The Qatar Foundation for Education and The Economist Group (TEG) concluded a successful internship programme recently.
Maha al-Meer from Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar, and Asmaa Fikree, Fahad Alkhater and Natalie Diong from Georgetown University - School of Foreign Service in Qatar were chosen from among hundreds of university applicants for their outstanding ability to “think outside the box” and to present a project in an engaging and analytical format.
The three-week internship programme, entitled ‘Education Connections’, is a key milestone in the fruitful relationship between TEG and Qatar Foundation. The challenging work placement, which took place in TEG’s offices in New York City from August 10-30, was designed to give students hands-on experience with one of the world’s leading media groups.
With the assistance of TEG’s event programming division, the interns benefited from a comprehensive programme that enabled them to get involved in all aspects of events management.
They were offered the valuable opportunity to design a professional conference using techniques implemented in TEG’s divisions. They were also required to assist on a variety of tasks, including the creation of event agendas, speaker selection, research and social media activities.
Corporate and PR Manager at Qatar Foundation Tariq al-Sada said: “Our productive relationship with The Economist Group highlights just how powerful and valuable partnerships can be in developing the potential of youth and making a real difference in their overall education.
“Through this practical learning experience and interactions with experts in the field of media and event management, we are confident that our students will continue to engage and play an important role in the transfer of knowledge.”
Throughout their internship, students interacted with leading members of TEG and learned fundamental skills and practical lessons that are critical to the effective management and execution of projects.
To research and develop their own ideas, the four interns collaborated with professionals working in areas such as operations, programming, marketing and sales. The interns were also taken on site visits to give them the chance to select potential New York venues for their project.
“Education Connections was the perfect opportunity for Maha, Asmaa, Fahad and Natalie to gain hands-on experience and valuable insight into the publishing and media industry. We were delighted to have them in our offices in New York interacting with our team,” said Paul Rossi, Managing Director and Executive Vice President, Americas, The Economist.
In addition to being exposed to all aspects of the business, the project participants also learned about The Economist by speaking with editors, brand managers, creative directors, bureau chiefs, and representatives from The Economist Intelligence Unit. Through these meetings, the students were able to gain useful insight into the publishing and media industry.
The four student interns culminated their internship experience at TEG by presenting well-researched proposals to senior management. Each project consisted of a comprehensive agenda, as well as a viable marketing plan, feasible budget, and list of prospective sponsors.