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Send a thank you email after an internship to boost your career

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Why send an internship thank you note?

How to write an internship thank you email, post-internship thank you letter templates, your next move.

Textbooks and exams only take you so far toward professional success. Internships, which aim to help you translate theory into practice, can provide valuable practical experience that sets you up to make an impact in your chosen industry.

An internship is a short-term placement with a company in an industry you’re pursuing. You’ll typically take on an internship after graduating from school to gain hands-on experience.

Internships have well-known short-term benefits : they help you master important skills, build your resume, and learn about your strengths, weaknesses, and preferences at work. But the effects of an internship can also reverberate throughout your entire career. An internship may evolve into a full-time position at the company, and the professional networks you build could lead to job opportunities down the line.

As you depart your internship, you want to ensure you welcome these crucial opportunities. And the best way to leave a lasting good impression is to send a memorable thank you email after the internship is over.

A few words from an intern can have a lasting effect. A thank you letter that expresses genuine gratitude to your coworkers serves to strengthen new work friendships , build a web of professional connections , and show senior colleagues who guided or mentored you that their time investment was worth it.

Thank you notes also help you manage the impression you leave at the company, as these notes might be the last thing your boss and coworkers see of you. Research shows that people remember recent interactions with others better than earlier interactions , so sending a positive, professional note may help recipients remember you positively and professionally. 

A thank you note is also a lasting record of your successes at the company. If a full-time position comes up and your boss is comparing previous interns, your thank you letter will be right there in their inbox advocating on your behalf. 

When composing a thank you note to a colleague, reflect on all the interactions you had with this person. You might consider whether they offered support or advice that changed your perspective, or what skills they helped you develop. 

If you’re struggling to pin down ideas, ask yourself whether the colleague did any of the following:

Helped you clarify your career path  

Increased your confidence

Deepened your understanding of the industry

Helped you improve your professional communication skills

Offered you opportunities or feedback that increased your self-knowledge (e.g., by asking you to branch out to a new area that you ended up loving) 

Once you’ve determined the points you’d like to highlight in your email, here are some best practices when writing it:

Keep it short: Don’t let important information become lost in excessive content. About 2–3 paragraphs is enough to go into some detail while also respecting the reader’s time and attention span.

Personalize it: Write an individual email to every colleague who helped you in a meaningful way. Don’t reuse phrases, as you never know whether recipients will compare notes. And personalizing each email shows your colleagues you genuinely valued your interactions with them.

Be professional: While you should follow the company’s culture in terms of formality level, make your thank you emails slightly more formal than a normal work email . Using professional language and avoiding slang and emojis shows you’ve taken the opportunity seriously.

Draft them carefully: Read over your emails to catch errors or phrases the recipient might misinterpret. Proofread so your final impression isn’t full of typos and mistakes. And if you struggle with the initial email drafting phase, use an AI program like ChatGPT to offer suggestions you can edit before sending.

Think about your distribution strategy ahead of time: On your last day, you might be too busy handing over unfinished work and tying up loose ends to draft heartfelt emails. Instead, write them ahead of time and have them sitting in your drafts folder ready to send. And send the emails from your personal email address, as you’ll likely lose access to your company email address when you leave.

Be positive: Make sure your letter conveys warmth, humility, and — of course — gratitude. This isn’t the place to offer constructive criticism or suggestions for improvement.

Say you’d like to stay in touch: Mention that you’d like to stay connected and provide your contact details. 

Don’t ask for a job offer: The best internship thank you notes are pure expressions of gratitude. If you really want to mention you’re looking for a job opportunity, find a way to do so that comes across as enthusiastic rather than presumptuous or entitled. You could write, “I really enjoyed working with your team. If any opportunities open up in the future, I’d definitely apply.”

Thank you letters after an internship are simple and straightforward. Here’s some information on the general structure and three thank you letter templates: a thank you note for your supervisor, a letter to a senior colleague who’s not your supervisor, and a letter you can use for other coworkers.

General structure

Your thank you letter should have the following overall structure:

A salutation that’s consistent with the company’s regular email practices

A first line expressing general gratitude

Details about the specific ways the recipient helped you

An invitation to stay in touch

A professional sign-off

Your contact information (personal email, phone number, LinkedIn profile )

Sample thank you letters 

Example one: Thank you letter to your boss when leaving an internship

Subject line: Thank you for the [job title] internship opportunity

Dear [boss’s name]

Thank you so much for trusting me to contribute to the [team name] team at [company name]. You run a very special group, and being part of it has been an incredible experience.

I’ve really appreciated your guidance over the last [internship time period]. I’ve learned so much about [industry name], and I look forward to applying everything I learned here in my future career. I especially enjoyed [your favorite project], as [reason you liked the project].

Watching you lead your team has also been a learning experience, and I hope to show the same [list some of their positive leadership qualities] if I’m leading a group in the future.

I hope we can stay in touch as I make my way in the industry. 

Thank you so much,

[your name]

[your contact information]

Example two: Thank you letter to another senior staff member, opening the door to a possible mentoring relationship

Subject line: It was a pleasure working with you

Dear [colleague’s name],

I’m finishing up my internship at [company name] today, and I just wanted to express my gratitude for everything you’ve taught me over the past [internship time period]. 

Thank you for taking the time to teach me about [topics]. I learned so much about [industry] from you and I’m sure I’ll be drawing on this knowledge for years to come. Your comments about [topic] will be especially useful when I’m dealing with [relevant difficult situation(s)].

I’d love to stay in touch as I advance in the industry. I hope you’ll accept my LinkedIn connection request — and my invitation for a coffee when I’m next in the area.

Wishing you all the best,

Example three: Thank you letter to a team member

Subject line: Thank you for training me!

Hi [recipient’s name],

It’s been such a pleasure working with you over the last [internship time period]. I really value the advice and support you’ve offered during this time, and I have no doubt it will give me a leg up as I move forward in [industry].

I especially appreciated your [colleague’s good qualities, e.g., patience or humor] when you taught me to [new skill] and the industry insights you gave me [over coffee, during our breaks, etc.].

I would love to stay in touch. Please feel free to add me on LinkedIn, email me anytime, or call me on [number].

Take care and I hope to see you again soon!

All the best,

[your contact details]

Even if a full-time job offer doesn’t materialize after your internship (or if you do receive an offer but decide to decline ), an internship experience sets you up with valuable professional skills and connections that will serve you well for future job searches .

Sending thank you emails after your internship supports your career in even more ways as it develops. These emails serve as a personal record of the best moments and most important learning experiences of your internship. And you can use them as career development resources in the future: you can draw on them when writing cover letters , for example, or use them to jog your memory when preparing responses to job interview questions .

If your thank you note doesn’t help you land a full-time position straight away, don’t worry. It may be leading you to the job of your dreams by a more indirect route.

Ace your job search

Explore effective job search techniques, interview strategies, and ways to overcome job-related challenges. Our coaches specialize in helping you land your dream job.

Allaya Cooks-Campbell

With over 15 years of content experience, Allaya Cooks Campbell has written for outlets such as ScaryMommy, HRzone, and HuffPost. She holds a B.A. in Psychology and is a certified yoga instructor as well as a certified Integrative Wellness & Life Coach. Allaya is passionate about whole-person wellness, yoga, and mental health.

Write thank you letters after interviews to stand out as job applicant

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Sample Thank-You Letter for an Internship

Why Write a Thank-You Letter

What to include in the letter, what not to include in the letter.

• Sample Internship Thank-You Letter

Sample Internship Thank-You Email

 Colleen Tighe / The Balance

It's always a good idea to say thank you to an employer after you have finished an internship under their sponsorship. It's a way to show your appreciation for the opportunity and to continue your relationship with the organization. If you play your cards right, it could even set the stage for turning the internship into a full-time, paying job.

