ACT signs memoranda of understanding with various organizations across Thessaloniki to provide internship opportunities

In the context of the course ‘Social Science 399: service-learning practicum’, ACT adj. professor Christos Aliprantis (Division of Humanities and Social Sciences) has recently signed a number of memoranda of understanding (MoUs) with organizations across Thessaloniki. These institutions focus mainly on mental welfare, provide for vulnerable groups such as refugees and minorities, administer EU projects, or are news agencies and magazines.

The purpose of the MoUs is to provide internship places to ACT students, both degree-seeking and study-abroad. Most internship positions are tailored to be accessible to non-Greek speakers as well. ACT thus aims to offer its students more opportunities for personal and professional development and help connect their studies with multiple subsequent career alternatives. Currently, these partnerships seek to offer attractive job prospects primarily to Psychology, English, Political Science, and IR majors. In the past, several ACT students have stayed in their internship organizations and have begun successful careers there.

For example, on October 9, ACT signed such an MoU with ‘Ippostirixi’, a therapeutic horse-riding center at Lagkadas on the outskirts of Thessaloniki. A diverse group of four ACT students (both degree-seeking and study-abroad ones and Greek and non-Greek speakers alike) are currently doing internships at Ippostirixi. The MoUs offer customized conditions to fit the character and priorities of each organization and the students who wish to intern there.