AIESEC (/ˈaɪsɛk/ EYE-sek) is an international "youth-run" and led, non-governmental and not-for-profit organization that provides young people with business development internships. The organization focuses on empowering young people to make a progressive social impact. The AIESEC network includes approximately 40,000 members in 120+ countries.

AIESEC is a non-governmental in consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), is an independent arm of the UN DPI and UN's Office of the Secretary-General's Envoy on Youth, member of ICMYO, and is recognized by UNESCO. AIESEC's international headquarters are in Montreal, Canada.

Name

AIESEC (pronounced: eye-sek) was originally a French acronym for Association internationale des étudiants en sciences économiques et commerciales (English: International Association of Students in Economics and Business). The full name is no longer officially used, as members can now be graduate and undergraduate from any university background.

History

Founding

AIESEC in Estonia

The idea behind AIESEC started after World War II, when representatives from schools across Europe exchanged information about various programs and schools that specialized in business and economics. Students had been carrying out internships in other countries, mostly on their own initiative, but this came to a standstill with the onslaught of World War II. In 1944, the neutral Scandinavian countries were still exchanging students. Bertil Hedberg, an official at the Stockholm School of Economics, and students Jaroslav Zich (of Czechoslovakia) and Stanislas Callens (of Belgium), founded AIESEC on July 2, 1948, under the name Association Internationale des Etudiants en Sciences Economiques (AIESEc) with a headquarter in Prague and Jaroslav Zich as the first President of the association.

At the time of AIESEC's founding at the end of the 1940s, Europe was in the midst of recovery from the war that dealt grave losses. Factories and enterprises were in desperate need of executives, managers and leaders. The continent needed more than just business development, however; the war had severely damaged relations between European nations, and many members of the community felt steps needed to be taken to address this problem. AIESEC was formed to address both of these concerns. In 1948, a renewing development of the association was initiated, with implementation of international meetings (congresses), replacing the practice of governance from the headquarter. The first broad meeting was held by students from 9 universities of 7 countries in April 1948 in Liège (Belgium). Then the official, constitutive assembly (the congress) was organized in 1949 in Stockholm with Bengt Sjӧstrand as the President and Sweden as the Presiding Country for 1949/1950. Students from seven nations: Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Netherlands, Norway and Sweden, came together for that first International Congress of AIESEC.

In 1949, 89 students were exchanged by AIESEC among the member nations. The next two annual congresses were conducted in Stockholm, presided by Bengt Sjӧstrand, and in Paris, presided by Jean Choplin, respectively. At those congresses the organization's mission was stated: "to expand the understanding of a nation by expanding the understanding of the individuals, changing the world one person at a time." Also a constitution for the organization defined a purpose: "AIESEC is an independent, non-political, and international organization which has as its purpose to establish and promote the friendly relations between the members."

Global expansion

The organization grew exponentially[citation needed] in the following years, with more than 1,000 exchanges taking place in 1955 alone. In the following few years, AIESEC quickly became global by establishing its first North American member, the United States, in 1957, and its first South American and African members, Colombia, Venezuela, and South Africa, in 1958.

For the first years of its existence, AIESEC had no central governing body, but was instead managed jointly by a Presiding Country Committee composed of the National Committee Presidents of each member nation. As the organization grew, a central governing body was created and led by a democratically elected Secretary General. Morris Wolff, from the United States, was chosen as the first Secretary General in 1960, and established the first permanent international office for AIESEC in Geneva, Switzerland. Over the following decade, AIESEC expanded to eastern Asia, Australia, and deeper within Europe, Africa, North America, and South America, having a presence in 43 countries by 1969.

In 2010, AIESEC surpassed 10,000 exchanges delivered in a single year for the first time. By 2020, more than 230,000 interactions will have been provided.

Programs

Membership

AIESEC members are typically young people aged 18 to 30 who participate in the organization’s leadership, management, and exchange programs. Members take part in organizing events, facilitating international internships, and managing local chapters worldwide. The membership model emphasizes leadership development, cultural exchange, and global networking.

Global Volunteer

Global Volunteer is an international, 4-to-8-week exchange program powered by AIESEC for young people (aged 18–30) to work on social impact projects. Participants contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) while developing leadership, cross-cultural understanding, and personal growth. Projects often focus on education, health, or the environment.

Global Talent

Global Talent is a professional internship program under AIESEC that places young adults, generally between 18 and 30 years old, in startups, small and medium enterprises, or multinational corporations abroad. The internships last from six weeks to one and a half years depending on the placement. Participants gain practical work experience, develop cross-cultural competencies, and build global professional networks, with support from AIESEC throughout the application, placement, and logistical process.

Global Teacher

Global Teacher is a teaching internship program offered by AIESEC, aimed at individuals aged 18–30 with prior teaching experience and language proficiency. Internships typically last between six and seventy-eight weeks and include responsibilities such as lesson planning, classroom management, and intercultural engagement. The program provides salary or stipend support, professional development opportunities, and logistical assistance including visa processing, accommodation, and onboarding. AIESEC collaborates with over 300 educational institutions across more than 35 countries, involving more than 1,000 young educators annually.

