“U21 was one of the most amazing experiences I’ve had! I got to work with students from 8 different countries, 10 different majors, all of them working to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and address climate change. No other platform gives such an opportunity to work with a diverse group!”
– Former U21 Participant
Applications Now Open – Apply by Wednesday, October 21, 2026
About Universitas21
U21 offers free, online international micro-internship opportunities for students around the world a few times a year. When the applications are live, application deadlines will be noted at the bottom of this page.
U21 Sustainable Micro-internships are a 2-week online program designed to give students the opportunity to collaborate with peers from across our global network. You will be introduced to an organization that is actively working on advancing one or more of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and you will be set a real-life current organizational challenge to work on, in small groups.
“U21 provides a fun, supportive, and interactive yet low-stress way to immerse oneself in a particular issue and gain knowledge about another part of the world.”
– Former U21 Participant
The U21 Micro-Internship Opportunity
This exclusive opportunity is only available to students at U21 member universities and is open to students of all disciplines. Throughout the program participants will engage with and learn from students across the globe spanning 20 countries and 19 time zones.
Find out more about the U21 Sustainable Micro-internships Program
Over the two-week program, you will be presented with an ongoing sustainability challenge from your host employer and work in groups to innovate a solution and how to communicate this with senior stakeholders. The internships involve two, 2.5 hour live online sessions at the start and end of the 2-week program, with the rest of the project work undertaken flexibly, online around your other commitments.
As a result of the program, you will develop:
- Agility – the ability to adapt to new environments, to grasp topics outside of academic specialism and work with difference
- International Collaboration – first-hand experience of working across different time zones, languages and cultures, bringing together global knowledge to deliver results for an employer
- Influence – the ability to build trust and solve complex problems quickly
- Presentation Skills – the ability to clearly convey complex information to your stakeholders
Successful completion of the program and all activities will earn you the Leading Change micro-credential which you can display on your LinkedIn profile, demonstrating that you have developed the skills to tackle complex global issues and stand up as a leader.
We hope that you will want to join this free program. Please note that there is a limited number of spaces per member university. Applications will be open for six micro-internship opportunities from Wednesday, October 7th, 2026 to Wednesday, October 21st at 11:59pm. Applicants will be notified of their status by Monday, October 26th.
“I came away from the experience with a greater appreciation for compromise and negotiation when collaborating with a team, as well as greater competency in researching and presenting solutions to real-world problems.”
– Former U21 Participant
Current Opportunities:
Micro-Internship 1
Monday, November 30th – Friday, December 11th, 2026
Theme: SDG 9 – Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure (AI)
Compulsory Live Sessions: Monday, November 30th, and Wednesday, December 9th, 2026 – 10:00 PM – 12:30 AM (EST)
Micro-Internship 2
Monday, November 30th – Friday, December 11th, 2026
Theme: SDG 9 – Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure (AI)
Compulsory Live Sessions: Tuesday, December 1st and Thursday, December 10th, 2026 – 12:00 PM – 2:30 PM (EST)
Micro-Internship 3
Monday, January 11th – Friday, January 22nd, 2027
Theme: SDG 5 – Gender Equality (Sport)
Compulsory Live Sessions: Monday, January 11th and Wednesday, January 20th, 2027 – 10:00 PM – 12:30 AM (EST)
Micro-Internship 4
Monday, January 11th – Friday, January 22nd, 2027
Theme: SDG 5 – Gender Equality (Sport)
Compulsory Live Sessions: Tuesday, January 12th and Thursday, January 21st, 2027 – 12:00 PM – 2:30 PM (EST)
Micro-Internship 5
Monday, February 8th – Friday, February 19th, 2027
Theme: SDG 13 – Climate Action
Compulsory Live Sessions: Tuesday, February 9th and Thursday, February 18th, 2027 – 12:00 AM – 2:30 AM (EST)
Micro-Internship 6
Monday, February 8th – Friday, February 19th, 2027
Theme: SDG 13 – Climate Action
Compulsory Live Sessions: Tuesday, February 9th and Thursday, February 18th, 2027 – 9:00 AM – 11:30 AM (EST)
Time Commitment
Approximately 5.5 hours per week for two weeks, comprised of:
- 2.5 hours live session per week
- 2-3 hours per week of Individual and group work in-between sessions
Applications Now Open – Apply by Wednesday, October 21, 2026
*This opportunity is available to international students and does not require CPT
**UConn students must use the application link above or on career.uconn.edu and not the general U21 application on U21’s website
Questions about the U21 Micro-Internships? Email uconncareer@uconn.edu.
