Liberal Praktik

– An international internship program for ambitious Finns

 

Liberal Praktik gives young people the opportunity to do an internship at high-level organizations in London (Liberal International), Brussels (European Pariament MEP office), Berlin (Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom and the German Council on Foreign Relations, DGAP), Cape Town (Democratic Alliance International Office) and Washington D.C. (Foreign Policy Institute- Johns Hopkins University, SAIS and Center for Strategic and International Studies, CSIS and the US Senate). Liberal Praktik is part of Svenska Bildningsförbundet, a Finnish-based think tank and educational organization. Liberal Praktik is funded by Svenska Kulturfonden -foundation.

What is Liberal praktik -Internship Program?

 

The first liberal interns departed in 2006 and in the last ten years Liberal Praktik has expanded from offering three to 13 internships annually. Simultaneously, the number of internship positions has grown from two to seven. In the beginning we only provided internships in London and Brussels, but thanks to many years of successful cooperation, Liberal praktik has made connections in Berlin, Cape Town and Washington, D.C. Thus, we have internships on three continents. Our goal is still the same as when the program was established: to offer world-class internships to ambitious, liberal Finnish students.

Liberal Praktik continuously looks for new partners and we regularly evaluate our current partners to see whether they still fulfill our criteria. We gather extensive feedback from each intern in order to further develop our programme.

As a part of the internship, the interns meet up after their respective internships and provide feedback and share their experiences.

Liberal Praktik has a thriving alumni network. After the internship period interns receive invitations to events and study trips organised for alumni.

Liberal Praktik is part of Svenska Bildningsförbundet (SBF) and is financed by Svenska Kulturfonden. Our task is to offer students experiences in international political work within different liberal forums. Each internship has its own characteristics and awards the interns with valuable experiences and unique insights into political processes.

Each year 11-13 people are given the chance to intern at different institutions linked to politics. Altogether there are seven internship positions in five cities (Berlin, Brussels, Cape Town, London and Washington, D.C.). The internship periods are 5-6 months. The application period is once a year in the fall.

Who can apply?

 

Criteria:

• You are a university student or have recently graduated
• You are a Finnish citizen with Swedish as mother tongue or you are proficient in Swedish. You do not have to live or study in Finland to be eligible for the internship.
• Your field of study is not a decisive factor, but you should be highly interested in politics and society
• You are flexible and open, ready to move abroad and meet new people with different backgrounds. You need to be flexible and have an open mind to be able to adapt to a new working culture and environment, which can often be very different from that in Finland
• You have finalised your undergrad studies or similar education
• The work is demanding, and you are willing to learn new things in a fast-paced environment
• You are an independent problem-solver
• You have excellent English skills. If you apply for the internship in Berlin you also need to have good German skills. Other language skills are desirable.
• Previous work experience and activities in associations (student bodies, student councils, scouts, political youth organisations etc.) are an advantage

 

For additional information please contact the coordinator Björn Bonsdorff.