WHAT IS AIESEC?
AIESEC is a not-for-profit, non-political, Global organization run by students & recent graduates from universities across 124 countries and territories. We work to provide young people with a unique development experience through leadership opportunities, international internships & volunteer experiences, and a global learning environment.
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'YOU WILL LEARN HERE: |
OUR WHY!
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OUR HISTORY
What began in 1948 as an organization to help develop "friendly relations" between member countries is now a global association with activities in 124 different countries and territories.
The founding members of AIESEC started to build the organization between 1946 - 1948, but a clear identity was defined in 1948 and later in 1949 at the Stockholm Congress. Eighty-nine students participated in the Exchange Program in 1949 and Exchange was defined as the core activity of the organization. |
In the following years, more and more countries joined the network and AIESEC became global by being present in all continents. Because of this, the focus of the organization shifted to address global themes instead of just the traditional Exchange Program alone. Themes like International Trade, Management, Education, Sustainable Development, Entrepreneurship and Corporate Responsibility were discussed at local, national and global seminars. Looking for more relevance, today AIESEC is an international platform for young people to discover and develop their potential. Our innovative approach to developing young people focuses on taking a proactive role in developing self-awareness and a personal vision, building networks, and developing capacity to drive change. We do this through an international platform of opportunities that provides over 22,500 volunteer experiences, 27,500 leadership opportunities, 5,500 international internships opportunities, 500 conferences, and virtual tools to build networks |
THE AIESEC WAY
The AIESEC Way is the members‘ guide that explains what is the purpose of our existence but also the unique way of how the organisation is achieving it.
WHY// |
What is our cause?
What do we believe in? |
HOW// |
What is our method?
How do we achieve our Why? |
WHAT// |
What do we offer?
What do we do to achieve our offer? |
WHY//
AIESEC was founded after Second World War by a group of young people from Europe. Our fundamentals were shaped by the social, economic and political climate of the time.
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Since then, the world has been changing faster than ever before. We believe that young people hold the key to a better future and they must learn to adapt quickly and solve problems. This is why AIESEC strives for Peace & Fulfillment of Humankind's Potential.
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In today’s context, ‘Peace’ does not necessarily mean only avoiding war. Peace can symbolize a world that does not have conflicts that arise from cultural, religious, or other aspects of dierences in humanity. Peace can also symbolize being in harmony with yourself. AIESEC strives to build a world where people can work towards their own understanding of peace, while respecting and understanding the views of others Through "Fulfillment of Humankind's Potential" AIESEC strives for a world where people can be the best version of themselves.
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HOW//
We place our confidence in youth because
they have the passion, dynamism and entrepreneurial spirit that are needed to shape the future. They have the responsibility to improve tomorrow by choosing who they will be today |
AIESEC is a platform for young people to explore and develop there leadership potential. After going through an experience with AIESEC, young people are better prepared to make a positive impact in any sphere they would choose.
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WHAT//
Cross-Cultural Exchanges
AIESEC provides an opportunity for young people to work or volunteer abroad in non-familiar environments. This allows them to step outside their comfort zone and expand their worldview, while contributing to the community in which they are working.Living such experiences enable people to build a better understanding of how to communicate and capitalize on diversity in our increasingly connected world.
Team Experiences
AIESEC members work in teams to create and manage these cross-cultural exchange experiences. This provides an opportunity for our members to live powerful team experiences and develop their own leadership potential.
Inner and Outer Journey
We believe that young people learn best by doing and reflecting. The following diagram shows framework AIESEC provides in every experience, enabling young people to learn most from every experience. The Outer Journey is individual's interaction with the external environment. The Inner Journey is the internal change that happens within the individual.
OUR VALUES
Striving for Excellence
We continuously improve through creativity and innovation. We strive to deliver highest quality performance in everything we do
Some example of living this value
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Demonstrating Integrity
We are consistent and transparent in our actions and decisions. We fulfill our commitments and conduct ourselves in a way aligned with what we envision.
Some example of living this value
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Enjoying Participation
We create a dynamic and welcoming environment through the active and enthusiastic participation of individuals. We enjoy being involved in AIESEC.
Some example of living this value
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Acting Sustainably
We act in a sustainable way for our organization and society. Our decisions take into account the needs of future generations.
Some example of living this value
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Activating Leadership
We lead by example and inspire leadership by actions and results. We take responsibility for developing leadership potential of others.
Some example of living this value
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Living Diversity
We actively learn from different ways of life and opinions represented in our multicultural environment. We act inclusively, respecting and actively encouraging the contribution of every individual.
Some example of living this value
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To shape our culture we keep in mind to:
OUR PROGRAMS
EXCHANGE PARTICIPANT FLOW
HOW IT WORKS
CONNECT
Apply to be an official AIESEC Exchange Participant. When applying, you should specify the local committee of AIESEC nearest to you and they'll be in touch - usually within 3 business days - to discuss the specifics of the program.
SEARCH
If accepted, you'll be able to access our private and secure internal platform where an Exchange Participant manager will help you connect to a project from one of our thousands of partner organizations. These projects are exclusively available to students and recent graduates that are accepted into AIESEC's Global Citizen program.
MATCH
Your Exchange Participant manager will help you find a project that you're qualified for and interested in. Different opportunities have different requirements for language proficiency, skillset, and country of origin. If you have applied to and been accepted to a specific project, you can choose to accept the offer and be "matched" to that project. Once you have accepted the binding offer, however, you cannot break the match.
GO
Once you've touched down at your final destination, your experience can begin as you discover the local community and yourself with the help of AIESEC members there to offer support and resources. Wherever your journey takes you, AIESEC is dedicated to providing high-quality experiences.