What MIT International Science & Technology Initiatives (MISTI) does

MISTI (MIT International Science & Technology Initiatives) is a non-profit academic program operating within MIT's Center for International Studies, headquartered at 1 Amherst St, Building E40, Cambridge, Massachusetts. The organization administers international experiential learning programs for MIT students across more than 40 countries, with a core product set consisting of Internships, Study Abroad, Global Teaching Labs, and Global Classroom programs. Each program is delivered through a curated network of partner universities, research institutes, and corporate hosts, with regional Managing Directors overseeing country-specific operations. MISTI serves primarily MIT undergraduate and graduate students seeking international academic and professional experience, while also serving host institutions and corporate partners that receive MIT student talent.

MISTI's technology infrastructure consists of a Drupal-based public website and an internal MISTI Portal that manages student applications, eligibility verification, and placement workflows. The platform supports centralized program application and country-specific application tracks. The organization operates with approximately 20 employees distributed across programmatic, regional, and administrative functions.

MISTI's revenue model is institutional rather than commercial: the program is funded primarily through MIT's central budget, donor contributions, and tuition exchange arrangements with partner institutions. MISTI does not charge tuition to MIT students for program participation in the standard model, and there is no disclosed external revenue stream. Strategic partnerships with flagship institutions (University of Tokyo, ETH Zurich, Imperial College London, University of Oxford) and emerging-market entities (Central Bank of Armenia, AmeriaBank) anchor the program's placement network. Geographic expansion into Central Asia, the Caucasus, and Eastern Europe represents the most active area of programmatic growth.

Name

MIT International Science & Technology Initiatives (MISTI)

Legal name

MIT International Science and Technology Initiatives

Website

https://misti.mit.edu

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

MISTI is a non-profit academic program within MIT's Center for International Studies that administers international internships, study abroad, and teaching programs for MIT students across 40+ countries through a network of partner universities and corporate hosts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International Education Programs

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

University-Sponsored International Internships & Co-op Placements (EDAIAFAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Short-Term Exchange & Visiting Student Programs (EDAIABAG), Hybrid, Multi-Location & Multi-Country Study Abroad Programs (EDAIAAAE), Research & Lab-Based Short-Term Programs (Undergraduate/Graduate) (EDAIAIAF), Faculty-Led & Custom Group Study Abroad Programs (EDAIAAAA)

Keywords

• International education programs
• Study abroad exchanges
• Global internship placements
• STEM teaching workshops
• Academic credit transfer

Headquarters

HQ city

Cambridge

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. MIT Institutional Funding: MISTI operates as a department within MIT's Center for International Studies, funded through MIT's institutional budget and international programs funding.
2. Donor Contributions: MISTI accepts charitable contributions through MIT's giving platform to support student fellowships, travel grants, and program development.
3. Tuition Exchange Revenue: For direct enroll programs at partner universities, students pay tuition to the host institution while continuing to pay MIT tuition, creating inter-institutional exchange agreements.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

MISTI coordinates international experiential learning programs for MIT undergraduate students, including all-expenses-paid internships, semester study-abroad exchanges, Global Teaching Labs, and faculty-led Global Classroom workshops. Programs are delivered through vetted host institutions, partner universities, and corporate partners across more than 40 countries, with credit-transfer support handled through MIT's registrar.

Product overview

MISTI is a platform offering international educational programs for MIT students, comprising four core program types: Internships (all-expenses-paid placements at international host organizations), Study Abroad (semester/academic year exchanges at partner universities), Global Teaching Labs (IAP STEM teaching workshops in schools abroad), and Global Classroom (faculty-led immersive workshop experiences). The platform manages country-specific programs across 35+ locations spanning Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas, plus department-specific academic exchanges with institutions like University of Tokyo, ETH Zurich, Imperial College London, and University of Oxford, and a Direct Enroll pathway to pre-approved partner universities worldwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Internships Program

