About International Internship Network

About Us

WHAT IS THE INTERNATIONAL INTERNSHIP NETWORK?

The International Internship Network (IIN) is an organization dedicated to the fields of international experiential education and work integrated learning. The IIN is a collaborative community of program providers, universities & colleges, employers, governments and students which promotes best practices, professional development, diversity & inclusion, and partnership in the field of International Internships.

IIN logo
IIN President - Matt Byrnes

Matt Byrnes, President & Founder, International Internship Network

BIO: Matt has had a distinguished career as an Entrepreneur, Corporate & Non-Profit Event & Conference Director, and Site Director for a 3rd Party Internship Provider. Matt graduated from Western University with a B.A. in Political Science. After graduation, it was on a backpacking adventure in SouthEast Asia, where Matt got the travel bug which would shape his career and many international adventures.

Matt cut his teeth in the Incentive Travel industry while living in Vancouver. He excelled in a number of roles for Destination Management Companies and Incentive houses in the first stage of his career. Matt also took some time away from the Events field to become a stay-at-home dad to two children, and started a Home Accessories business called Celtic Living. In 2011, Matt was tasked  to open the Toronto Office of AIC and Co-Create the Global Internship Conference. He went on to be the Director of the CIEE Study Abroad Conference until 2021.

Matt has lived and worked in the U.K. and Canada, has dual Irish/Canadian citizenships, and has traveled to six continents.  A proud Torontonian and Canadian, he is eager to share his hometown with international internship students and university faculty.

Matt is passionate about the culinary arts, travel, and sports. He is an avid tennis player, golfer and marathoner. During the winter months, Matt can be found at the local hockey arenas as a Level 2 Referee.

Contact: matt@internship-network.org

ADVISORS

IIN Advisor - Randeep Kullar

Randeep Kullar, Institutional Relations Manager, CAPA

BIO: Randeep is a Career Counselor and International Educator. In her current role, Randeep serves as Institutional Relations Manager at CAPA: The Global Education Network. Prior to this, Randeep spent the first part of her professional career developing global internship programs while supporting students on their professional and study abroad journeys at UC Berkeley. She transitioned to supporting international institutions in creating customized experiential learning programs with CIEE and then returned to UC Berkeley, this time to support adult learners with their career journeys, prior to returning to international education with CAPA. Randeep received a M.S. in Counseling with a focus in College and Career Counseling from San Francisco State University and a B.A. in History with a minor in Education from the University of California, Davis. During her professional career, Randeep has been committed to providing access to higher education and helping remove barriers faced by underrepresented populations. She has served on committees with Diversity Abroad, NAFSA, and the Global Leadership League.

Aurelien Lorange, Senior Lecturer, The Hague University of Applied Sciences

BIO: Aurelien is Senior Lecturer in the International and European Law Programme of the International and EU Law Programme at The Hague University of Applied Sciences in the Netherlands, Internship and Alumni Coordinator and Founder-Organizer of the Employment Network Events, one of the largest networking conference and study-job fair for law studies in Europe and The Hague Inter-University Debate Tournament and the Concours Inter-Universitaire de Debat de La Haye, two debate competitions between universities of the world hosted in The Hague, the Netherlands. He is member of the external relations team (networking for internship possibilities, maintaining the alumni network, helping on the networking with partner and future partner universities).

Aurelien is the founder and organizer of the Employment Network Events since 2010, which is an event and a platform registered at the Transparency Register of the European Institutions since 2020 as and annual job-study Fair and conference where employers, alumni, universities and high level speakers meet with students to talk about career opportunities and propose internships. Before joining The Hague University of Applied Sciences, Aurelien worked at the European Commission (Taxation) and the European Parliament (MEP Assistant) and the IT multinational company SAS as a lobbyist.

Aurelien co-founded the Corax Foundation in 2021 to start hosting the expanded editions of The Hague Inter-University Law Debate Tournament (EN) and the Concours Inter-Universitaire de Debat de La Haye (FR).

Aurelien holds three Master degrees in International Law from Stockholm University in Sweden, in EU Law from the University of Tours and in French Public Law from the University of Aix-en-Provence in France.

IIN Advisor - Aurelien Lorange, Senior Lecturer, The Hague University of Applied Sciences
IIN Advisor - Kate Moore, ED.D, Principal & Co-Founder, Global Career Center

Kate Moore, ED.D, Principal & Co-Founder, Global Career Center

BIO: Kate Moore is an international educator energized by our changing world of work and how we connect campuses, communities, and companies across the globe.

She built the Global Career Center (GCC) to partner with universities and colleges throughout the world, employers from a wide range of industries, and learners of all ages to connect employability and education through collaborative program development, comprehensive services delivery, and curated experiential education.

