Student from Nitra First to Participate in Innovative Commercial Service Internship Program

May 1, 2008

For a month in the 2008 spring semester, Jan Kapusta, who studies political science at Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra, gained valuable experience as the first Slovak intern at the Embassy's U.S. Commercial Service office. “Jan’s work was invaluable, and it has already resulted in successes” said David Ponsar, Senior Commercial Officer. Jan created a database of Slovak companies that enabled the U.S. Commercial Service to successfully recruit Slovak buyers to travel to Chicago to the National Restaurant Association's 2008 Restaurant-Hotel Show. The internship also gave Jan the chance to hone his research, analysis and writing skills by producing a report on the Slovak market for the American publishing industry, which was distributed to all exhibitors at BookExpo America, the largest book fair in the U.S. The report will be distributed to all American exhibitors at the upcoming Frankfurt Book Fair, the world's largest show for books. Mr. Kapusta said that the experience was eye-opening because he did not know how much government support is available to facilitate business contacts between U.S. and Slovak companies. He added that the research he did for an American IT company turned up hundreds of potential Slovak partner companies to represent the firm's product exports to Slovakia. This innovative internship program is part of the U.S. Embassy's program to increase exchange opportunities for university students in Slovakia. More information on the Foreign Commercial Service Internship Program can be found here: http://www.buyusa.gov/slovakia/sk/internship.html