UNSW Students have Fintern Fever

More than 300 UNSW students have registered to be selected for internships with start-ups over the summer break – using a new trial platform to link businesses to universities.

Students registered for the program will attend a speed-dating event, Fintern Fever, to be launched in Sydney next week, to determine who will get the chance to be involved in building a company from the ground up.

Fintern Fever, a partnership between fintech start-up hub Stone & Chalk, FINSIA and CSIRO's Data61, presents students with a chance to "spend your summer wisely".

Students will be offered the opportunity to work in one of around 40 start-ups listed with Stone & Chalk.  The event will include reverse company pitches, speed-dating and networking sessions.

University students with skills in business, commerce, marketing, communications, computer science, maths or technology were encouraged to apply. 

A prototype platform called Ribit will be used to connect students to businesses and employers, with a view to creating an open data platform to make it easier for universities to discover and connect to businesses and start-ups down the track.

 "This is a fabulous opportunity for our students to immerse themselves in start-up culture while at university. Whether our students are interested in establishing their own disruptive business or securing a role with an established firm in banking or consulting, getting first-hand experience in the fintech sector is a great complement to their studies," says Professor Nick Wailes, UNSW Business School's Associate Dean (Digital and Innovation).

 *Fintern fever is a partnership between Stone and Chalk, Finsia and CSIRO's Data61.