Kate serves the NAFSA Education Abroad Knowledge Community (EAKC) as content coordinator for programs and resources. She is also chair of the WIVRA (Work, Internship, Volunteer, and Research Abroad) Subcommittee for NAFSA, shepherding its transition to a Membership Interest Group (MIG). Kate was selected for the Forum on Education Abroad Internship Taskforce and is treasurer for the New England Association of Cooperative Education and Field Experience (NEACEFE). She served as content committee co-chair for the Global Internship Conference (GIC) for eight years and was co-editor and contributor for the GIC publication International Internships: Mission, Methods, and Models.

She is a founding team member for the American Civics Center (ACC) and remains actively involved in fulfilling its vision as an innovative, nonpartisan force in citizenship education dedicated to providing quality, affordable, and accessible programs that encourage participants to learn about history, government, and the rights and responsibilities of citizens in a democracy.

Kate served as vice president of the Academic Internship Council (AIC) within the CIEE family, partnering with nearly 75 universities throughout the world to develop and deliver customized experiential programming across 15 global cities. Her work with AIC began at its predecessor organization, EUSA – Academic Internship Experts, where Kate’s first role as Boston Director focused on comprehensive internship programs for international and visiting students.

Previous positions include Director of Internships at American University Washington Semester, Government Relations and Academic Outreach Manager for the Close Up Foundation, and National Recruiter at the Fund for Public Interest Research.

Kate holds a doctorate in higher education management from University of Pennsylvania, a masters in nonprofit management from Eastern University, and a bachelor’s in international studies from American University.

Michael True, President, INTRUEITION

BIO: Mike serves as president of INTRUEITION, the parent company of InternQube.com. He worked in the field of internships for 29 years with Messiah University until July 2019. Over those years he provided resources to his global colleagues, employers, students, and faculty.

For his colleagues he began Internship-Net in 1995, an internet listserv now serving over 1,500 internship professionals throughout North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. For students participating in internship and co-op experiences he wrote a book, InternQube: Professional Skills for the Workplace, and created a companion website – InternQube.com. For employers he compiled a free booklet entitled Starting and Maintaining A Quality Internship Program which is currently being used by hundreds of colleges, universities, employers and chambers of commerce across the United States and internationally. In 2016 he released Faculty Manual: Academic Standards and Best Practices for Internships. “Higher Education & Experiential Learning: Select Trends and Future Ideas” was published in the 2018 book, International Internships: Mission, Methods & Models (a collection of papers from the Global Internship Conference). His most recent contribution is “The Future of Internships” published in 2020 by the Future Talent Council based in Stockholm, Sweden.

He has been interviewed by the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, Money Magazine, U.S. News & World Report, Business Week, Newsday, the Chronicle of Higher Education, Inside Higher Ed, as well as other national and regional newspapers and magazines regarding internships. He has served as Chair of the Internship/Co-op Special Interest Group of the National Society for Experiential Education and is a certified trainer with the Cooperative Education and Internship Association. Among his many achievements, Mike has been named one of ten Visionary Leaders in a national survey, presented with the Exemplary Leader Award and Higher Education Leader Award by NSEE, the Dean Herman Schneider Award from CEIA, and has received several other honors from various other organizations.

IIN Advisor - Michael True, President, INTRUEITION
IIN Advisor - R. Kelly Cameron, Career Development Officer, MIT Center for Real Estate

R. Kelly Cameron, Career Development Officer, MIT Center for Real Estate

BIO: As the career development officer in the MIT Center for Real Estate (CRE), Kelly is responsible for the strategic planning and operational processes related to professional development training and career progression of students in the Master of Science in Real Estate Development (MSRED) program. Liaising externally, Kelly creates pathways for industry experts to serve as guest lecturers and presenters to lead seminars involving the built environment and the concept of “city-making” around the world. Even more, Kelly plays a substantial role in bolstering relationships with industry leaders and among alumni professionals to advance the career interests of matriculating MSRED students.

Prior to joining CRE, Kelly has worked in secondary and post-secondary education for more than a decade, led international discussions on the role of higher education institutions, and published research articles on education equity. Most notably, Kelly is a veteran US Air Force member with service recognition in Desert Shield/Desert Storm. Educationally, Kelly holds a BSc in Aviation and Management, an MSc in Leadership and a doctorate in Educational Leadership. As an organizational leader, Kelly is a board member for several Boston area nonprofit organizations and currently serving as a Gov. Baker appointed trustee at Bunker Hill Community College.