The primary goal is to thank your employer and the people you have worked with for the opportunity to develop your skills, gain job experience, and learn all that they had to teach you. Extending your appreciation is the polite thing to do, and will help you leave a good impression on the people you met during your internship.

Before you write your note, consider what method to use. If you want to send a personal message, you might give your intern supervisor a handwritten card or typed letter. If you just want to send a quick note, you can send an  email .

It's appropriate to send a thank-you message to everyone who helped you. You can send a team-wide email, but you can also consider sending separate notes to each individual who worked with you during your internship.

If you go this route, make sure to send different notes, not variations on the same letter. It's unlikely people will compare, but it means more if you send a genuine thank-you and not just a form letter.

Express your gratitude and appreciation.  Make sure the phrase "thank you" is actually in your note!

Mention the details.  Include specifics about the things you learned and the experiences that were most useful. For instance, you might say, "Thank you for spending the time to explain the ins and outs of planning a campaign launch." Or, perhaps you'd say, "I really appreciate all the feedback you provided on the initial marketing strategy draft."

Provide your contact information —including your  LinkedIn URL —so that the employer and the other professionals you met during your internship can keep in touch with you should they wish. 

Ask for a job outright.  Your thank-you letter can certainly set the stage for a job offer down the line, but you don't want to seem like you're only saying thank you in order to get something else.

Use this note to keep the connection strong and express your thanks. If you mention future job opportunities, do so with tact.

Don't be negative.  Use the letter to vent frustrations or to express negative sentiments about the company, its employees, or the experience. If you had issues with any aspect of your internship, now is not the time to bring it up.

Include anything that isn't genuine.  False compliments come off as phony, even in the hands of a skilled writer. Hopefully, even if your experience was less than 100% positive, there was something about your internship that you valued. Talk about that, and leave the rest aside.

Excessive length:  While you want to be specific about what you've learned during this experience, keep your message short. Your email or letter should likely be three to four paragraphs in length at most. The main things you want to include are your appreciation, some details on what you got out of the experience, and your contact information. 

Sample Internship Thank-You Letter to Download

This thank-you letter example is a model for you to adapt and use to thank your employer after completing an internship. Use it as inspiration when writing your own message. This letter is in business letter format, with the contact information at the top. 

Download the thank-you letter template  (compatible with Google Docs and Word Online), or read the text version below.

Internship Thank-You Letter Example (Text Version)

Carrie Rodriguez 123 Main Street Anytown, CA 12345 555-555-5555 carrie.rodriguez@email.com

May 22, 2022

Ray Lee Manager, Marketing and External Affairs XYZ College 123 Business Rd. Business City, NY 54321

Dear Mr. Lee,

I want to thank you for giving me the opportunity to serve as a marketing intern at XYZ College’s Marketing and External Affairs Office. I have gained valuable insight into the marketing industry over the past six months.

Because you gave me the opportunity to work on a variety of projects, I had the chance to observe numerous aspects of college marketing, from publishing magazines and brochures, to drafting email newsletters, to maintaining the college website. You and your staff were extremely welcoming and helpful, and offered me terrific career advice.

This internship has definitely increased my interest in pursuing a career in marketing. I would love to stay in touch, and perhaps speak to you regarding steps I should take in the future to pursue a career in marketing. Once again, thank you for a terrific six months.

Your Signature  (hard copy letter)

Your Typed Name

A thank-you email is very similar to a thank-you letter. However, instead of putting your contact information at the top, you will put it at the bottom, in your email signature.

When you're sending an email thank-you message, put your name and "thank you" in the subject line of the message so that it's sure to be read.

Internship Thank-You Email Example

Subject: Your Name - Thank You for the Opportunity

Dear Mr./Ms. Last Name,

Thank you so much for a rewarding three months as the Environmental Health and Justice Intern at ABC Nonprofit.

I really appreciated your willingness to let me explore all of the departments within the company. I was able to sit in on board meetings, organize fundraising events, collaborate with campaign staff on environment policies, write content for your website, and more. You really allowed me to see how an environmental nonprofit works, from the ground up. I have gained skills in campaign research, writing social media content, and event planning.

I look forward to going back to school and completing my degree in Environmental Studies. This internship has only helped increase my desire to work for a company like yours in the future.

Thank you again for all of your support, and for all of the opportunities you have given me.

Firstname Lastname Phone Number Email Address LinkedIn Profile URL (optional)

Key Takeaways

• Be sure your thank-you letter or email is positive, even if your internship experience wasn't.
• Share examples of valuable learning experiences or skills you attained in your note.
• Share your contact information in your note or email, so it's easy for the employer to stay in touch.

Nine Tips for Ending Your Internship on a Positive Note

By Sierra Tishgart

The last few days of your summer internship are just as important as the first—if not more. You've worked hard all summer long, and the culmination of this experience will set the tone for your next career move. Wrapping up an internship the right way will ensure that moving forward, you'll receive stellar references and consideration for job openings and opportunities. If you take the time now to show your appreciation for your supervisor and lay the groundwork for keeping in touch, he or she can become an invaluable mentor throughout your career. The tricky thing is that saying goodbye to a boss can be a little awkward. Should you write a hand-written thank-you note or send an email? How do you make it known that you'd like to pursue a career at the company? And what's the office protocol on hugging? We asked the experts for their advice.

Tie up loose ends.

"If you're working on a project that extends past your last day, go the extra mile and create a status report of where you're leaving it," says Shara Senderoff, the CEO of Intern Sushi . "Your coordinator will be thankful that you're not leaving him or her in the dark."

Set up a time to talk to your supervisor.

"Asking your boss if you can meet for ten minutes before the end of your internship can be helpful," says Lauren Berger, the CEO of InternQueen.com . "Explain your career goals, ask them for advice, and discuss how the internship positively impacted your life."

Ask for feedback.

"In order to properly understand how you've contributed, kindly ask for a critique," says Senderoff. "This is a chance to understand your impact—or lack thereof—so you can improve in your next experience. Don't be afraid to ask your supervisor to name a thing or two on which you can improve. This shows your determination to succeed and is a very powerful way to leave on a respectful note."

Thank people other than your direct supervisor.

"Get time with the highest person at the company that you can," says Amanda Pouchot, the co-founder of The Levo League , an online social network for young professional women. "Ahead of time, ask for a coffee meeting or if you can swing by for fifteen minutes to discuss your career goals. Point out what you've accomplished and why you've found working there inspiring and interesting. The best way to leave the meeting is to ask if you can keep him or her updated on your work after your internship ends."

Make sure you don't just thank the people at the top—assistants and fellow interns have helped you succeed, too. "Be sure to thank anyone who made an impact on you during your internship," says Senderoff. "There is no stock method of saying goodbye to or thanking too many people. Everyone can appreciate an acknowledgement of how they've have been valuable to you."

If you want to give a parting gift, make it stand out.

"Instead of a purchased gift, create something at no cost to show your appreciation or highlight what you've learned from your supervisor," says Senderoff. "It's crucial to be unique when saying goodbye."

When in doubt, a delicious homemade baked good does the trick. "If you feel the urge to bring a gift, you can't go wrong with food," says Caroline Ghosn, the co-founder of The Levo League.

If you're passionate about a company, let them know that you are highly interested in working there—and be specific why.

Speak up if you're job hunting.

"Start by asking your supervisor for a meeting to discuss long-term employment opportunities," says Pouchot. "In that meeting, sell them on you and the work you've done, and how well you fit in within the company culture. You must let them know about your aspirations."

