The Great Hall of Parliament House was the perfect setting to celebrate a flagship program that has seen hundreds of ANU students intern with politicians, lobby groups, embassies and other organisations across Canberra.       

Students, graduates, politicians, ambassadors and academics attended an anniversary dinner on Tuesday to mark the coming of age of the Australian National Internships Program (ANIP).

In its 21 years, ANIP has been an important stepping stone in the careers of many ANU students, building connections, research skills and experience in the heart of the nation’s politics and policy communities before they graduate.

Since the program started in 1993, over 1500 ANU students have worked on everything from racial discrimination, heritage policy and Australia’s agricultural economy, just to name a few topics. One of this semester’s interns is working for Opposition Leader Bill Shorten, a prestigious placement for all involved.

With an unprecedented 55 students placed in the last two semesters, ANIP Director Dr Marshall Clark has plans for further expansion.

“I think ANIP’s greatest achievement is its longevity, but not only has it lasted, it’s grown, particularly in the last few years,” said Dr Clark.

“We’ve worked very hard with embassies in particular as well as other non-Parliament organisations.

“ANIP’s strong reputation has spread through the diplomatic community, and after taking on one intern they realise how valuable it is and they usually want an intern each semester.”

ANIP is set to expand internationally, with host organisations already lined up in Jakarta, Taiwan, Buenos Aires, Singapore and Noumea.

“The organisations are ready to take on our interns, now we just need to find the students to place there,” said Dr Clark.

At Tuesday’s dinner, around 160 ANIP supporters gathered to celebrate the program’s achievements and usher in its new future.

Key to its future progress is the ANIP board, which will help to guide its continued development and create new opportunities for internships through individual networks.

The ANIP Endowment, also launched on Tuesday, will provide scholarships to students who need to travel for their internships, either interstate or internationally. The ANU School of Politics and International Relations generously donated $10,000 to kick start the fund.

College of Arts and Social Sciences Dean Professor Toni Makkai also made a surprise announcement on the night.

“ANIP is a great success story in terms of the experiences and quality of the graduates, and as a result I am announcing tonight that the College will provide from its scarce reserves $100,000 to the endowment,” she said.

“ANIP provides students with an unparalleled opportunity to work in the national parliament and see it action, and that is an honour and a privilege.

“It takes students out of their comfort zone, asks them to work on intractable problems and encourages them to be agile in their thinking and their responses to the issue – graduates with these formative experiences and attributes are an important part of our nation’s future prosperity.”

With an abundance of bright, hardworking ANU students, and ever more organisations coming on board, the connection between ANIP and Australia’s corridors of power is set to remain strong. 

To find out more about ANIP visit http://anip.anu.edu.au/