Cisco and AIESEC to Open International Exchange for Malaysian Students

Internship Program Opens Doors for Networking Academy Students to Gain International Work Experience

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – Cisco and AIESEC, the world’s largest student‐run organization, have launched an innovative program to provide Malaysian students with the opportunity to expand their skills and gain valuable international work experience. The initiative is in line with the Malaysian government’s call for more public-private sector collaboration to support the education and development of a highly skilled, technology-savvy workforce that can compete in the global arena.

Open to qualified students currently enrolled in the Cisco® Networking Academy® program, the professional internship program will transform the selected students’ classroom knowledge to practical work-based skills. The internships vary in duration from six to 18 months.

“Cisco is committed to helping the government address the current economic challenges by building a highly skilled workforce to fuel Malaysia’s competitiveness in the global economy. Employers today place a high value on international work experience. Networking professionals with international experience will be even more highly valued, as networking technology is increasingly playing a key role as the platform to transform communities, cities, countries and individual lives. Cisco’s collaboration with AIESEC will expand training opportunities for well-paid, high-demand technology-based jobs. We want to encourage our students to develop more than their professional skills and to build experiences by interacting with and observing different cultures and work ethics,” said Anne Abraham, managing director, Cisco Malaysia.

Networking Academy students that undertake the professional internship program will gain experience in the areas of network management, maintenance and development. These skills will help them develop the expertise and business acumen needed to address the changing requirements of Cisco customers. Students will have the opportunity to work with industry leaders such as Tata Consultancy Services, Microsoft, Standard Chartered Bank, UBS, IBM, DHL and PricewaterhouseCoopers.

“In AIESEC, we see that the world needs leaders who are entrepreneurial, culturally sensitive, socially responsible and actively learning. Therefore, AIESEC provides its members with an integrated development experience comprising leadership opportunities, participation in a global learning environment and international internships to develop skills that matter today. We are grateful to collaborate with a leader like Cisco, which shares the same beliefs with us about developing people. By providing such opportunities, we hope that Cisco Networking Academy students will be able to integrate the relevant skills, intensive work experience and cultural awareness that can truly contribute to Cisco’s vision of the human network in more ways than one,” said Cafrey Ma, the president of AIESEC Malaysia.

Students are invited to apply through AIESEC, which will match them with companies based on each company’s needs and a student’s skill set. AIESEC will also facilitate the placement and track the students’ personal and professional growth throughout the program. The students will also be paid a monthly stipend.

Networking Academy is a comprehensive e-learning program that provides students with the information technology (IT) networking skills essential in a global economy. The program was launched in Malaysia in 2001 to help expand IT and talent development by working with educational institutions to offer professional certifications in networking. Since its inception, Malaysia has produced 18,000 certified networking graduates to date with 47 academies.
About AIESEC

Present in over 107 countries and territories with more than 35,000 members, AIESEC is one of the world’s largest youth-run organizations. Its international platform enables young people to explore and develop their leadership potential to have a positive impact on society. In partnership with more than 4,000 organizations globally, AIESEC has over 60 years of experience in developing high-potential students into global-minded responsible leaders. More information can be found at www.aiesec.org and www.aiesec.my.
About Cisco

Cisco, (NASDAQ: CSCO), is the worldwide leader in networking that transforms how people connect, communicate and collaborate. Information about Cisco can be found at http://www.cisco.com. For ongoing news, please go to http://newsroom.cisco.com. Cisco products are supplied in Malaysia by Cisco Systems International BV, a wholly owned subsidiary of Cisco Systems, Inc.

Cisco, the Cisco logo, Cisco Systems and Networking Academy are registered trademarks or trademarks of Cisco Systems, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the United States and certain other countries. All other trademarks mentioned in this document are the property of their respective owners. The use of the word partner does not imply a partnership relationship between Cisco and any other company. This document is Cisco Public Information.