University of Birmingham student Arash Hussain joins the British diplomatic team in Brazil as part of the University’s Global Challenge Internship Programme

BIRMINGHAM, 14-Jul-2016 — /EuropaWire/ — A University of Birmingham student is joining the British diplomatic team in Brazil after securing a sought-after internship with the UK’s representatives in São Paulo.

International relations student Arash Hussain won the opportunity to spend 12 weeks with the Consulate-General, as part of the University’s Global Challenge Internship Programme.

Run by Birmingham’s Careers Network, the scheme provides students with once-in-a-lifetime international experience and an opportunity to intern in top global organisations.

This year’s partnership sees the University partner with UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) to offer the opportunity to work in Brazil.

Arash, aged 22, from Bristol – pictured above, joins the Consulate-General team dealing with UK Government priorities in the Education sector in Brazil.  He is working for the First Secretary for Education and helping take forward the UK’s prosperity Education agenda throughout Brazil.

He said: “This is an incredible opportunity to work in a challenging environment in order to implement real change and strengthen ties between the UK and our Brazilian counterparts. I will do all I can to enrich not only educational ties, but social, political and diplomatic relations between our two countries by supporting the Education team and providing incisive and fresh insight.

“I look forward to beginning this journey, learning a great deal from my superiors and hope the experience will provide further impetus in my pursuit of a long-term career within the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office.”

He will spend his time in Brazil helping his colleagues in the Consulate-General to maintain and develop the important and long-standing relationship between the UK and Brazil, with the team working across a range of  political, commercial, security and economic areas.

Arash’s duties include producing reports and papers covering key Education issues that will further the policy debate in Brazil and the UK. He will also support the Education Policy Team preparing for the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro

He will help to develop the relationship between Brazilian academic institutions and their British counterparts, as well as working with a network of former UK University students from the Brazilian scholarship programme Science without Borders.

British Consul General São Paulo Joanna Crellin said: “Having Arash here will be another way we´re strengthening the partnership between the UK and Brazil. He´ll be able to interact with colleagues from national universities and understand the policy work that we do in the country.”

The Global Challenge Internship Programme is a unique scheme in the UK and 30 students have undertaken challenging and varied internships in cities such as Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires, New York and Melbourne since the scheme was set up in 2011.

Working on projects such as promoting urban cycling in India, working with the Deputy Consul General of the British Consulate in Chicago to support the enhancement of the UK’s reputation and producing high quality reporting on political and economic developments in the US Midwest, and helping to establish new and grow existing micro-consignment supported businesses in Guatemala.

The University developed the programme as part of its strategic investment into the employability of its students to provide unique international work experience without financial constraints. It builds on partnerships the University has in key regions such as Brazil and the USA

ENDS

Notes to Editors                      

• The University of Birmingham is ranked amongst the world’s top 100 institutions, its work brings people from across the world to Birmingham, including researchers and teachers and more than 5,000 international students from over 150 countries.
• Students on the University’s Global Challenge Internship Programme spend between 6-12 weeks interning with their organisation/company and receive financial support from the University to cover all their costs.  The programme is aimed at undergraduate students from any discipline.
• Previous years have seen collaboration with key organisations across the globe such as the British Consulate in Chicago, Museum Victoria in Melbourne, GlaxoSmithKline in Morocco, Singapore, Brazil, Argentina and Costa Rica and Chicago Shakespeare Theatre.

For more information or interviews, please contact Tony Moran, International Communications Manager, University of Birmingham on +44 (0) 121 414 8254 or  +44 (0)782 783 2312 or t.moran@bham.ac.uk

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University of Birmingham student Arash Hussain joins the British diplomatic team in Brazil as part of the University’s Global Challenge Internship Programme