B360 and the Department of International Relations (DIR) at NUST, therefore, set about developing an initiative that would see students from the University undertake internships with Swiss-based organisations, while physically remaining in Namibia. The outcome was the B360 Virtual Internship Programme.
With the support of the Staub Kaiser Foundation, four NUST students were selected for a pilot project that took place over a three-month period from April to July 2021.
Kashe Mayavero, a third year Informatics student, Rochelle Cornelius, a third year Journalism and Media Technology student, and Elizabeth Iita and Christine Scheepers, both third year Communication students, were chosen for the pilot project.
The four students were provided with office space on the NUST campus, while B360 provided each of them with a laptop and smartphone.
“It was exciting to be part of a brand-new initiative, and none of us really knew what to expect,” said Iita, while reflecting on the early days of the virtual internships. Scheepers added that the support provided by B360, the host companies and the DIR ensuredthattheywerewellpreparedforthe demands of working life, and the challenges of remote work.
B360 President, Sabina Balmer, initially expressed her uncertainty of the project at its early stages, but eventually celebrated its success. “It really took a lot of courage and hard work to get this initiative going, but we have successfully concluded this pilot project and hope that the Virtual Internship Programme will become a lasting feature of the partnership between B360 and NUST,” Balmer said.