Ask your supervisor to put you in touch with someone who works in human resources. "If you're passionate about a company, let them know that you are highly interested in working there—and be specific why," adds Jenny Blake, author of Life After College . "Ask the hiring manager about the best way to keep in touch should any positions open up in the future. Find ways to stay on their radar even if they don't have any positions open at the moment. You can follow up in a few months and provide any updates on your end about newfound interests or skills."

If you didn't have a great experience, take the high road.

Unfortunately, not all internships supervisors are attentive and nurturing, and you and may have had limited contact with yours. Even if you didn't gain a mentor this summer, you can still benefit from your experience.

"A great way to combat a distant or tense relationship with a boss is to write up a report on everything that you worked on during the summer and send it to your boss," says Pouchot. "You could say, 'I had an amazing time this summer and learned a lot; I thought it might be helpful for me to identify the many things I worked on and what I accomplished under your direction.' Highlight to him or her what you did and learned."

Send a hand-written thank-you note.

"After the internship ends, students should mail out thank-you notes the very next day," says Berger. "It's a personal touch that goes a long way. People get so many emails these days—it's nice to get a card in the mail and know the student went above and beyond. These notes should be hand-written and just a few sentences. Always thank the employer for their time and reference one or two valuable lessons you learned from the experience."

Stay in touch.

"Make sure that you set up a calendar reminder or a note in your agenda to write a quick email to your employer on a monthly or twice-quarterly basis," says Ghosn. "Spend a half hour looking into what the company has done recently, and write your boss an email that shows that you're up to date. For example: 'Hey, I noticed you changed your homepage – I really like it because of X and Y, but I had trouble figuring out Z; do you want me to ask some of my friends to test it out and give you feedback?' It shows you're keeping up with the company and are there to help out with small gestures."

Don't overthink it! "It can be something as simple as, 'This case study came up in my marketing class that reminded me of the work I did this summer,'" says Pouchot.

By Ashleigh Carter

By Angie Jaime

By Kristi Kellogg

By Liv McConnell

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Speech for Farewell of Internship Program

Sample farewell speech for students to deliver at the end of internship program in a social organization for special or disabled persons/students/children to describe the moments and time you spend with them and what you have to learn from them.

Internship Program Farewell Speech

Ladies and Gentlemen AOA,

Today this journey finally ends, but we all are taking some wonderful memories with us. This was my 2nd year here, and as I stepped into this institution, a wave of nostalgia hit me, sending me back when I was awarded the best intern. I felt greater responsibility rested on my shoulders; I had to prove myself better than last year. This year the people I had to work with were total strangers, but I am glad that by the end, I was able to form a bond of friendship with them due to their immense support throughout our journey together.

I want to thank a few people with whom I got a chance to work. First of all, I would like to thank Miss Fatima and Miss Ramia for their support. Second, thank you, Miss Majida; your smiling face always motivated us to work in this hot weather. Thanks, Miss Aana, for helping us in classroom activities, and thanks to all my fellow interns for being so helpful, especially Fatima and Hafsa.

Lastly, I would like to add that I did this internship for a certificate and wanted to experience life. By working with these special children, I have concluded that life is not a bed of roses. We all should learn how to smile from them, for you would never miss a face without one. Learn hard work from them, for each piece that they create is not less than a masterpiece.

As much as it breaks my heart but it is time to say adios. I am leaving with countless cherishable memories that would occupy me throughout my life. So today, when I would go through these doors for the last time, I would not be alone; I would be leaving behind some precious bonds and take with me countless cherishable memories that I would adore for the rest of my life.

Speech by Volunteer in a Social Organization

Dear Audience,

The AH Foundation has an illustrious background and history that has been rooted in Pakistan’s past. This distinguishing institution has stood for the past 10 years extending loyalty, generosity, and services to the common person and that considered special.

The AH Foundation aims at rehabilitating and facilitating those mentally and physically disabled. Over the 10 years, this institution has been successfully carrying out its operations.

We have come across several NGOs that have carved out prevalence among these is ‘ NEED FOR THE NEEDY’ run by students from BDC, founded by Ayza Ishaque, Shazeb Qamar, Hamza Ijaz, and Shazeb Awan. Over the summers, they have donated sums exceeding 50,000 Rs and offering their services for social betterment.

We want to state that the members of this NGO were awarded several shields and numerous certificates. To signify their relation with AH Foundation. Overall, working with ‘NEED FOR THE NEEDY’ was an inspiration and a source of hope that there are people who are willing to make a change.

Sample short closing ceremony speech for internees in the company during regular internship or summer internship program. This short closing statement example can be delivered by the CEO, Director, and Managers.

Short Closing Ceremony Speech

Personally, I am thankful for all the participants. As I said in my opening speech at the time of the Internship that you will find your time with us exciting. Today I am sure that all of you are going with great lessons and lots of cherishable memories. So again, thanks for your time, and stay with us. God bless you all.

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Interns Leaving? Here's What You Should Do to Say Goodbye

Published july 31, 2013 • updated on july 31, 2013 at 1:46 pm.

With the end of summer comes the end of summer interns in offices everywhere. For many businesses, especially start-ups, summer interns are key players. My own business has been significantly improved this summer by five interns from across the country who dove head first into working for a start-up full-time.

I gave great thought in creating a program for our interns that not only enhanced my business but these interns’ educational experience as well. I’ve realized that what’s often missing in any internship program, though, is the proper way to wrap it up.

So as you bid farewell to your summer interns, consider these tips and tricks to ensure your interns leave with a great experience and you’ve created good relationships for your company long term.

• Say thank you! It’s easy to forget that these young men and women are working for your business or department for free or next to nothing. Don’t take that for granted. Take the time even just to order pizza to say thank you or to take them to lunch. It means a lot!

• Write your recommendations now. It may be that your interns will later ask you for a recommendation next year for graduate school, etc. Take the time to put pen to paper now while their accomplishments are fresh in your head. Save it so you can access it later.

• Consider a formal review process at the end of the program. While the interns likely won’t be staying on with your business into the school year, you can give them valuable feedback for their next position by conducting a professional review.

• Quantify what interns are doing and what will then need to get reallocated to other staff. Your interns are working 40 hours a week, and while some of their projects may be one-time things, they are likely doing some work that must be ongoing. You’ll need to have a plan to transition that work to other interns in the fall, or to existing staff (or yourself). Be cognizant of the balls that may drop when your interns leave.

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For many start-ups, internships can be a powerful funnel for future paid staff. Taking the time to give them not only a great experience, but a great farewell may mean they’re more likely to return upon graduation.

Marcy Twete is the founder/CEO of Career Girl Network and the author of the book "You Know Everybody! A Career Girl’s Guide to Building a Network That Works," to be released in summer 2013.

• Find a company

8 tips to finish your internship like a boss

Jun 11, 2020

Journaliste indépendante

Are you coming to the end of your internship and starting to plan your next move ? Not so fast! The last few days or weeks should be used as a chance for you and your team members to review the time you have spent at the company. The end of an internship does not have to mean that the door is closed to you. Now is your opportunity to lay down the foundations for a long-term relationship with the company or with some of the staff by staying in touch, or maybe even working together after your internship finishes. So, how do you mark the end of this chapter in your professional life and move on to the next one? Here are 8 tips on how to get the most out of this experience and to make sure that it serves you well in the future.

