A pilot program for permafrost internships
How it works
PermaIntern is a flexible program for permafrost internships, which connects students, internship hosts, and university supervisors in the Nordic region.
Students may be at any level of university studies in any discipline and may do the internship as part of their university education.
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Hosts may be any employer interested in professional activities related to permafrost, such as engineering companies, research institutes, government agencies, Arctic communities, and NGOs.
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Supervisors are university teachers at the student's home institution and provide the link to the home university educational program.
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Internship projects are designed based on the needs of the hosts and the requirements from the home universities. Projects may therefore be of any duration and timing, and with varying entry requirements based on the host and student involved.
To ensure the quality of the program, PermaIntern certifies all hosts and supervisors and provides educational resources on permafrost and internship pedagogics.
A need for permafrost internships
The needs for professional competence in the Arctic are driven by societal developments in a complex region undergoing uniquely rapid changes. Challenges related to thawing permafrost, changes in natural resource accessibility, industrial development and demographic changes will require specialized professional competence in local communities. Local competence needs may be addressed by exchanges within and between the Arctic and other regions, but Arctic-specific professional competence needs to be built and maintained in the Arctic. Internships can help students realize knowledge as competence in a professional setting, and at the same time provide platforms connecting students, academics, and professionals with competence needed in the Arctic.