Historical Data

The University of Macedonia Internship Office has been operating since 1997 with a view to centrally support the Internship Programme for all Departments of the University. Since then, the Programme has had an extremely positive impact on the whole of its participants.

The University of Macedonia Internship Programme was firstly included in the Operational Programme for Education and Initial Vocational Training I (O.P. "Education" I, 1997 – 2000). The participating departments were:

  • Economics
  • Business Administration
  • International and European Studies
  • Accounting and Finance
  • Applied Informatics

With the inclusion of the University of Macedonia Internship Programme in the Operational Programme for Education and Initial Vocational Training II - Phase B (2000 - 2005), the University of Macedonia continued successfully its implementation and developed it further by optimizing the operating structures and procedures it follows, improving the services it delivers and expanding the institution by integrating in it the two new Departments of the University:

  • Balkan, Slavic and Oriental Studies,
  • Music Science & Art.

With the implementation of the Programme under the Operational Programme for Education and Initial Vocational Training II- Phase C (2006 – 2008) the department of Educational & Social Policy has also been included in the Act.

By decision of the Departments of the University, the Internship Programme is optional for all students who are upon graduation, except those studying in the Department of Education and Social Policy, where implementing an internship is required for obtaining the degree.

With the implementation of the Project “Practice, University of Macedonia” under the Operational Programme "Education and Lifelong Learning" 2007-2013, the University of Macedonia developed the institution further by including in the Programme two new Departments of the University:

Marketing and Operations Management, in the town of Edessa,
Technology Management, in the town of Naoussa.

There has been a constant increase in the number of students interested to participate in the Programme, and the number of applications for participation has always been greater than the corresponding number of positions offered.

The University of Macedonia, under the implementation of the Operational Programme "Education and Lifelong Learning" 2007-2013 and the Act “Practice, University of Macedonia”, undertakes the interns’ payment, their contributions for insurance against accident at work, as well as their travel expenses to and from the place of the internship, for once and for distances over 50 km.

For the control and the evaluation of the internship, there are two supervisors for each intern:

  • a faculty member of the University,
  • an executive of the host entity.

Scientifically responsible Academics for the project:

Jan. 1997 - Jan. 1999: Nicholas Apergis, Professor of Economics

February 1999 – August 2001: Anastasios Economides, Associate Professor of Economics

Sept.2001 - Dec. 2005: Andreas Georgiou, Professor of Business Administration

January 2006 - Today: Agelike Nikolaou, Professor of Economics

There has been a great effort of the University of Macedonia towards the sustainability of the Programme, even in times when there was no funding. Initially, the associated entities were skeptical, but then, they responded positively to the proposal of the University to subsidize students' internships.

Since the establishment of the University of Macedonia Internship Office, thousands of students have implemented internships in banks, organizations, municipalities, prefectures, associations, private and public sector entities in various cities of Greece.

It is important to note that, for many students, the Internship evolved either into permanent employment or into a fixed-term employment contract under the funding of the entity.