Ask for feedback from your supervisor or colleagues

Give some feedback to your supervisor

Show an interest in any position that excites you

Take advantage of the last few weeks by trying new things

Set things up for the next person

Thank your colleagues for their hospitality

Make sure you stay in touch with your colleagues

Conduct your own assessment

1. Ask for feedback from your supervisor or colleagues

The primary purpose of an internship is to give those without relevant experience the chance to observe a trade or a sector of activity and to get acquainted with the professional world. It can be a once-in-lifetime opportunity to acquire new knowledge and skills—and an excellent way for you to get some feedback from a company on the way you work. It is difficult to judge your work yourself. Even if you have had feedback after several months of working with a team, it is in your best interests to ask for a complete appraisal of your time at the company before you finish up. You could wait for your supervisor to suggest it or you could be proactive by asking them beforehand , or even organize a small meeting with your current colleagues. When you are having your exchange, be open to criticism, and that way the feedback will be constructive. It will not just allow you to validate some of the skills you have acquired and reinforce your confidence in your abilities, but it will also provide you with some useful ideas on areas for improvement. You could also ask your supervisor or your colleagues for some practical advice on how to improve certain aspects of your work such as which organizational tools or processes to put in place.

2. Give some feedback to your supervisor

What if the student became the teacher? As an intern, you are there to learn but the feedback you give to your supervisor could benefit them too, particularly in terms of management and support. Your feedback might be welcome as long as you remain respectful and humble and you make statements about the impression you were given . You can focus your account of the experience on what made you a little uncomfortable in terms of their management or communication skills, without looking like you are lecturing them. This way, your internship supervisor will have elements of reflection and analysis that will help them progress in their management skills and help them to provide better support to interns in the future. This two-way conversation will also allow you to create an authentic professional connection with that person for the rest of your career. On your end, it could inspire you to make a note of what to do and what not to do should you ever have to manage an intern one day.

3. Show an interest in any position that excites you

Don’t forget the primary goal of an internship: to introduce you to the world of work. So you should make use of your last few days in a company to look into other positions or teams. Who knows, you might find your true calling just around the corner from your current office. Taking an interest in the other positions in your team or even another one, can open you up to new professional options and enrich your knowledge of the business world . If you think your employer would not be against it and it would not interfere with your work, you could ask about spending a day or two extra at the company observing those in roles that intrigue you .

4. Take advantage of the last few weeks by trying new things

When you arrive at a company, especially as an intern, you may come across as very quiet or even shy. Some interns go overboard in their attempts to show their respect for managers . They don’t dare to share the ideas swimming around in their heads because they are scared of looking overconfident or silly. If everything has gone well, however, towards the end of your internship, you should have a good idea of how the business works, which will allow you to weigh up your ideas before presenting them to your colleagues. Any suggestions you make that are adopted or fresh ideas you introduce will give you additional experience, even if they don’t work out, and they will leave your colleagues with a positive impression of you . Remember that if one of your concepts gets chosen and developed, you may be in charge of making it happen, which will be extremely rewarding at the end of your internship. And you will have no regrets about your time at the company!

5. Set things up for the next person

When you come to the end of an internship, it would be a shame to let all your hard work go to waste. To honor your time there and leave a good impression, you should make your successor’s early days as easy as possible. Remember that when they arrive, they will not necessarily know everything that you know after having spent several months at the company. Your role is key to a smooth handover. You will be the most suitable person to provide them with instructions and advice to help them to be as effective as possible. You could start by giving your files a good spring clean and putting an order on any ongoing projects . While you are creating or updating internal documents, you should leave any important information at their disposal so they can find their way around easily. Facilitating the work of others and passing on information also shows how professional you are.

6. Thank your colleagues for their hospitality

It is important to thank those who have made this important step in your career a good experience. So do not forget to pay particular attention to those who made you feel welcome, to those who taught you things, and to those who were part of your daily life for months. The easiest way to do this is to write thank-you emails and say goodbye as your departure approaches , before thanking them in person when you are leaving. However, you could also organize a leaving party to mark the occasion or, if you like, give everyone a little gift.

7. Make sure you stay in touch with your colleagues

In some cases, an internship can turn into a temporary or permanent contract quite quickly. That’s not always possible as there may not be any vacancies when your internship comes to an end. However, the team that took you under their wing as an intern might think of you for a future vacancy or for freelance work, or even recommend you to other companies who are looking for a candidate like you, whether for the position you held or for a different one. So make sure to stay in touch with your colleagues by email, by giving them your phone number, or by sending them a request on a social or professional network such as LinkedIn. You will see that networking is important for your career and that it’s in your interest to start creating your network now.

8. Conduct your own assessment

If your school or university asks for a report at the end of your internship, it is not just because they would like to assess what you have gained in terms of know-how and interpersonal skills . It’s also a great way to make you take stock of your experience. Whether you are expected to produce an official report or not, you should draw up a personal appraisal, which you do not have to show to anyone. You can take stock and then write up your report in a notebook or on your computer. This will allow you to create a frank assessment of what you enjoyed or didn’t, what you found easy and the difficulties you came across . This way, you will be able to start the rest of your professional life with a little bit of clarity.

The last few weeks of your internship can give you the chance to add extra value to the experience. It’s during this final stretch that you may be able to transform a good internship into an excellent one. Remember our advice so this encounter can help you to lay solid foundations for your future career.

Translated by Mildred Dauvin

Photo: Welcome to the Jungle

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Land your dream job, your end-of-internship checklist.

Alexis Perrotta

If you're spending your semester interning, you’re likely nearing the halfway point of your commitment and may already be focused on your next step.

However, before you start thinking about turning in your ID badge and packing up your pens, there are several important steps to take to end your internship on a high note—and in a way that will ensure your experience will continue to benefit you, long after your final day.

Together with Denise Amisial, Idealist’s former Client Relations Manager, I’ve organized a checklist for your final weeks as an intern.

With two weeks remaining, you should:

• Take an inventory of your accomplishments. Put pen to paper and list out what you accomplished during the course of your internship. Use this same list as a reference for updating your resume.
• Consider how your accomplishments measure up. Ideally, at the start of the internship, you would have also jotted down your goals for the program . Dust off that goals list and see how well your accomplishments align with your objectives and expectations of the position from the beginning of the term. If you don’t already have a list of goals, see if you can channel the “beginning-of-semester” you and remember what you had hoped to get out of your internship when you were new to the role.
• Schedule coffee dates. Before the end-of-internship rush sets in, be sure to schedule coffee (or Zooms) with the folks you’d like to stay connected to after the semester.

With one week remaining, you should:

Gather your numbers. It’s far easier to collect data while you still have access to various social media accounts, CRMs, email marketing platforms, etc. Consider every number from your current internship that may be useful to you as you apply for future internships or jobs. Here are a few examples of the numbers you may want for your records.

If you’re a communications intern:

• Constituents reached via email
• Email open rates
• Email click through rates
• Number of original messages drafted
• Engagement rates (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.) for the messages you crafted

If you’re a development intern:

• Number of constituents or donor relationships you developed and/or nurtured
• Attendance at any events that you helped to organize
• Funds raised as a result of your efforts and work

If you’re a programs intern:

• Constituents or clients who benefited from programs and services that you worked on

In your final days on the internship, you should:

• Get feedback from your manager. Even if it’s not built in as a formal part of your internship, ask for a review. Internships should be a learning experience; but without actionable feedback, we can’t be expected to grow.
• Draft a thank-you letter (or two). This one should be a given, but just in case, don’t forget to say “thanks!” to the people who have helped you out along the way. A show of appreciation for the opportunity, as well as for someone's time and insight, will leave a great final impression.

After you’ve officially ended your internship, you should:

• Update your resume. It’s easier to jot down your responsibilities and accomplishments when you're in the closing phases of your internship or immediately after, rather than letting time pass and getting swept up in school.
• Reflect on your direction. Even if you didn't love your internship experience, you still learned quite a bit about your interests, strengths, and weaknesses. What did you enjoy about your projects and the day-to-day work? What did you dislike? How did you feel about the office environment, staff size, mission, and sector? Deliberately thinking about these things can help you begin to plot your next steps.
• Check in with career services. Every student should bring career services into this conversation. Not only are they trained to ask the right questions to help you get a handle on your direction and the steps that will get you there, they are also a part of your tuition, so why not take advantage?

