Short-Term Overseas Internship and Being Proactive

Abstract

This paper describes the benefits of a short-term overseas internship and explores the reasons behind it. It analyzes whether “basic skills for working in a society”, as defined by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) were improved by an overseas internship. Results indicated that the outcome was mostly positive and the beneficial effects of the internship had been sustained for at least one year. Among the many benefits, the development of students’ initiative was especially distinctive. This was inspired by the environment which required students to be proactive and adapt to their new surroundings. This study proves that overseas internship is effective in facilitating the skills necessary to succeed in today’s society. This finding should help the design of online internships, an alternative in response to COVID-19.