A pilot initiative for international virtual internships in the area of higher education

The COVID-19 global pandemic has put humanity to the test in many different areas and the higher education domain is no exception. Many universities responded to the challenges of the pandemic with different solutions for online teaching, distance learning and implementation of practical exercises using virtual or remote laboratories. Nevertheless, one aspect of the higher education was somehow left out of the focus of the main efforts for normalization and stabilization of the educational processes–the internships.For many study programs, especially in the area of the professional higher education, the students are required to complete at least one internship. This work-based learning approach provides hands-on experience in a workplace environment, which cannot be emulated or replaced otherwise. By taking the internships, the students develop particular skills, knowledge and understanding, learn how to solve problems and how to work in pairs or in teams, but above all–they prepare themselves for the daily workplace routines and what will come next in their lives.In this paper we present a pilot initiative for the implementation of virtual internships in several different areas of higher education. All activities are implemented as part of a project funded by the Erasmus+ program of the EU.In the Introduction section of the paper, we present the goals, the consortium, the expected outcomes and the main results of the project. In the next section of the paper, we discuss the developed model for virtual internships and the means that can be used for its implementation. The paper continues with the results of the conducted pilot internships, with involvement of students from four universities in Bulgaria, Greece and Serbia, as well as several internship providers from different industrial sectors. The paper is concluded with discussions on the results of the internships and with recommendations for further actions.