Global Host program

Global Host is an AIESEC program that enables individuals and organizations to host international interns and volunteers locally. The program supports cultural exchange and global understanding by providing opportunities for young people from various countries to live and work within host communities and businesses. Hosts engage with diverse cultures while facilitating the personal and professional development of participants. The program operates in multiple countries and partners with startups, SMEs, NGOs, and other organizations offering practical work experiences and community projects.

Awards and recognition

In July 2015, AIESEC was recognized for the ninth time on the WorldBlu list of "Most Freedom Centred Workplaces." Organizations are included on the list based on a Freedom at Work assessment completed by employees. The assessment evaluates organizational design on a spectrum from fear-based to freedom-centred across leadership, individual performance, and systems and processes.

Members

As of 2023, AIESEC is found in 95 countries and territories worldwide, including:

President of AIESEC International (PAI)

The President of AIESEC International (PAI) is the highest executive office within the global organization. The PAI is elected annually at the International Congress (IC) by the Global Plenary, which consists of the National Presidents (MCPs) of all member entities.

Organizational Mandate Shift (2020)

Historically, the AIESEC International team mandate ran from September 1 to August 31 of the following year. In 2020, following an organizational decision led by the "Transitional Team" during the COVID-19 pandemic, the mandate was shifted to align with the calendar year (January 1 to December 31). This change was officially implemented starting with the 2021 term led by Eva Dutary.

TermPresident of AIESEC InternationalNationality
2026Aleyna SayinTurkey
2025Arfan NazarSri Lanka
2024Ana Leonor FernandesPortugal
2023Chester ShumCanada
2022Louise KimAustralia
2021Eva DutaryPanama
2019–2020Alexandra RobinsonUnited States
2018–2019Mohamed FadelEgypt
2017–2018Abdelrahman AymanEgypt
2016–2017Niels CaszoIndia
2015–2016Ana SaldarriagaColombia
2014–2015Vinícius TsugueBrazil
2013–2014Rolf SchmachtenbergNorway
2012–2013Florent MeiChina
2011–2012Tatiana MykhailiukUkraine
2010–2011Hugo PereiraPortugal
2009–2010Aman JainIndia
2008–2009Juan CajiaoCosta Rica
2007–2008Gabriela AlbescuRomania
2006–2007Edyson David Dos Santos GamezVenezuela
2005–2006Brodie BolandCanada
2004–2005Rajiv ChandnaIndia
2003–2004Pedro SantosPortugal
2002–2003Evrim SenTurkey
2001–2002Sahil KaulIndia
2000–2001José Pablo RetanaCosta Rica
1999–2000Muratcan UstunkayaTurkey
1998–1999Heather BlahnikUnited States
1997–1998Pedro Gabriel HuertaGermany
1996–1997Marianne KnuthDenmark
1995–1996Darin RovereCanada
1994–1995Markus Leonhard KeiperGermany
1993–1994Oliver MackUnited Kingdom
1992–1993Fernando CarroGermany
1991–1992Fernando CarroGermany
1990–1991Lennart BjurstromSweden
1989–1990Michael StewartUnited States
1988–1989Matthew de VilliersSouth Africa
1987–1988Anthony PangilinanPhilippines
1986–1987Martin BeanAustralia
1985–1986Athos StaubSwitzerland
1984–1985Vikram GandhiIndia
1983–1984Robby van Den WyngaertBelgium
1982–1983Dirk KeteleBelgium
1981–1982David Jackson-GroseAustralia
1980–1981Joan WilsonCanada
1979–1980Per Otto HylandSweden
1978–1979Stefano BridelliItaly
1977–1978Albert Pelach PanikerSpain
1976–1977Arnstein EndresenNorway
1975–1976Tom DaviesCanada
1974–1975Leo G. VictorioPhilippines
1973–1974Volker T. WiegmannGermany
1972–1973Wolfgang SekiraAustria
1971–1972David DempseyIreland
1970–1971Pierre PailleretFrance
1969–1970William Boyd GriffinUnited States
1968–1969Oyvind SorbrodenDenmark
1967–1968Antony B. HarrisUnited Kingdom
1966–1967Antony B. HarrisUnited Kingdom
1965–1966Antony B. HarrisUnited Kingdom
1964–1965John C. HartleyUnited Kingdom
1963–1964John C. HartleyUnited Kingdom
1962–1963J. J. ElkinCanada
1961–1962Victor H. LoewensteinUnited Kingdom
1960–1961Robert W. AndrewsUnited Kingdom
1960–1961Morris H. WolffUnited States
1959–1960Ramon Pont y AmenósSpain
1958–1959Bernd M. ThomasGermany
1957–1958Karl FleischhackerAustria
1956–1957Vittorio TanziItaly
1955–1956Jean de VaulchierFrance
1954–1955Onno KamerlingNetherlands
1953–1954Lauri NaykkiFinland
1952–1953Albert KaltenhalerGermany
1951–1952Kaj Verner SlotDenmark
1950–1951Jean ChoplinFrance
1949–1950Bengt SjostrandSweden
1948–1949Jaroslav ZichCzechoslovakia

Alumni

This is a non-exhaustive list of notable AIESEC alumni:

See also

External links