Overview
The Great Minds initiative is a competition for 3 to 6-month internships at one of the IBM Research Labs in Zurich or Dublin for students from central and eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa. It provides students with the unique opportunity to work alongside world-class scientists in the leading industrial IT research organization.
The internships will take place in 2016. The exact starting time and duration will be agreed upon with the winning students individually, taking into account their academic commitments and the availability of IBM staff.
IBM will pay the winners a lump sum towards travel expenses as well as compensation that covers adequately the cost of living in Switzerland or Ireland, respectively. IBM will also obtain the necessary visa and work permits for the successful candidates.
IBM Research is conducting the Great Minds internships for the 8th time. The experiences on both sides have been very positive. This program also benefits faculty members when the Great Minds winners bring back to their universities or departments a valuable understanding of real industry problems, knowledge of advanced IBM technologies, and contacts throughout IBM Research.
Eligibility
The program is open to any full-time student enrolled in a Master's program in
- Computer Science,
- Electrical Engineering,
- Physics,
- Software Engineering,
- Industrial Engineering or
- Service Science
at a recognized university in central or eastern Europe, the Middle East or Africa. The students must have a solid command of the English language in both written and spoken form.
IBM is an equal-opportunity employer and encourages applications from both genders as well as minority groups.
We would especially like to encourage qualified women to participate in this competition.
Nomination procedure
Participants must be nominated by a faculty member. A recommendation letter from a faculty member is mandatory.
To participate in the Great Minds competition, see the detailed instructions for students.
Deadline
The deadline for submissions is 22 February 2016.
“Great minds and great ideas are what is driving innovation in the IT industry. With this initiative we would like to reach out to the next generation of innovators and tap into the outstanding research talent in these parts of the world.”
Dr. Alessandro Curioni
Director, IBM Research – Zurich
Dr. Eleni Pratsini
Director, IBM Research – Ireland
Past participants
Feedback from former Great Minds participants including tips for future applicants.