the times and pursue academic excellence. The IIP placement is within the Department of Precision Instruments and Mechanology and will focus on the project “Observation on the velocity profile of blood flow in microchannel using micro-PIV system": The motion of the red blood cells (RBC) in microvascular is strongly dependent on time, flow and geometries, and the microfluidics provide a good platform to study the blood flow in complex geometries. In this study, a T-junction microchannel is to be designed and fabricated based on soft lithograph technology, to observe the red blood cells (RBC) motion in the daughter branches. The velocity profiles of the blood flow is to be measured by the micro-PIV system using the RBCs as tracers, and the effect of the size ratio of the daughter branches on the motion of the RBCs is to be investigated. The IIP intern will participate in the experimental research related to microfluidic systems, and he/she will be responsible for the design and the proceeding of the experimental work. This IIP placement is ideal for IIP candidates with interests in Mechanical Engineering, Fluid Dynamics, Bio Engineering, and Chemical Engineering. Experience and/or skills in technical drawing and common computer software, and basic experimental skills would be an asset. Two placements have been established for International Internship Program (IIP) interns.

Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS
Location: Tronoh, Perak, Malaysia
Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS (UTP) was established in 1997 when PETRONAS was invited by the Malaysian government to set up a university. UTP offers a wide range of engineering and technology programs at undergraduate and postgraduate levels complemented with a strong focus on Research and Development. The programs are designed with high industry relevance to provide a dynamic learning environment. The Civil Engineering Department involves the application of engineering principles and applied sciences to the design, construction, operation, and maintenance of capital projects in a typical asset life cycle. This includes buildings, roads, bridges, dams, airports, water and wastewater treatment plants, oil and gas production facilities, special purpose structures and any engineered structures for the comfort of mankind. Research projects of the department include focuses in computer aided design, surveying, transportation engineering, environmental engineering, geotechnical engineering, structural engineering, pavement and materials engineering, construction and project management, steel and concrete design, water and wastewater engineering. IIP interns will work on a research project on rice husk ash.  Through this IIP placement, the IIP intern will learn how to evaluate the microstructure of cementitious materials using equipment such as: ESEM, FE-SEM, XRD, X-ray tomography etc., and will gain the knowledge of the basic principles of mix-designing various types of concrete as well as knowledge of the production process of concrete and how to evaluate the properties of concrete such as compressive, flexural and tensile strengths, workability, including rheology and microstructure. Interested IIP candidates should possess a systematic understanding and advanced knowledge of various cement replacement materials, their effects on concrete properties, and their suitability for concrete production. Two placements have been established for International Internship Program (IIP) interns.

Here is some background information on the rice husk ash project. 

About 600 million tons of rice is produced each year throughout the world, which generates about 120 million tons of rice husk. Disposal of the rice husk has become a big problem and usually rice husk is burnt in open air or stacked on farmland, releasing large amounts of hazardous substances, occupying land resources, and polluting the environment. The utilization of rice husk ash as a pozzolanic material in cement and concrete provides several advantages such as improved strength and durability, reduced materials cost due to cement savings and environmental benefits related to the disposal of waste materials and reduction of carbon dioxide emissions. It has been demonstrated that in order to produce reactive rice husk ash, specific temperature and duration of burning has to be maintained. Controlled burning can produce amorphous rice husk ash with high silica content and this can significantly enhance the properties of concrete. Recent studies have shown that RHA, rich in silica (about 85% to 90%), can be utilized in construction materials by controlling the burning temperature. Replacing the cement by RHA burned under controlled temperature, the compressive strength of the concrete increased. The concrete with RHA also lowers initial surface absorption, lowers the permeability, and increase the resistance of concrete to chloride ion penetration in comparison to conventional concrete. One of the controlled burning methods is using a microwave incinerator. Microwave Incinerator Rice Husk Ash (MIRHA) is obtained by burning rice husk in UTPMI – a microwave incinerator at Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, with a controlled temperature. The UTPMI used for the burning process produce good quality MIRHA. Concrete and cement industry can contribute to sustainable development by adopting MIRHA as cement replacement material to save natural resources, energy, reducing CO2 emissions, and protect the environment.

