NHO puts itself behind the initiative and has signaled an interest in cooperating with UArctic in developing the proposed placement program.

In this new proposed placement program, business students in a UArctic institution will be offered internship in private companies in a different UArctic country. The student would spend 3-5 months as an intern in a private company while simultaneously completing a thesis (bachelor or master). While the intern will be working for a private company, a UArctic educational partner will be responsible for hosting the intern for the duration of the placement. The student will be supervised by faculty from the sending organization but will also be assigned a mentor at the hosting company.

The placement-program offers students valuable work experience, help companies win access to highly qualified candidates and provide both students and companies with valuable intercultural competence and international contacts.

The program springs out of the new thematic network on Managing Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SME’s) in the North which aims at developing and distributing new knowledge (to students and SME’s) on best business practices in Northern business environments.