The year is 1945 …

Europe is lying in a state of ruin after the Second World War

War has taken away 55 million lives, injured 35 million, …

… and 3 million more have disappeared.

Only poverty and quarreling between nations remains.

But perhaps worse than the physical damage is the hatred and bitterness that

the war has produced.

Europe 1946

Europe 1946

This was when AIESEC began ...

•  Jan Maatsa is organizing a meeting in a Café in Paris - 9 students show up.

•  They are from 8 different countries.

September 1946

Stockholm 1948

A meeting took place in the Grand

Hotel in Stockholm.

It was March of 1948.

The Goal

Through building up a student

exchange program we want to

contribute to tolerance between people.

People came from …

… Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland,

France, Belgium and the Netherlands.

They all sat around a table, half of them

speaking English, and the other half

speaking French.

But they all understood each other.

Though at the beginning none of

them knew what practical result would

come from the meeting, …

… their meeting gave birth to AIESEC.

Stockholm 1948

AIESEC 1948

7 Countries

250 members

89 exChanges

“AIESEC is an independent,

non-political and international

organization …”

Stockholm 1948

They decided on the purpose of the

Association ...

“… which has as its purpose to

establish and promote the

friendly relations between the

members.”

Stockholm 1948

The organization expanded for the first time with the admission of West

Germany as a member.

1952

Austria, Great Britain, Italy, Spain, Switzerland and Yugoslavia join.

1953

AIESEC welcomed Turkey as a member, taking AIESEC

outside the confines of Western Europe.

1954

With the International Congress in

Rotterdam in 1955, the number of

traineeships broke through the

thousand mark, with 1.114

traineeships a year.

1955

AIESEC became inter-continental with

the entry of the United States in 1957.

The organization had made the leap

across the Atlantic.

1957

By the following year, AIESEC had

spread to Latin America, with Venezuela

and Colombia joining the Association.

1958

The African continent became

represented with South African

membership in the same year.

1958

Meanwhile, the number of traineeships

continued to grow steadily. In 1960,

AIESEC achieved 2.973 trainee

exchanges.

1960

1960

In 1963, AIESEC arrives in Asia with

membership of Japan and Korea.

1963

In 1965 AIESEC enters Eastern Europe and …

… the CSSR becomes a member.

1965

By the same year AIESEC is

represented on all continents, with

Australia joining.

1965

By the end of the decade, AIESEC’s

exchange program reached its highest

level yet - 4.742 trainees

were exchanged.

1969

1969

1982 The 1980’s started with an emphasis on regional development with the African

region officially established.

1982 The purpose statement was changed:

“AIESEC’s purpose is to develop

students and recent graduates and

to facilitate the development of our

environment on the local, national

and international levels.”

1986

The purpose statement got an addition:

“AIESEC does not discriminate on

the

basis of race, colour, creed, religion,

national or ethnic origin.”

1988

In 1989 we realized the highest

number of traineeships ever with

7.029 trainees exchanged around the

world.

1989

Externally in 1989, an event that many

thought would never happen in their

lifetime occurred. The Berlin Wall came

crashing down. The “Iron Curtain”, that

had separated a continent for nearly half

a century, crumbles.

1989

This continues in the 90’s with the

release of Nelson Mandela from prison

in South Africa. In 1991 the country

holds its first democratic elections.

1990-91

… elects a black student for National

Committee President

AIESEC in South Africa …

2003

Expansion to Afghanistan

2005 •  90 countries

•  20.000 members

•  more than 3.500 exchanges

During International Congress 2005, our core

work was refreshed:

AIESEC provides its members with an integrated

development experience comprised of leadership

opportunities, international internships and

participation in a global learning environment.