A UK university’s commitment to provide an internship for every postgraduate student is turning heads in a simple, bold statement to demonstrate relevance and utility.
Aston University VC, Aleks Subic, who was formerly stationed at RMIT for more than 20 years, seized the reins at the UK university in 2022 and has set about a bold quest for differentiation.
Setting aside the profligate use of purple in their branding, the Birmingham-based university, known for its business school and gritty campus vibe, has unveiled its new stand out attribute – pushing beyond the naysayers and the apathetic to guarantee an internship for every postgraduate student.
The University has thought through the use cases, with a range of in-person, hybrid and remote internships on offer with external employers or the university itself. While the WIL is guaranteed there is also a way out – they aren’t mandatory.
Beneath the headlines, there is a further caveat – the scheme is only for MA and MSc students taught in person and MBA students. Still, this appears to cover the university’s full postgraduate offerings, from degrees in Future Vehicle Technologies to Advanced Dental Implantology.
At a time when the sector is bedazzled by AI in all its forms, it will be interesting to see what Professor Subic’s initiative does to massage demand in the strained UK market with an eye-catching move to level up on the basics.