AIESEC, the university society developing the world’s future leaders

Students in search of personal growth and eager to make an impact on society have found just that: AIESEC, a youth-led, not-for-profit organisation that empowers young people to become confident leaders and changemakers by organising and coordinating initiatives.

“I joined for the sake of my personal growth and stayed for the community,” says Mary Treesa Rozario, an external relations team leader from the USYD AIESEC society.

“Our purpose is to make an impact both locally and globally.”

AIESEC is present in more than 120 countries and operates at 10 other Australian universities, including UNSW, Macquarie University and UTS. Members are shaped into future leaders through six values: activating leadership, demonstrating integrity, acting sustainably, living diversity, enjoying participation and striving for excellence.

The society is divided into five portfolios where members develop their leadership potential. These include marketing and communications, external relations, outgoing global volunteer, physical marketing and business development.

Last semester, the USYD AIESEC external relations portfolio ran the program Australia’s Largest Lesson. Facilitators were sent to schools to teach students about the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals, including protecting the environment, achieving gender equality, eradicating poverty and promoting health and wellbeing.

“By teaching those goals, we aim for students to open their minds and believe they can become leaders who make an impact in the future,” says Rozario.

Heading for the Future was one of the USYD society’s previous business development programs. It involved a two-week engineering case competition where participants learned directly from a company while working on a real-life project. For USYD civil engineering student Jessica Tran, this was her doorway into the organisation.

“I wanted to explore the engineering industry more, but through the program I actually learned a lot about myself and how I work with others,” she says.

The experience inspired Tran to join AIESEC, where she is now an external relations team leader and the Organising Committee president of the same program that introduced her to the society. While the work does not directly relate to her degree, she says she has gained valuable skills and a supportive community.

“Before I joined, I was a very shy person. I didn’t like speaking up,” she says. “When I joined AIESEC, I was shown who I could be. I saw other people presenting in meetings and thought, ‘Wow, I wish I could be that confident.’”

For Rozario, witnessing members’ confidence grow as they step up from members to team leaders is one of the clearest indicators of AIESEC’s impact on young people. She says the society cultivates leadership and the transfer of skills.

AIESEC societies from different universities frequently collaborate, united by shared goals and values.

“AIESEC is such a special place because you meet like-minded people,” says Tina Chau, vice president of the USYD AIESEC external relations branch.

“We have a lot of international students within the society, so we gain a broader understanding of what’s happening in the world,” she says.

“I’ve always wanted to do something but never had the chance. AIESEC was that stepping stone that gave me a voice and allowed me to raise awareness about global issues.”