And here are some tips for when you start your next internship:

• Connect with co-workers. If you're only focused on work, it's easy to forget to sit with fellow interns and co-workers for lunch, get to know employees you may not work directly with, or to even say “hi” to the person at the front desk every day. But when you graduate to the workplace, having a good relationship with colleagues is almost as important to your effectiveness as your individual work performance. Sure, this can sound scary if you tend to be shy or introverted, but it's pretty empowering to know!
• Identify mentors. If there's someone who inspires you, make it a point to sit down with them and hear their story.

Did you enjoy this post? There's plenty more where this came from! Subscribe here for updates.

As the Associate Director of Marketing and Communications at Idealist and a lifelong nonprofit professional, Alexis offers job seekers, game changers, and do gooders actionable tips, career resources, and social-impact advice.

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10 Great Internship Thank You Letter Templates

By: Author Hiuyan Lam

Posted on Last updated: October 20, 2023

Categories Professional Etiquette

Ending an internship can be both an exciting and stressful time. With your new experience on the horizon , you are ready to move onto the next endeavor in your career, hopefully with a great recommendation from this company.

The knowledge and skills you have acquired during your internship has prepared you for the professional world, therefore it is incredibly important to express your thanks for this opportunity.

Your internship thank you letter will leave a lasting impression on the company that hosted you, ensuring you will have a credible reference when filling out applications.

Here are 10 great internship thank you letter templates.

Internship Thank You Letter Templates to Express Your Gratitude and Appreciation

  It is important to express how grateful you are for the opportunity to have worked with and learn from them. Showing gratitude and appreciation for the experience, learning and skills you acquired will make them feel that having you was worth their time.  

You May Also Like:

50 Best Examples of Sincere Thank You Notes to Boss

Eight Carefully Crafted Emails for Your Last Day at Work

10 Best Templates: How to Respond to a Recruiter via Email

It is important to use the advice above, but also to craft a letter that you feel confident sending, which is dependent on what your experience was like.

It is always important to write an internship thank you letter, though, as it shows professionalism and courtesy, potentially guaranteeing you a lifelong reference.  

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Giving A Farewell Speech At Work (With Examples)

• Say Goodbye To Coworkers
• Clean Up Your Desk
• How To Ask For A Reference
• Farewell To Coworkers
• How To Resign From A Job
• Farewell Speech

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Summary. Your farewell speech at work is an opportunity to bring your time with the company to a close in a friendly way. In your speech should express your gratitude for your company and colleagues and let people know where you are going. Your speech should be personal and it’s a good idea to use anecdotes from your time in the office.

No one can stay at a job forever, and there comes a time in everyone’s career when you have to say goodbye to a group of coworkers.

Whether you got promoted and relocated, you’re retiring, or you were given a better offer by another company, it’s nice to give all of your coworkers a proper goodbye, and one of the best ways to do this is in a farewell speech.

No matter when or why you need to give a farewell speech, we’ll help you prep one that’s memorable and moving in no time. Keep reading to learn what a farewell speech is, how to create a good one, and a few examples you can model yours after.

Key Takeaways:

Keep your speech positive and use a relaxed tone while giving it.

Create an outline when writing your speech to get an idea of what you want to say before you start writing.

Thank your coworkers for their support and for creating a fun work environment.

What Is a Farewell Speech?

How to write a job farewell speech, examples of farewell speeches, tips for delivering a good farewell speech, writing a farewell speech for a colleague, farewell speech faqs.

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Farewell speeches are an opportunity to bring your time with a company to a close in a polite and friendly way. Typically, they’re short speeches you can make on your last day or if your coworkers throw you a going-away party. They don’t need to be long monologues; you just need to express your gratitude for your time with the company and let people know where you’re heading.

Keep in mind that farewell speeches don’t have to happen every time someone leaves a job or switches offices. Farewell speeches are usually reserved for people who have had a significant impact on a company, worked somewhere for a long time, or are retiring . Not everyone has to give a special speech, so if you feel like you haven’t been at a company long enough or don’t have a high enough position to make a speech, you definitely don’t need to.

Farewell speeches are pretty low pressure, and you can just speak from the heart, so they’re not the trickiest professional speech you’ll ever have to give. But, it still doesn’t hurt to be prepared and have an idea of what you want to say before your opportunity arises. Here are the steps you should take when you want to prepare your farewell speech ahead of time:

Start with an outline. Even though goodbye speeches are just a few minutes long, it doesn’t hurt to have a general idea of what you want to say before you start forming your thoughts.

Beef up your ideas. After you have an outline, you can start filling it in with anything you want to share. Be sure to make everything flow, which the outline can help with since you already know what you want your next point to be.

Let people know where you’re going. Before you wrap up your speech, make sure you take a moment to tell your coworkers what your next step is . Whether you’re retiring, moving to a new company, or having a career change, people want to know what you’re up to and how they can stay in touch with you.

Create a strong conclusion. When you’re writing the end of your speech, make sure it follows the tone you’ve created throughout the rest of the speech. If you went for a more serious tone, you should make sure you keep the ending serious, and the same goes for if you went for a humorous tone.

Edit your speech. Before you read your speech for your coworkers, you should read it aloud for yourself to make sure everything feels right. You can even have a friend read it over for you, but just make sure you give it a read over before giving your speech.

Here are a few examples of farewell speeches you can give to your coworkers before you leave your job. We’ll give you some samples of different reasons you might be departing a company.

If You’re Retiring

Hi everyone. Thanks so much for taking time out of your day to celebrate my last day with ABC Company. After 20 years here, I can’t believe I won’t be seeing that hideous fake plant and all of your lovely faces every morning. I’m immensely grateful to everyone in this room, especially my HR team. We’ve done some amazing work during my time here, from implementing our database years ago to supporting our colleagues throughout some rocky patches at ABC. I’ll miss everyone on the HR team, especially our weekly Friday gossip lunches. I also want to give a huge thanks to Linda, our head of HR. Linda’s been with me almost since my start, and I wouldn’t have gotten to where I am today without her kindness and support. Thanks for everything, Linda. I’m sad to say goodbye to all of you, but I’ll be stopping in from time to time. It’s been an incredible journey with you all, but now it’s time for me to kick back and finally watch that new show you’ve all been telling me about! Thanks again, everyone!

If You’re Leaving For Another Company

Thank you all for coming. I really appreciate you taking some time out of your days to send me off like this. I’ve loved my time here because of all the wonderful people I’ve met, so you’re making it really hard for me to leave. I just want to say a little thank you to my team, who has been by my side since I started at Smith Consulting. Without the leadership and mentorship of Brenda, I don’t know how I would’ve ever moved up to Senior Consultant . Of course, I have to thank my fellow team members Oliver, Sarah, and John, for keeping me motivated and laughing during our late-night brainstorms, countless airport trips, and meetings with tough clients. I also want to give a quick shoutout to Jamie, who will be taking over for me. Jamie is amazing, and I’ve really enjoyed working with her and watching her grow over the last month. I know she’ll do a great job and be a real asset to the team after I’m gone. I’ve enjoyed every second I’ve been with Smith Consulting, and I’m sad to leave. I’ll be moving to Chicago with my husband to be closer to our families, but I sincerely hope everyone will stay in touch. Hopefully, I’ll make it back out here soon, and we’ll have a chance to work together again. Thank you again to everyone, and I’ll miss all of you!

