Feed the Feed: Student Internship at the National Meteorological and Hydrological Service

Feed the Feed: Student Internship at the National Meteorological and Hydrological Service

At the Croatian Meteorological and Hydrological Service (DHMZ), in the Information and Client Department, students are offered the opportunity to learn scientific communication in operational practice as part of the professional practice program.

The program is intended for 3rd and 5th-year students of the Faculty of Science at the University of Zagreb and offers a structured approach to connecting academic learning with application in a real environment.

The practice is organized in two phases. In the first one, students are introduced to the organizational structure of the DHMZ and the duties of the professional services. The aim is to provide an understanding of the institutional processes and diverse scientific competencies required to maintain national meteorological and hydrological standards.

In the second phase, students have a practical assignment where they are challenged with a real communication challenge. The assignment is an opportunity for the application of their academic knowledge and information from phase one in solving a task. Students can choose different parts of the institutional communication, from official websites and social networks to public events.

At the end of the internship, students submit a report on their activities and insights.

The goal of the program is to educate future STEM experts – who can become teachers, researchers (not necessarily in DHMZ), or decision-makers – about the benefits to the community of meteorological and hydrological services. By gaining insight into the complexity and responsibility of operational work, participants learn how to effectively use meteorological and hydrological data and services in their future careers.