Diana van Woerkom, Managing Director, Australian Internships

BIO: Diana van Woerkom established Australian Internships after many years in education and training with Queensland Government. Diana started her teaching career in Hervey Bay with a new concept in education that recognised the value of both the academic and technical/vocational development of students. She eventually moved into the role of Director of Business Development where much of the training was developed to respond to industry demands. Diana was actively involved international education and this served as a catalyst for the establishment of her own business Australian Internships – the first company in Australia to welcome and support students from over 45 countries. Diana was a founding member of the Australian Internships Industry Association and is an active member. Diana still enjoys meeting the many students and young professionals each year from countries all over the world.

IIN Advisor - Diana van Woerkom, Managing Director, Australian Internships
IIN Advisor - Aden Hayes, Ph.D., Executive Director, Foundation for Practical Education

Aden Hayes, Ph.D., Executive Director, Foundation for Practical Education

BIO: Aden is the Executive Director of the Foundation for Practical Education. Previously, he was co-executive director, with Tony Johnson, of EUSA Academic Internship Programs, in partnership with Boston University.

Earlier, he worked with Hill & Knowlton Public Relations in New York, then founded and directed COSIF-Comunicación Sin Fronteras, a public relations firm in Spain. He served on the faculties of both Wesleyan and St. Lawrence universities, and directed their study abroad programs in Madrid.

Aden has wide journalistic experience on travel, sports and cultural topics and is co-author of A Runner’s Guide to Europe (Penguin Books), as well as other books in English and Spanish.

He lives in Madrid, and holds a B.A. degree from Rutgers University and a Ph.D. from Princeton.

Steven Levy, CEO & Co-Founder, Connect 123

BIO: Steven, an energetic, slightly over-caffeinated American who moved to Cape Town in 2002 with his South African wife and Russian cat, launched Connect-123 in South Africa after ten years of starting and running various businesses in Moscow, London and San Francisco.

While working in finance and venture capital in Cape Town, Steven realized that thousands of local organizations could use the help of skilled, international students and that thousands of students and professionals could benefit from real, hands-on, international work experience. Together with Lea Levy, he developed Connect-123’s experiential learning programs to help students build their international work experience while simultaneously earning university credit. Steven, who now lives in Barcelona, holds a BA in Political Science from Cornell University and an MBA from London Business School.

IIN Advisor - Steven Levy, CEO & Co-Founder, Connect 123
IIN Advisor - Kenneth Choo, Director, Singapore Management University

Kenneth Choo, Director, Singapore Management University

BIO: Advocate in lifelong learning space, background in international education and training business, focusing on Asia-Pacific markets. Startup and operational excellence with a track record in leading multicultural teams across matrix lines. Greatest satisfaction in talent spotting and change management.

Daniel Nivern, Co-Founder & CEO, Virtual Internships

BIO: Daniel founded Virtual Internships with the aim of democratizing the global workforce and making internships accessible to all. He is a graduate of Oxford University and previously ran a company that helped over 10,000 students to do internships in Asia. As CEO of Virtual Internships, the company was a winner of the world’s biggest zero-equity accelerator, Mass Challenge, was listed as one of the top 100 EdTech startups in Europe by Holon IQ, and was selected as one of the top 20 EdTech startups ready to address the education sector’s biggest challenges. Daniel has formed partnerships with over 100 universities around the world, governmental bodies including the British Council and the China Education Association for International Exchange, and organizations focused on social impact, including Mencap for young people with disabilities and Kiron for student refugees in the Middle East. Daniel has spent the last 15 years in the USA, China and Vietnam, speaks French, German and Chinese, and enjoys international affairs and sports, most notably as an avid Manchester United fan and boxing enthusiast.

IIN Advisor - Daniel Nivern, Co-Founder & CEO, Virtual Internships
IIN Advisor - Nawaal Boolay, Head of Employer Relations, University of Cape Town

Nawaal Boolay, Head of Employer Relations, University of Cape Town

BIO: As the Head of Employer Relations at the University of Cape Town, Nawaal is responsible for strategic planning, development, management and leadership and delivery of the spectrum of contemporary and future-focused employment-growth related services rendered by the Careers Service that are relevant to Formal employment.
She serves as an ambassador for Graduate employment internally and externally to UCT, championing the employment agenda of UCT students, graduates and Employers nationally and internationally.
Nawaal also oversees the work of a distinct groups tasked with ensuring the delivery of bespoke services relevant to Graduate recruitment and co-curricular activities. The spectrum of services responds to the rapidly changing World of Work, Employability and Career-readiness. These services are provided to facilitate student success and Career readiness for work in any formal employment sector including private, public and non-profit sectors.
Her purpose and values has always been to support youth employment in our country and connect them with opportunities whether it’s related to bursary/scholarship or employment opportunities.

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