No matter how formal or informal your farewell speech is, you can follow these tips to make sure you deliver one that’s memorable:

Practice before the big day. Just like anything else, practicing your speech a few times before you give it is a good way to make sure it flows. It can also help you make sure you sound natural and relaxed when you give your speech.

Greet your listeners. To make your speech more lighthearted, you should acknowledge your audience before launching into your speech. Take a second to greet everyone and incorporate them into your speech.

Make it personal. At the end of the day, the speech is about you and your colleagues, so don’t be afraid to make it personal. Your audience will find it more entertaining if you make your speech specific and personal than if you just keep things generic and vague.

Stay positive. While you might be departing with your company for negative reasons, don’t bring anything up in your farewell speech.

Use anecdotes. One way to make your speech memorable and engaging is to use stories from your time in the office. Think of running jokes you have with your coworkers or talk about the great prank you pulled on your boss one year.

Thank your coworkers. While this is a speech about your time at the company, you should take time to thank your coworkers for their support and creating a fun work environment .

Keep it natural. There’s no need to force yourself to do a formal farewell speech if that’s not your personality. Do something that feels natural to you and represents who you are in relation to your audience. You can keep it light and humorous if that fits you, or go for something more serious; just keep it natural.

Use a relaxed tone. Since farewell speeches aren’t overly formal, you want to make sure you’re using a relaxed tone when you address your audience.

Be brief. Your colleagues want to hear from you, but they don’t want a ten-minute walk down memory lane, especially when they’re waiting to eat or need to get to a meeting.

Sometimes you’ll be asked to give a farewell speech for a colleague that is leaving. In this case, you’ll follow many of the same principles that we listed for a farewell speech that you’d give when you’re the one leaving.

Instead of talking about your time with the group as a whole, however, you’ll talk about the individual who is leaving.

Share some of their positive qualities and accomplishments, a few memories or uplifting experiences you had with the person, and how the person has impacted your career or the workplace as a whole.

Close by thanking them for their hard work and wishing them well as they move on to other endeavors.

How do I give a farewell speech for leaving a company?

You give a farewell speech for leaving a company by briefly mentioning a few positive memories of your time working there, expressing your sadness at your departure, and thanking your coworkers.

This speech should be more about your colleagues than about you, so make sure you keep your speech to the point and focused on topics everyone can appreciate.

General memories that most people have in common or your gratitude toward different people or groups in the organization are both great points to include in your speech.

How should I start my farewell speech?

You should start your farewell speech by thanking everyone for being there. Chances are you’re giving your speech at an event of some kind, and even if it’s just a gathering in the conference room to eat cake, you need to thank everyone for taking the time to attend.

From there, you can move into sharing what you’ve appreciated or positive things you’ve learned from your time at the company, thanking your coworkers, and sharing where you’re going next.

What are some good farewell sayings?

Some good farewell sayings are, “It’s been an incredible journey,” “I hope you will keep in touch,” and “I wish you the best.” These sayings all express your appreciation for your coworkers and your desire to continue those relationships.

It’s important to include phrases like these in your speech to show that while you may be excited about what you’re moving to next, you are still sad to be leaving this job and community behind.

How do I say goodbye to my colleagues?

Same ways to say goodbye include:

“I’m going to miss you. Wishing you luck in your new role and your future. We’ll talk soon.”

“It was a blast working with you. We will miss having you around. Goodbye, dear friend.”

“leaving this place and everyone will be difficult, thank you, everybody. Goodbye.”

“Although I am thrilled about my new position, I’m sad to leave the company. Everyone, goodbye.”

Best Speech Topics – Farewell Speech

Throughline – How To Give A Memorable Farewell Speech

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Amanda is a writer with experience in various industries, including travel, real estate, and career advice. After taking on internships and entry-level jobs, she is familiar with the job search process and landing that crucial first job. Included in her experience is work at an employer/intern matching startup where she marketed an intern database to employers and supported college interns looking for work experience.

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The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW Washington, DC 20500

Remarks by President   Biden on the Passage of H.R. 815, the National Security Supplemental

State Dining Room

10:57 A.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Good morning.  It’s a good day for America, it’s a good day for Europe, and it’s a good day for world peace, for real.  This is consequential.

I just signed into law the national security package that was passed by the House of Representatives this weekend and by the Senate yesterday. 

It’s going to make America safer.  It’s going to make the world safer.  And it continues America’s leadership in the world, and everyone knows it. 

It gives vital support to America’s partners and they — so they can defend themselves against threats to their sovereignty and to the lives and freedom of their citizens.  And it’s an investment in our own security, because when our allies are stronger — and I want to make this point again and again — when our allies are stronger, we are stronger.

I’m grateful for all — grateful to all those in Congress — Democrats, Republicans, independents — who voted for this bill.

It’s a path — to my desk, it was a difficult path.  It should have been easier, and it should have gotten there sooner.  But in the end, we did what America always does: We rose to the moment, we came together, and we got it done.

Now we need to move fast, and we are. 

Over two years, Russia has been responsible for a brutal campaign against Ukraine.  They’ve killed tens of thousands of Ukrainians, bombed hospitals — deliberately picked them out — bombed hospitals, kindergartens, grain silos; tried to plunge Ukraine into a cold and dark winter by striking their power grid.

Ukrainians have fought — the Ukrainians have fought back, defending their country and their families with extraordinary courage.  Many of you have been there with me many times.  It’s amazing what they do.  I mean, it’s amazing.    Against such a larger military, Ukraine has regained over half the territory that Russia took from them in this invasion.  And they won important victories against Russia’s navy.  But make no mistake about: They’re a fighting force with the will and the skill to win — the will and the skill to win.

For months, while MAGA Republicans were blocking aid, Ukraine has been running out of artillery shells and ammunition.

Meanwhile, Putin’s friends keep giving him — are keeping him well supplied.  Iran sent him drones.  North Korea has sent him ballistic missiles and artillery shells.  China is providing components and know-how to boost Russia’s defense production.

With all this support, Russia has ramped up its airstrikes against Ukrainian cities and critical infrastructure, rained down munitions on U- — brave Ukrainians defending their homeland.  And now Americans are going to send Ukraine the supplies they need to keep them in the fight.

This weekend, there are reports — and this is — I find this amazing.  There are reports of cheers breaking out of the trenches in eastern Ukraine — probably came from one of your folks — a reporter or someone.  I’m not sure where it came from.  But that they’re cheering as they watch the House vote in support for Ukraine.

It’s not like they don’t understand what we’ve done.  Not like they don’t understand how critical this is for them.

I’m making sure the shipments start right away.

In the next few hours — literally, the few hours — we’re going to begin sending in equipment to Ukraine for air defense; munitions for artillery, for rocket systems; and armored vehicles. 

