OUR DEPARTMENT’S STUDENT, DILEK POLAT, DID INTERNSHIP AT TÜSİAD EU-BRUSSELS REPRESENTATIVE OFFICE WITHIN THE SCOPE OF ERASMUS INTERNSHIP PROGRAMME

Our senior student Dilek Polat did her internship during July and August at TÜSİAD EU-Brussels Representative Office within the scope of Erasmus Internship Programme and narrates the admission process, job definition and the experience she gained as follows:

First of all, to be granted by Erasmus programmes you have to achieve a particularly good grade point average and also adequate score from the language exam that is arranged by your university. Foremost among these, you need to find your internship company in person and must be admitted by that company. Besides, compatibility between your internship company and department of study is of capital importance.

As a member of Confederation of European Business (BUSINESSEUROPE), TÜSİAD is an important representative of Turkey in the realms of economy and foreign trade. TÜSİAD EU-Brussels Representative Office represents the Turkish business community before EU institutions. In this regard, the Representative Office maintains regular contact with the European Commission, EU member state delegations, European Parliament, European Council and other EU agencies and institutions. During the two-months period that I worked as an intern researcher, I had a chance to gain broader perspective regarding the Turkey-EU relations and experience in administrative affairs as well as knowledge about relations maintained with other representative institutions. I also attended meetings held in the European Parliament and the European Policy Center. I had the chance to listen to the current problems and developments of the European Union during these meetings where European academics and parliamentarians were speakers. Brexit, massive influx of refugees fleeing from the civil war in Syria, economic developments of countries recently joined the EU were important issues discussed last summer. Furthermore, in order to publicize on the intern blog, I made arrangements and translations of the notes that I took during the meetings in which I participated as a listener from TÜSİAD. Apart from all these, I interviewed with the managers of various Turkish representative organizations in order to investigate the Turkish lobbying in Brussels. I have witnessed how the Turkish representatives have introduced our country in the EU process and carried out their relations with the European institutions. In addition to the work experience and discipline I had, living in a multicultural capital like Brussels with important institutions such as the European Parliament and the Council of Europe was a great experience on its own. 

As a result, the TUSIAD Brussels Office, with its employees and the activities they carry out, made me love my job and provided me with the opportunity to get in touch with institutions related to my study field and also to learn the methods I had not used before. I strongly recommend that every student with a chance should take advantage of Erasmus Internship Programme.

We congratulate her on receiving Erasmus Internship fund and successful completion of the  programme.