The Hemispheric University Consortium (HUC) is launching a new edition of its Virtual Research Internship (VRI) 2026, an initiative that promotes international academic collaboration by integrating students into ongoing research projects led by faculty from member universities.
Program Objective
The program aims to connect professors and students from different countries to work collaboratively on active research projects, fostering the development of research skills, academic internationalization, and the strengthening of research capacities across the region.
Through this experience, students gain exposure to real research environments, while faculty members expand their international scientific collaboration networks.
How does the VRI work?
The program enables professors to host undergraduate and graduate students, virtually, within their research projects. During the internship, students engage in specific tasks and develop concrete deliverables under the remote supervision of the faculty leading the project.
Internships will take place during the second semester of 2026, starting in September and lasting approximately 8 to 12 weeks, in a fully virtual format.
Thematic Areas
Projects may span a wide range of disciplines, with particular emphasis on the following HUC priority areas:
- Public health, well-being, and human prosperity
- Climate change, sustainability, and resilience
- Entrepreneurship, inclusive innovation, and digital transformation
- Society, institutional quality, and corruption
- Technology and innovation for education
- Other interdisciplinary approaches
Call and Key Dates
- Call for proposals: June 4 – July 6, 2026
- Informative session: June 10, 10:00 a.m. (Colombia time). Register here: Zoom meeting.
- Proposal evaluation: July 7 – July 10, 2026
- Results notification: July 7, 2026
An Opportunity for Academic Internationalization
The Virtual Research Internship 2026 represents a strategic opportunity to strengthen collaborative research across the Americas, creating spaces for academic exchange, hands-on training, and the production of knowledge with regional impact.
At the same time, it allows students to gain early international research experience and enables faculty to consolidate and expand their projects in a global and virtual environment.
For more information, please contact Andrés Mantilla: oianetworks@uniandes.edu.co or with hucresearch@austral.edu.ar