2026 Latvian Strategy and Economic Research (LaSER)
Host Organization: Latvian Strategy and Economic Research (LaSER)
Website: https://domnicalaser.lv/
Organization Profile: The Latvian Strategy and Economic Research (LaSER) Institute was founded in March 2024. LaSER is an independent, non-partisan, privately financed think tank that develops innovative and evidence-based policy ideas and political initiatives supporting the development of a prosperous, democratic and secure Latvian society and state embedded in the European union (EU) and NATO.
LaSER's first research project focused on identifying and analyzing Latvia's future challenges and presented four resulting scenarios (https://domnicalaser.lv/en/latvia-2040-four-future-scenarios/). These scenarios then laid out the think-tanks’ future research agenda which focuses on developing urban areas as drivers of growth (particularly the capital city of Riga), promoting deeper Baltic cooperation, economic competitiveness and a small, modern bureaucracy and state sector. Defense and security are cross-cutting issues.
LaSER currently employs a Director, Research Director, Administrative Director, two Senior Researchers, five Research Assistants and has contracted twenty external researchers working on concrete research papers.
City: Rīga
Country: Latvia
Internship Format: In-person
Project description: In addition to every-day research assistant tasks (assisting senior researchers in gathering and organizing qualitative and quantitative data, undertaking literature studies, editing EN language versions of our research output, maintaining and updating the EN version of the web page and other public engagement activities) LaSER's Stanford intern will work together with our Latvian interns (our five current Latvian interns are undergraduate students at the Stockholm School of Economics in Rīga and the University of Latvia) and develop an Artificial Intelligence (AI) strategy for the think-tank with the intention that this strategy could be applied and adopted more widely by other mission-driven NGOs in Latvia and the Baltic region.
Number of Opening(s): 1
Work Hours and Internship Start/End Dates: (Monday to Friday, June 15 – August 7, 2026) Five days and 35 hours a week
Work Attire: Casual
Local Language: Latvian (Not required)
Additional desired intern qualification: Candidates with qualitative and quantitative research skills, as well as experience of working with data-sets, are preferred.
- Global Studies minors in European Studies will receive preference.
- Apply on Slideroom
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- Policies regarding travel (domestic or international) and international internships will be updated as University policies evolve. Visit International Affairs Health Advisories for the most current travel guidance and restrictions for international travel.
- Travel Reservations: All interns are strongly encouraged to utilize Stanford Travel, a centralized booking program, when booking airfare, hotels, or rental cars for their internship experiences.
- Students must be enrolled at Stanford in the quarter when they apply for an internship opportunity (Winter), and will need to be enrolled in undergraduate study in the quarter when grant funding is disbursed (Spring). Applicants participating in off-campus Stanford programs are welcome to apply, but it is the responsibility of the applicant to compile, collate, and submit a complete application.
- Internship participants must certify that they are in good academic standing, and may not participate in the program or receive or retain internship stipends if they are on suspension.
- International students must consult with Bechtel about interning in the U.S. or traveling out of the U.S. in the summer.
- Each applicant can apply for a maximum of two program-arranged positions. If you apply for more than two positions, we will only consider the first two positions submitted. EXCEPTIONS: your application for program-arranged positions in Austria, Belgium, Estonia, and Latvia, are exempt from this restriction. Although you are allowed to apply to multiple positions in these countries and you might be selected for multiple positions, you can only be awarded with one internship.
- The Program is open to all undergraduate students. Seniors* or co-terms are eligible as long as they do not confer their undergraduate degrees until after they complete their internships to remain eligible. Coterm students must still have undergraduate status. Positions in South Asia and with Iranian Studies are also open to Master's students in all majors. Positions in East Asia are open to MA students majoring in East Asian Studies. Note*: Only seniors who will be returning to co-term for all of next year, are eligible to apply for positions in Austria, Belgium, Estonia, and Latvia.
- Participants must be current Stanford students during the internship period. Seniors and graduating Master's students must postpone graduation paperwork until the internship ends, but may participate in commencement. For summer graduation requirements, including details regarding enrollment requirements and information about participation in the June commencement ceremonies, students should contact their major department's student services office and Registrar's Office for graduation quarter petition.
- Local language skills are based on the internship description requirements.
- Global Studies minors receive preference for the program.
- Preference will be given to students who have not had similar internship experiences in the same country or region i.e., students who haven’t already participated in an internship in this country or region.
- Students who have not been accepted into the Global Studies Internship Program should refrain from contacting any of the partner organizations listed in the internship list until they receive direction from Stanford Global Studies.
- Preferably, before beginning their internships, selected candidates should have taken at least one course regarding the internship region. The course can be taken in the quarter prior to the internship.
- Interns must commit to full-time work (a minimum of 35 hours per week) for at least 8 weeks.
- To be eligible for a stipend, students must maintain health insurance for the duration of their internship.
- Violations of Global Studies Internship Program policies are also violations of the Fundamental Standard and may be referred to the Office of Community Standards. Students who fail to abide by the policies set forth by the Global Studies Internship Program, Stanford Global Studies, and Stanford University, will have low priority or no longer be eligible for future Stanford Global Studies funding opportunities and programs. The Global Studies Internship Program reserves the right to rescind funding at any given point and time should they be apprised of any policy violations as outlined above.
For more information, please see Eligibility and Stipend.
For more internship positions provided by the Stanford Global Studies Internship Program, please see our internship listing.
If you have ANY questions, please email globalinternships@stanford.edu. Please also see the FAQ.
