Internship student interviews:
Urban Agriculture
Hanne Kierulf - BIT Innovation Centre
Where did you do your internship?
BIT Innovation Centre in Ås
What study program were you in?
Master's in Urban Agriculture
How long did the internship last?
The Autumn parallell
How did you get in contact with the company?
I had an innovative idea, named PlanteØya, and contaced the Innovation Centre and got a mentor at StartUpSmia, which is a part of the centre. My fellow student Patrik Christopher Hemstrøm (bachelor's of plant sciences) also wished to do an internship to develop the idea. We became a great team. Innovation is a field I wished to incorporate in my studies. BIT Innovation Centre has StartUpSmia for NMBU students, as well as inkubator Aggrator and ARD Innovasjon that develops ideas for PhD students or researchers at NMBU.
What did you learn in the internship?
I learnt a lot about outreach and marketing of a self-made innovative idea through pitching contests, as a case giver for entrepreneurship students, meetings with the Patent Board about rights and patent processes, and participation at several events. I was also able to follow Masterclass lectures by Inkubator Aggrator at the innovation centre. Working with the innovation process in theory and practice was very fun and challenged me on whole new arenas.
Do you have any advice for students that are considering doing an internship?
Internship gives new perspectives on your field of interest and studies. It provides a great opportunity to gain access to fields that are otherwise challenging to access. Network building is important, and you can ask for a letter of recommendation that can be useful in future job searching.
Linn Jorstad - U.Reist
Photo: Linn Jorstad
Where did you do your internship?
U.Reist
What study program were you in?
Master's in Urban Agriculture
How long did the internship last?
April to October
How did you get in contact with the company?
They are located in my neighborhood.
What did you learn in the internship?
I learnt a lot about growing plants and the practical side of the theory we had learnt during the studies. For example, we had learnt a lot about green roofs, and it was a good expericence to work with maintenance and growing on a roof. It gave me new perspectives.
Do you have any advice for students that are considering doing an internship?
Do it! It expands your professional network and you can try out a workplace where you want to work after your studies.
Madeleine Yvon Ask - JM Norge
Where did you do your internship?
JM Norge
What study program were you in?
Master's in Urban Agriculture
How long did the internship last?
One semester
How did you get in contact with the company?
JM Norge were one of the companies that presented master project opportunities during one of the mandatory master's courses. I sent them an email afterwards asking if they had any available internship positions.
What did you learn in the internship?
I learnt a lot, especially about challenges connected to urban agriculture and sustainability. These were challenges that were in particular tied to the construction industry, but that also gave me different perspectives in regards to urban agriculture. This was useful, as I have a bachelor's degree in plant sciences and did not know a lot about the construction industry beforehand. I also learnt a lot about laws and regulations in Norway.
Do you have any advice for students that are considering doing an internship?
You are there to learn, so don't be afraid of asking "dumb" questions!
Rebekka Sundøy Haldorsen - SquareRoot AS
Where did you do your internship?
SquareRoot AS
What study program were you in?
Master's in Urban Agriculture
How long did the internship last?
One semester
How did you get in contact with the company?
I contacted relevant companies listed on a webpage called urbantlandbruk.no. I contacted the ones that seemed most interesting, and the ones that were interested invited me for a talk. I had good chemistry with SquareRoot, and the tasks seemed exciting and relevant!
What did you learn in the internship?
I learnt a lot about building a business from the bottom-up, and the work that goes behind it. The majority of my work consisted of expanding lists of plants with information about where they can grow and which traits they have, as well as assembling packages of plants that can grow in the same environment - for example in rain gardens and dry meadows.
Another important task was to promote the company on social media platforms and spread information about what the company does, as well as information about interactions in nature and plant traits.
Do you have any advice for students that are considering doing an internship?
Do not be afraid to contact a company! You are a resource for the company that hosts your internship, and all involved will gain from the process. My internship was also an advantage when I was applying for jobs - employers obviously thought it was positive that I had done a relevant internship!