You know, this package is literally an investment, not only in Ur- — Ukraine’s security but in Europe’s security, in our own security.   We’re sending Ukraine equipment from our own stockpiles, and then we’ll replenish those stockpiles with new products made by American companies here in America: Patriot missiles made in Arizona, Javelins made in Alabama, artillery shells made in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Texas.    In other words, we’re helping Ukraine while at the same time investing in our own industrial base, strengthening our own national security, and supporting jobs in nearly 40 states all across America.   You know, the United States is not acting alone, to state the obvious.  Our allies in Europe and around the world, who for — constantly been asking me, “Are we going to step up?  We’re not going to walk away, are we?  How many” — and some of you have been in these international meetings with me.  They’re very concerned.  Had we failed to step up, Lord only knows what would happen to the cohesion of NATO.   We’re also sendi- — they’re also sending significant help to Ukraine.  We’re all standing together against this brutal dictator.     As I’ve argued for months, this is directly — directly in the United States’ national security interest.  If Putin trium- — triumphs in Ukraine, the next move of Russian forces could very well be a direct attack on a NATO Ally.  And you all know full well that invoking Article Five of the North Atlantic Treaty would be the first thing that comes to mind, which declares an attack on one is an attack on all.   If Putin attacks a NATO Ally, like he’s attacking Ukraine today, we’d have no choice but to come to their aid, just like our NATO Allies came to our la- — our aid after the September 11th attacks here.    That’s why we’re supporting and surging support now to Ukraine: to stop Putin from drawing the United States into a war in Europe and in the future.    You know, it seems to me we should take a little bit of a step back and realize what a critical moment this was for the United States and for NATO.  This is a historical moment.   In the last two years, we’ve helped unify, strengthen, and expand NATO.  Imagine if instead we had failed — we had failed to step up now and support Ukraine.  All those gains would have begun to unravel, the cohesion of NATO would have been weakened, and our national security would have been undermined, without any question.   You know, Putin started this war believing he could easily break the will of the people of Ukraine.  When that failed, he changed his strategy a little bit, thinking he could break the — break the will of NATO, break the will of the United States, break our will.  Well, he’s failed again.   America stands with our friends.  We stand up against dictators.  We bow to no one — to no one, certainly not Vladimir Putin.    Look, this bill also includes vital support for Israel.  Just 10 days ago, we saw Iran launch over 100 missiles and drones at Israel.  And because of them and other allies across the countr- — world, including from the region, none — no serious damage occurred.  An unprecedented attack that followed years of Iran supporting Hezbollah, Hamas, and proxies of their own — their own attack on Israel.  They — they fund these guys.    My commitment to Israel, I want to make clear again, is ironclad.  The security of Israel is critical.  I will always make sure that Israel has what it needs to defend itself against Iran and terrorists it supports.   And with this aid, the United States can help replenish Israel’s air defense and provide other critical defense so Iran can never carry out the destruction it intended with its attack 10 days ago.   But at the same time, this bill significantly — significantly increases humanitarian assistance we’re sending to the innocent people of Gaza, who are suffering badly.  They’re suffering the consequences of this war that Hamas started.  And we’ve been working intently for months to get as much aid to Gaza as possible.   This bill includes $1 billion for additional humanitarian aid in Gaza.  We’re going to immediately secure that aid and surge it — surge it, including food, medical supplies, clean water.  And Israel must make sure all this aid reaches the Palestinians in Gaza without delay.    And everything we do is guided by the ultimate goal of bringing these hostages home, securing a ceasefire, and setting the conditions for an enduring peace.    You know, there’s more that this bill does, in- — as you all know, the press here, including providing for support to strengthen even further our allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific region, as well as humanitarian aid to places including Haiti, Sudan, and Somalia.    But there’s one thing this bill does not do: border security.    You know, just this year, I proposed and negotiated and agreed to the strongest border security bill this country has ever, ever, ever seen.  It was bipartisan.  It should have been included in this bill, and I’m determined to get it done for the American people.  But I’ll come back to that in another mom- — another time.    This is a reminder of what America can do when we s- — when we come together, despite our differences.    I want to thank everyone in Congress who made it possible, especially the bipartisan leadership: Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson; Leader Jeffries; Leaders Schumer and McConnell.  They don’t always agree, but when it matters most, they stepped up and did the right thing.  And I mean this sincerely, history will remember this time.  History will remember this moment.   For all the talk about how dysfunctional things are in Washington, when you look over the past three years, we see that time and again on the critical issues we’ve actually come together.  It hadn’t always been easy, but when it’s come time to decide to rebuild America, we did it with the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which is just underway.    When it came time to invest in our semiconductor industry and technica- — technologic- — technologies of the future, we did it with the CHIPS and Science Act.    And when it came time to stand with Ukraine and Israel and help the people of Gaza, we did that as well.    At the end of the day, most of us — whether we’re Democrats, Republicans, or independents — believe that America must stand up for what is right. 

We don’t walk away from our allies; we stand with them.  We don’t let tyrants win; we oppose them.  We don’t merely watch global events unfold; we shape them.    That’s what it means to be the ins- — the indispensable nation.  That’s what it means to be the world’s superpower and the world’s leading democracy.    Some of our MAGA Republican friends reject that vision, but this vote makes it clear: There is a bipartisan consensus for that kind of American leadership.  That’s exactly what we’ll continue to deliver.    I thank you all very much.  And now I’m going off to make a speech at a hotel that I am late for.  And I’ll have plenty of time to answer questions on this and other matters.    Thank you.     11:08 A.M. EDT    

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David French

Colleges Have Gone off the Deep End. There Is a Way Out.

By David French

Opinion Columnist

I had my head in a law book when I heard the drums. That was the sound of the first campus protest I ever experienced. I’d come to Harvard Law School in the fall of 1991 as a graduate of a small, very conservative Christian college in Nashville. Many of my college classmates had passionate religious and political commitments, but street protest was utterly alien to the Christian culture of the school. We were rule followers, and public protest looked a bit too much like anarchy for our tastes.

But Harvard was different. The law school was every bit as progressive as my college was conservative, and protest was part of the fabric of student life, especially then. This is the era when a writer for GQ magazine, John Sedgwick, called the law school “ Beirut on the Charles ” because it was torn apart by disputes over race and sex. There were days when campus protests were festive, almost celebratory. There were other days when the campus was seething with rage and fury.

That first protest was in support of faculty diversity, and it was relatively benign. I walked outside and followed the sound of the drums. A group of roughly 100 protesters was marching in front of the law school library, and soon they were joined by an allied group of similar size from Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. I watched as they danced, sang and listened to speeches by student activists and sympathetic professors. That first protest had an angry edge, but it was also completely peaceful and endlessly fascinating to a kid from a small town in Kentucky who’d never seen a drum circle before.

But things soon got worse, much worse. Protests got more unruly, and student activists got more aggressive. The entire campus was in a state of conflict. In Sedgwick’s words, students were “waging holy war on one another.” Small groups of students occupied administrative offices, and angry activists shouted down their political opponents in class and often attempted to intimidate them outside class. I was shouted down repeatedly, and twice I received disturbing handwritten notes in my campus mailbox in response to my anti-abortion advocacy. My student peers told me to “go die.”

Watching the protests and experiencing the shout-downs changed the course of my career. I was both enthralled by the power of protest and repulsed by the efforts to silence dissenters. Given the immense cultural influence of American higher education, I agreed with the Supreme Court’s famous words in the 1957 case Sweezy v. New Hampshire : “Teachers and students must always remain free to inquire, to study and to evaluate, to gain new maturity and understanding; otherwise, our civilization will stagnate and die.” Those words, combined with my own negative encounters at Harvard, helped define my legal career. From that point forward, I would defend free speech.

It’s been more than 30 years since that first campus protest, and over that time I’ve seen countless protests, I’ve defended countless protesters — and I’ve even been protested against at several schools. In the course of those cases and confrontations, I’ve learned that the issue of campus protest is remarkably complex and that campus culture is at least as important as law and policy in setting the boundaries of debate.

There is profound confusion on campus right now around the distinctions among free speech, civil disobedience and lawlessness. At the same time, some schools also seem confused about their fundamental academic mission. Does the university believe it should be neutral toward campus activism — protecting it as an exercise of the students’ constitutional rights and academic freedoms but not cooperating with student activists to advance shared goals — or does it incorporate activism as part of the educational process itself, including by coordinating with the protesters and encouraging their activism?

