From their first semester, the students in Icesi receive orientation and international academic counseling from the Office of International Relations.  This office stimulates the learning of other languages, work experience during vacations, participation in academic, cultural, and professional programs and international business internship.
  

Beginning in the fifth semester, the students can carry out international academic exchange experiences. In the tenth semester, when they do their professional internship, students can opt to work in foreign businesses or organizations.
    

Icesi is one of three Colombian universities associated with the International Student Exchange Program (ISEP), an organization that groups 350 universities from the United States and the world.
  

It is one of twenty-five Colombian institutions associated with the Corporation for Studies in France, founding member of the Andean-French House of Law.
    

The Icesi University has established agreements with diplomatic missions accredited in Colombia, the Ministries of Foreign Trade and Foreign Relations, the Chamber of Industry, Commerce and Agriculture of the United States, Germany, Chile, Italy, Japan, Great Britain, Panama, Costa Rica and Spain. It is an active member of AIESEC and of IAESTE, institutions oriented towards facilitating and identifying professional internships overseas for careers in organizational areas, engineering, and industrial design.

  

As a member of ASCUN, the Icesi has agreements with universities in Quebec and other provinces of Canada and in Germany. 

  

Directors, professors, and students of the Icesi University annually attend the most important international industrial fairs, congresses and specialized conferences, such as Nafsa in the Unites States and EAIE in Europe.

Each semester the Office of International Relations, together with the directors of the program, present a varied agenda of internal activities to obtain an interactive multicultural environment to stimulate the learning of other languages. This Office offers science, technology, politics, history, art, and cultural conferences and classes on the European Union and the Americas with the presence of international speakers plus academic and cultural days about Mexico, Panama, Chile, Argentina, and Brazil.

  

Icesi has been visited by important representatives of the Embassies of the United States, Japan, Chile, Brazil, China, Arab Countries, Israel, the United Kingdom, Mexico, Italy, Germany and France.
    

During the academic year 2003-2004,    158 people associated with Icesi completed international programs. Of this group, 90% were undergraduate students.

  

When finalizing their undergraduate studies, the recently graduated students receive international academic counseling in order to carry out their postgraduate programs by identifying sources of financing, scholarships, educational aids, and investigative programs with the help of international cooperation organizations.

Training for Globalization

The comprehensive education that students receive at Icesi develops the capacity to assimilate changes in the economy, in technology, in scientific advances and in sociological conditions. With their training, they will be in a position to guide companies or organizations where they work to cope with globalization.

Languages
    

Icesi considers it vital that all graduates have a complete command of written and spoken Spanish. In addition, the efficient management of English is a prerequisite for graduation and to facilitate this requirement, eight levels of English are offered.

  

All students present a placement exam upon entering the University and for those who are already fluent English, the University offers the following programs:
    French: in agreement with the Colombian-French Alliance, with native-speaking teachers. Through the agreement, those interested can apply for scholarships to study in France.
    Italian: through the Italian Circle students receive classes with native-speakers and may aspire to certification Celi 2 International, which is a pre-requisite to apply for scholarships and study in Italy.
    German: with professors from the Colombian-German Cultural Foundation.
    Portuguese: with professors from the Colombian-Brazilian Foundation.
    Japanese: with highly qualified professors.