The Serail Internship Program
The Serail internship program ran for the first time in the summer of 2017 with seven interns from a variety of backgrounds. The following year’s SOI initiative led to the permanent hiring of some of the program’s interns by IDEAS.
The Serail Internship Program
The Serail Internship Program is a unique opportunity launched in 2017 to offer youth the chance to actively participate in initiatives created by the Prime Minister’s Office. It enables youth to work on projects and initiatives that engage the private and public sector such as Summer of Innovation. It is an opportunity offered to university students and recent graduates to help support their professional development exposing them to new trends in technology, innovation, and the overall startup ecosystem.
The program is run in collaboration with IDEAS, at the heart of Beirut, in the Beirut Digital District which allows them to experience first-hand how the private and public sectors can work together.
It is a 3 month cycle, and students are recruited from all universities across Lebanon.
The Serail Internship program was a great career experience for me. It helped me build my communication skills & engage with a lot of private/public stakeholders in the society. It also helped me understand the key gap areas between the private and the public sectors and how to fill this gap through proper mentoring and entrepreneurship activities.
Ali AwadaMarketing Coordinator at Careem Qatar 
Being a part of the Serail internship program and working on Summer of Innovation was a great experience. I had the opportunity to create social media content and work on my writing skills. I got the chance to attend the different events that the SOI partners were running. This internship gave me the chance to apply and improve my graphic design and community management skills.
Most importantly, the internship gave me better insight into what I would want to pursue for my career in the future.
I would like to thank the entire team for this great opportunity.
Myra BenkaddourMarketing Operator At Marketis Paris 
During my time interning at IDEAS Lebanon in the Serail Internship Program, I had the chance to meet amazing people that make up the organizing team of the Serail Creativity Hub Competition and Summer of Innovation. I was lucky to work alongside talented men and women who have helped me learn and acquire key tools and skills to apply in my daily life. I am grateful I got to step out of my comfort zone and discover some of my own abilities I never knew I had. The internship program also helped me gain knowledge and confidence for my future endeavors which I remain thankful for. I would definitely encourage all youth to apply to this program as it could help them in more ways than one. It could also provide them with diverse employment opportunities.
Layal FleifelData Science 
The Serail Internship Program was the best experience I’ve had in my career so far.
As a recent business school graduate, I never really knew anything about the startup ecosystem until I entered this program. In three months, I learned more about the opportunities the country had for entrepreneurs. I did not know that Lebanon had such a vibrant ecosystem.
IDEAS staff are working on important projects such as Summer of Innovation, the Serail Creativity Hub, Bawabat Al Ibtikar among others. They have exposed us to key ecosystem players through the events we have attended which highlight digitization, and innovation. We shared many special moments together. I preferred to be with them at the office working on reports then staying at home.
Hussien HakimMarketing & Research Intern at IDEAS 
This October, I joined the Serial Internship Program with IDEAS. As a social media intern, I had the opportunity to attend Summer of Innovation events where I learned a lot about the startup ecosystem in Lebanon. I also improved my writing skills by creating content for the SOI and IDEAS social media pages. The IDEAS team was very helpful, and I learned new things from them every day. I am thankful I was selected for this program because I entered a new world professionally and had the opportunity to explore new things, such as coding from another intern. It was a great experience to be located in BDD, where the community was welcoming and heart-warming. I am happy I created new friendships with other interns in the program and will always remember this wonderful experience.
Alisar JammalSocial Media Intern at IDEAS 
The Serial Internship Program at IDEAS helped me get insight into the innovative startup ecosystem in Lebanon. The NGO is located in the heart of Beirut’s technology hub BDD, where we were constantly surrounded with new technological advancements and exciting events. IDEAS mission of fostering innovation in Lebanon by providing equal opportunities to all stakeholders is reflected in their work and programs such as Summer of Innovation (SOI) and Bawabat al- Ibtikar (BAI). In addition, the atmosphere at IDEAS is friendly and filled with good spirited people. It was a pleasant experience, and an honor interning for an institution striving to make a positive change.
Yeha BadawiMarketing and Research Intern at IDEAS 
The Serail Internship Program was one of the best experiences of my career. As a recent computer science graduate, I was able to expand my knowledge in both soft and hard skills. The IDEAS staff was very supportive and helped me develop better time management and project management skills. In this experience I was challenged to get out of my comfort zone.
My experience was enriching. I had the opportunity to meet and work with people with different backgrounds and majors. It has changed my perspective on how to work as a developer while supporting the entrepreneurship ecosystem
Ali RmaityWeb Developer Intern at IDEAS 
It was a great pleasure being a part of the Serial Internship Program. All of us interns got the opportunity to be exposed to a wide variety of knowledge and to cultivate new skills.
As a Business Development intern, I was responsible for conducting ecosystem research, where I learned extensively about the startup ecosystem and the funding opportunities available to further support entrepreneurs in their journey.
In addition, attending events at the Grand Serail was very exciting! We met many influential political and social figures that have contributed greatly to the Lebanese economy and the world.
It was such an honor working with an experienced yet humble team. They made sure we felt comfortable and motivated us to be the best versions of ourselves.
Ahmad Sabbagh Business Development Intern at IDEAS 
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