This summer, Princeton planned to host three International Internship Programs (IIPs) at organizations based in the Palestinian territories. While two are remote positions, one is offered in-person in the West Bank. There were no applications for the in-person internship.
This comes after the Office of International Programs (OIP) reduced the IIP offerings for the summer of 2025 and restricted students to one application, instead of the previous two permitted.
The in-person IIP was set to take place at Bethlehem University’s Palestine Institute for Biodiversity and Sustainability and its partner organization, the Palestine Museum of Natural History, located in the West Bank. The internship was set to focus on researching the plants, animals, and human ethnography of Palestine, encouraging environmental protection between people and the environment, and using the results of research to promote sustainability, specifically within marginalized communities.
On the Global Programs System (GPS), the online portal used to apply for Princeton-led internships, a note has been added to the description of the position in Palestine. It reads, “The University is closely monitoring the current situation in the region. Please make sure you review the [Global Safety and Security] GS&S guidelines to confirm if an opportunity will be available for summer 2025.”
In an email to The Daily Princetonian, University spokesperson Jennifer Morrill wrote that if there were a candidate for the in-person position in the West Bank, the University “would work closely with Global Safety and Security to determine if it was a safe placement.” She added that a Princeton student was placed in the role in 2023.
Based on GS&S’s destination risk categories, the West Bank is classified as “Category B,” or medium-risk, while the Gaza Strip is classified as extreme risk, or “Category X.” Undergraduate travel is permitted for areas that are classified as Category B, while it is prohibited for areas classified as Category X.
“GS&S has been supporting student, staff, and faculty travel to the West Bank since international travel largely resumed post-pandemic in early 2022 and are committed to helping students have safe and enriching global experiences through pre-departure planning, global risk monitoring, and in-country support,” Morrill wrote to the ‘Prince.’
“Risk levels can change over time, and what can make the difference in a successful trip is developing appropriate risk mitigation strategies. Our office provides individualized consultations to support travelers based on their specific circumstances, personal identities, and planned activities — even for medium-risk destinations like the West Bank,” Morrill added.
All students who participate in IIPs receive University resources for risk evaluations and access to resources on safety while traveling and living abroad, according to the IIP website. Students in IIPs also receive support from OIP advisors and are required to participate in a pre-departure orientation, as well as initial, mid-program, and final check-ins. IIP advisors also communicate with program partners and suggest changes or adjustments to programs to comply with internship standards.
According to Morrill, many internships “are rooted in Princeton connections,” stemming from faculty and staff, links with on-site partners, site visits to program locations, and third-party provider programs.
“[T]he IIP staff routinely works with partners that have hosted successful Princeton student-initiated internships to develop an ongoing internship; building on these internships is an effective way for the IIP program to expand student opportunities and respond to student interest,” she wrote.
One of the remote internships is with Flow Accelerator, a Palestinian platform helping over 130 startups and built through 25 strategic partnerships, which is dedicated to empowering early-stage entrepreneurs by bridging crucial gaps in technical and financial expertise. The internship entails collaborating with Flow’s teams to gather data, including financial data, operational metrics, business plans, and legal documents for Palestinian startups.
The other remote internship is with the Riwaq Centre for Architectural Conservation, a non-profit organization that aims to protect Palestine’s cultural heritage, working specifically in the adaptive reuse of historical buildings in the West Bank and Gaza. The internship entails researching and supporting the team’s mission in working toward conservation.
For the summer of 2024, the IIP program placed 338 students in 165 organizations across 47 countries located in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, and Latin America. Out of the cohort, 36 percent were first-years, 46 percent were sophomores, and 19 percent were juniors.
This academic year, IIP applications closed on Monday, Dec. 9. Applicants are being accepted on a rolling basis, according to the IIP FAQs.
Lia Opperman is a senior News writer and the Director of Outreach emerita for the ‘Prince.’ She is from Southern N.J. and typically covers academic policy, national higher education, and University finances.
Please send any corrections to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com.
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