Branching Borders International Internship

Branching Borders International Internship

The International Programs Office offers a fully funded internship opportunity to non-US students. This outstanding experience provides our interns with the possibility to learn from our faculty, build on their research and acquire a new set of knowledge and skills. Thanks to the efforts of our faculty and community, our interns leave the US with more ideas to bring back home and apply to make change in their own environment! This would not have been possible without the generosity and support of our donors.

WHO WE ARE

From the College of Forestry's continuous efforts of internationalization and global exchange stemmed the idea of creating the Branching Borders International Internship Program. The infinite possibilities of building bridges, exchanging experience, knowledge and skills have always been the main catalyst of our progress. The College of Forestry International Programs Office strives to create multiple pathways to branch our US students out with the World, but also to bring the World to us.

Starting from past experiences of our faculty abroad to signing MOUs with partner universities and institutions, the College of Forestry has established a solid and growing network of partners that we gladly extend this Branching Borders opportunity to. Our vision is to build global connections by offering international students the life-changing opportunity to visit the US, work closely with our experienced faculty, and leave back to their home countries with more ideas, skills, and impetus to make a change.

It is thanks to these convictions, the engagement of our volunteer supervisors, and more specially our donors' generosity that the Branching Borders came to life. Our donors' strong belief in the importance of going international, and continuous support to help the College of Forestry shine out in the world as the number one College of Forestry in the US and number two in the world have made the Branching Borders Program possible. 

OUR IMPACT

From Sweden to Oregon: Sebastian’s Transformative Forestry Research Experience at OSU 
Check out this blog from Sebastian, a dedicated forestry student from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), about his experience with us!

Branching Borders intern, Agustín Cifuentes, featured at Universidad Austral de Chile 
Check out this article where Augustin Cifuentes, a Branching Borders 2024 Alum, talks about the impact of his internship with the College of Forestry

From Austria to OSU- Continuous Collaboration with Professor Scott Leavengood 
Sadete is from Albania and studies in Austria. Last year, Professor Scott Leavengood supervised her while at OSU and is now continuing to supervise her research remotely from the College of Forestry.

The Branching Borders Timeline

2025

160 Applicants - 6 Selected

Themes

  • Research of Applications and Recycle ability of 3D printed biomass product
  • Forest plot data collection, soil sampling, and wood quality assessment
  • Recombinant plant biotechnology
  • Sustainable forest management
  • Sensing vegetation water content in forests using microwave radiation
  • Wood products innovation, manufacturing and marketing

Who they are

  • Muhammed Afsal Athanikkal is pursuing a Master’s in Mediterranean Forestry and Natural Resources Management (MEDfOR) through an Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degree at the University of Padova (Italy), the University of Lleida (Spain), and the University of Valladolid (Spain). Working with German Vargas.
  • Afifa Zahid is pursuing a Master’s in Mediterranean Forestry and Natural Resources Management through an Erasmus Mundus Partner Country Scholarship funded by the European Union, at the University of Padova (Italy) and the University of Lleida (Spain). Working with Woody Chung.
  • Tizazu Tigstu Dendir is a MSc student at University of Tuscia under Mediterranean Forestry and Natural Resource Management (MEDfOR) program in Italy in the department of Forestry and Environmental Science. Working with Temesgen Hailmeriam.
  • Fabrice Niyitanga is a final-year MSc student in Biodiversity Conservation and Natural Resources Management at the University of Rwanda. Working with Scott Leavengood.
  • Isaac Kitiibwa Ssebuyira is currently pursuing a Master of Science in Forestry and Biodiversity Management at Makerere University, Uganda. Working wtih Wenjia Wang.
  • Norsharina Ridzuan Chun is an undergraduate student in Biomolecular Science (Hons.) at Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Malaysia. Working with Steve Strauss.
2024

179 Applicants - 8 Selected

Themes:

  • Forest-based bio products and wood characterization
  • Wood-based composites, biochar application, and bio-based adhesives
  • Ecology, hydrology, and forest management
  • Wood strengthening and biomass energy
  • Forest economics, rural development, and forest management
  • Silviculture

Who they were:

  • Katerin Rojas from Chile worked with Carlos Gonzalez-Benecke
  • Agustin Cifuentes from Chile worked with Carlos Gonzalez-Benecke
  • Lukmon Alao from Nigeria worked with Gerald Presley
  • Tomiwa Haruna from Nigeria worked with Islam Hafaz
  • Derrick Mubiru from Uganda worked with Wenjia Wang
  • Sadete Zela from Albania worked with Scott Leavengood
  • Alcyne Nyiraneza from Rwanda worked with Suhyun Jung
  • Sebstian Hjelström from Sweden worked with Jacob Bukoski