Quantifiable outcome

• All-expenses-covered internship opportunities in 40+ countries
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• AmeriaBankcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor banking institution in Armenia hosting interns in Banking, Finance, Innovation, Risk Management, HR/Personnel, and IT.
• American University of ArmeniacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner university in Armenia hosting interns in Science, Research, Ecology, Agriculture, Climate Change, and Sustainability.
• Central Bank of ArmeniacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational monetary authority hosting MIT interns in Economics, Math, CS, AI, Data Science, and Communication.
• Euromonitor InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal business intelligence company in Lithuania hosting interns in Data Science and Analytics.
• Ignitis GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRenewables-focused integrated utility and largest listed company in Baltic states hosting MIT interns.
• Lithuanian Railways (LTG)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState-owned transport group in Lithuania hosting interns in robotics, proactive maintenance, and data analytics.
• Tumo Center for Creative TechnologiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational technology center in Armenia hosting MIT students for teaching and architecture/design projects.
• University of TokyoflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerPremier Japanese university offering exchange program for MIT Course 2 and 3 majors with engineering and Japanese language courses.
• ETH ZurichflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeading Swiss technical university offering exchange for MIT Course 2, 4, and 6 majors.
• University of OxfordflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrestigious UK university with exchange program for MIT Course 3 (Materials Science) majors and direct enroll options.
• Imperial College LondonflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorld-renowned UK university offering exchange and summer research programs for MIT Courses 3, 5, 6, 10, 12, 16 majors.
• Fondazione Ferrovie Dello Stato ItalianominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerItalian state railway foundation partnering with MIT's Urban Risk Lab and MIT-Italy for the Rebuilding the Edge workshop.
• Ilia State University (Georgia)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity in Georgia hosting interns in Technology, Engineering, Medicine, Biodiversity, IT, Big Data, Architecture, and Urban Development.
• Kutaisi International UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity in Kazakhstan hosting interns in Computer Science, Management, Mathematics, Physics, Economics & Policy, and Innovation.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Institute of International Education (IIE): The largest U.S.-based international exchange organization administering Fulbright and Gilman programs globally; operates as a broad incumbent serving students from many universities, including hosting the Open Doors report — relevant as an ecosystem peer and potential partner for MISTI.
• CIEE (Council on International Educational Exchange): Large nonprofit operator of study abroad and internship programs across dozens of countries for students from many U.S. universities — comparable offering but multi-institutional rather than single-university focused.

Direct peers

• Harvard College Study Abroad Program: Harvard's study abroad office offering semester and year-long exchanges plus funded summer research and internship programs — directly competes with MISTI for elite STEM student global placements.
• Yale Study Abroad: Yale College's study abroad and global programs office serving Yale undergraduates with semester exchanges and funded summer opportunities — equivalent mission and target student profile to MISTI.
• Stanford Bing Overseas Studies Program: Stanford's flagship study abroad and international experiential learning program, operating Florence, Paris, Oxford, Berlin, and Kyoto campuses plus partner exchanges — directly comparable as a peer-elite-university international education office.
• UC Berkeley Study Abroad: Berkeley's central study abroad office managing exchanges, Global Internships Program, and partner-university direct-enroll programs — comparable to MISTI in program types and institutional scale.
• Princeton Office of International Programs: Princeton's international study office coordinating study abroad and global internships for Princeton undergraduates — peer Ivy-league international education program.
• Columbia University Center for Global Engagement: Columbia's centralized global programs office coordinating study abroad, internships, and global research for Columbia students — operates on the same institutional model as MISTI within a peer Ivy-plus research university.
• Cornell Global Programs (Office of Global Learning): Cornell's central international programs office managing study abroad, internships, and experiential learning for Cornell undergraduates — directly comparable in mission and structure to MISTI.
• UCLA International Education Office: UCLA's central international education office coordinating Education Abroad Program (EAP) exchanges and global internships for a large public research university — comparable scale and program mix.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/mistiatmit
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/MISTIMITInternationalScienceTechnologyInitiatives
• Facebookfacebook.com/MISTIatMIT
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mistiatmit
• Instagraminstagram.com/mistiatmit

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about MIT International Science & Technology Initiatives (MISTI)