University of Oslo, Department of Physics
Location: Oslo, Norway
The Complex Systems and Soft Materials group is one of the largest physics research networks in Norway (www.complexphysics.org/). It consists of scientists from the University of Oslo, the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, and Institute for Energy Technology. A wide range of topics are pursued, including pattern formation in complex fluids, multiphase flows, granular materials, fracture, soft materials, and nanoscience. IIP interns will work as members of a dynamic research group and gain experience in planning and execution of projects at the forefront of international research on complex materials. The group has a range of advanced scientific instruments and imaging equipment available and strong activity in simulation and theoretical modeling of non-equilibrium systems. The IIP interns will be able to choose a project that they find interesting, run experiments, and analyze and present their findings. Typically a project involves building or modifying simple bench-top experimental setups and running a series of experiments where a few parameters of interest are varied. From the collected data, one then aims to build an understanding of the physical mechanisms and forces that generate the observed patterns. This placement is ideal for IIP candidates with interests in physics. Two placements have been established for International Internship Program (IIP) interns. Possible projects may include the following (several other projects will also be available):

1. Hydraulic fracturing: Study the dynamics of fracture propagation in deformable materials upon injection of pressurized fluids. Do the fractures behave differently if we change the rate of injection or the compressibility of the fluid?
2. Frictional fingering: We have discovered a new pattern formation process that results in labyrinthine structures in fully dried out granular mixtures. But what happens if we instead inject air and let the structure grow freely? Will we get branching fractals?
3. Braided rivers in the lab: We can make miniature rivers in the lab by letting a small stream of water flow across layer of granular material. How can we characterize the dynamics of this river, e.g. how often does it change direction, and what are the distributions of wet/dry periods for a given place?

University of Science and Technology Beijing, School of Mechanical Engineering
Location: Beijing, China
The University of Science and Technology Beijing (USTB) was founded in 1952 following the amalgamation of the best departments in related fields of five eminent universities as a result of a nationwide reorganization of the higher education system. Over half a century of growth, it has developed into one of the most influential key national universities sponsored by the Chinese Ministry of Education. USTB is renowned for its study of metallurgy and materials science. Its main focus is on engineering; at the same time it maintains a balanced program of science, management, humanities, economics, and law. USTB is now working towards its goal of becoming one of the top-ranking research universities in China and an internationally renowned higher education institute with its own distinguishing features. The IIP placement is within the School of Mechanical Engineering and the IIP interns will contribute to a project entitled “Observation of the Cavitation in a Small Glass Venturi Channel": The cavitating flow through a converging-diverging nozzle has important impacts on the engineering pipe flow and biomedical heart valves. To understand the cavitation of the liquid in small channels, a glass Venturi shaped channel with the characteristic length of millimeter is to be designed and fabricated. Using this device, the cavitation phenomenon is to be observed by a fast camera under the controlled driven pressures. Then, the cavitation number and the effect of the liquid-solid interface are to be investigated. The IIP interns will participate in the experimental research related to microfluidic systems, and he/she will be responsible for the design and the proceeding of the experimental work. This IIP placement is ideal for IIP candidates with interests in Mechanical Engineering, Fluid Dynamics, Bio Engineering, and Chemical Engineering. Experience and/or skills in technical drawing and common computer software, and basic experimental skills would be an asset. Two placements have been established for International Internship Program (IIP) interns.

Visagio
Location: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Visagio is a business consulting and information technology firm, specializing in operations strategy, process engineering, organization design, and supply chain and logistics optimization. The IIP intern with Visagio will engage in short-term business and technical consulting projects with Visagio’s clients. Each IIP intern will be assigned to a primary consulting project in a market segment, such as manufacturing, mining and ferrous metallurgy, agribusiness, sugar and alcohol, oil and gas, retail, telecommunications, and finance, among others. Throughout the IIP experience, the intern may participate on the following activities:

• Project management: schedule design and implementation
• Business process management: process mapping and modeling
• Organization design: area/department structuring and optimization
• Supply chain: logistics modeling and optimization
• Business planning: business plan development
• Tool development: computer programming 

IIP candidates with interests in business, computer science, engineering, and economics are encouraged to apply. Basic speaking, reading, and writing skills in Portuguese and intermediate Spanish skills are highly recommended. One placement has been established for an International Internship Program (IIP) intern.