The simplest way of outlining the ideal university policy toward protest is to say that it should protect free speech, respect civil disobedience and uphold the rule of law. That means universities should protect the rights of students and faculty members on a viewpoint-neutral basis, and they should endeavor to make sure that every member of the campus community has the same access to campus facilities and resources.

That also means showing no favoritism among competing ideological groups in access to classrooms, in the imposition of campus penalties and in access to educational opportunities. All groups should have equal rights to engage in the full range of protected speech, including by engaging in rhetoric that’s hateful to express and painful to hear. Public chants like “Globalize the intifada” may be repugnant to many ears, but they’re clearly protected by the First Amendment at public universities and by policies protecting free speech and academic freedom at most private universities.

Still, reasonable time, place and manner restrictions are indispensable in this context. Time, place and manner restrictions are content-neutral legal rules that enable a diverse community to share the same space and enjoy equal rights.

Noise limits can protect the ability of students to study and sleep. Restricting the amount of time any one group can demonstrate on the limited open spaces on campus permits other groups to use the same space. If one group is permitted to occupy a quad indefinitely, for example, then that action by necessity excludes other organizations from the same ground. In that sense, indefinitely occupying a university quad isn’t simply a form of expression; it also functions as a form of exclusion. Put most simply, student groups should be able to take turns using public spaces, for an equal amount of time and during a roughly similar portion of the day.

Civil disobedience is distinct from First Amendment-protected speech. It involves both breaking an unjust law and accepting the consequences. There is a long and honorable history of civil disobedience in the United States, but true civil disobedience ultimately honors and respects the rule of law. In a 1965 appearance on “Meet the Press,” the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. described the principle perfectly: “When one breaks the law that conscience tells him is unjust, he must do it openly, he must do it cheerfully, he must do it lovingly, he must do it civilly — not uncivilly — and he must do it with a willingness to accept the penalty.”

But what we’re seeing on a number of campuses isn’t free expression, nor is it civil disobedience. It’s outright lawlessness. No matter the frustration of campus activists or their desire to be heard, true civil disobedience shouldn’t violate the rights of others. Indefinitely occupying a quad violates the rights of other speakers to use the same space. Relentless, loud protest violates the rights of students to sleep or study in peace. And when protests become truly threatening or intimidating, they can violate the civil rights of other students, especially if those students are targeted on the basis of their race, sex, color or national origin.

The result of lawlessness is chaos and injustice. Other students can’t speak. Other students can’t learn. Teachers and administrators can’t do their jobs.

In my experience as a litigator , campus chaos is frequently the result of a specific campus culture. Administrators and faculty members will often abandon any pretense of institutional neutrality and either cooperate with their most intense activist students or impose double standards that grant favored constituencies extraordinary privileges. For many administrators, the very idea of neutrality is repugnant. It represents a form of complicity in injustice that they simply can’t and won’t stomach. So they nurture and support one side. They scorn the opposition, adopting a de facto posture that says , “To my friends, everything; for my enemies, the law.”

I’ve experienced this firsthand. I vividly remember representing a campus Christian group in a dispute at Tufts University in 2000 . The group had been derecognized for requiring that student leaders of their group share that group’s traditional sexual ethic, which reserves sex for heterosexual marriage. You might disagree strongly with that view, but granting religious groups the flexibility to impose faith-based requirements on religious leaders fits squarely within the American tradition of free exercise of religion.

Tufts is a private university, so it has some flexibility in suppressing religious expression on campus, but it had no excuse for attempting to toss a Christian group from campus at the same time that it permitted acts of intimidation against those Christian students. For example, at the most contentious moment of the dispute, Tufts officials prevented my student clients and me from entering the hearing room where their appeal was being heard, while a crowd of protesters gathered in a darkened hallway, pressed up around us and herded us into a corner of the hall. There was no campus outrage at this act of intimidation. We saw no administrative response.

University complicity in chaos isn’t unusual. In a case I worked on when I was president of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, we discovered that administrators at Washington State University’s Pullman campus had actually helped plan a disruptive protest against a play put on by a student director, an intentionally provocative show that mocked virtually every group on campus.

University or faculty participation in unlawful protest isn’t confined to the cases I worked on. At Oberlin College, administrative facilitation of ugly and defamatory student protests outside a local business ultimately cost the school $36 million in damages. At Columbia, hundreds of sympathetic faculty members staged their own protest in support of the student encampment on the quad, and there are reports that other faculty members have attempted to block members of the media from access to the student encampment.

None of this is new. All of it creates a culture of impunity for the most radical students. Disruptive protesters are rarely disciplined, or they get mere slaps on the wrist. They’re hailed as heroes by many of their professors. Administrators look the other way as protesters pitch their tents on the quad — despite clear violations of university policy. Then, days later, the same administrators look at the tent city on campus, wring their hands, and ask, “How did this spiral out of control?”

There is a better way . When universities can actually recognize and enforce the distinctions among free speech, civil disobedience and lawlessness, they can protect both the right of students to protest and the rights of students to study and learn in peace.

In March a small band of pro-Palestinian students at Vanderbilt University in Nashville pushed past a security guard so aggressively that they injured him , walked into a university facility that was closed to protest and briefly occupied the building. The university had provided ample space for protest, and both pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian students had been speaking and protesting peacefully on campus since Oct. 7.

But these students weren’t engaged in free speech. Nor were they engaged in true civil disobedience. Civil disobedience does not include assault, and within hours the university shut them down. Three students were arrested in the assault on the security guard, and one was arrested on charges of vandalism. More than 20 students were subjected to university discipline, three were expelled , and one was suspended.

The message was clear: Every student can protest, but protest has to be peaceful and lawful. In taking this action, Vanderbilt was empowered by its posture of institutional neutrality . It does not take sides in matters of public dispute. Its fundamental role is to maintain a forum for speech, not to set the terms of the debate and certainly not to permit one side to break reasonable rules that protect education and safety on campus.

Vanderbilt is not alone in its commitment to neutrality. The University of Chicago has long adhered to the Kalven principles , a statement of university neutrality articulated in 1967 by a committee led by one of the most respected legal scholars of the last century, Harry Kalven Jr. At their heart, the Kalven principles articulate the view that “the instrument of dissent and criticism is the individual faculty member or the individual student. The university is the home and sponsor of critics; it is not itself the critic. It is, to go back once again to the classic phrase, a community of scholars.”

Contrast Vanderbilt’s precise response with the opposing extremes. In response to the chaos at Columbia, the school is finishing the semester with hybrid classes, pushing thousands of students online. The University of Southern California canceled its main stage commencement ceremony , claiming that the need for additional safety measures made the ceremony impractical. At both schools the inability to guarantee safety and order has diminished the educational experience of their students.

While U.S.C. and Columbia capitulate, other schools have taken an excessively draconian approach. Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas posted on X, “Students joining in hate-filled, antisemitic protests at any public college or university in Texas should be expelled.” On April 25 the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression sent a forceful letter to the president of the University of Texas at Austin condemning the display of force on campus. “U.T. Austin,” it wrote, “at the direction of Gov. Greg Abbott, appears to have pre-emptively banned peaceful pro-Palestinian protesters due solely to their views rather than for any actionable misconduct.”

At Emory University, footage emerged of police tackling a female professor who posed no obvious danger to the police or anyone else. Protests are almost always tense, and there is often no easy way to physically remove protesters from campus, but the video footage of the confrontation with the professor was shocking. It’s hard to conceive of a justification for the violent police response.

At this moment, one has the impression that university presidents at several universities are simply hanging on, hoping against hope that they can manage the crisis well enough to survive the school year and close the dorms and praying that passions cool over the summer.

That is a vain hope. There is no indication that the war in Gaza — or certainly the region — will be over by the fall. It’s quite possible that Israel will be engaged in full-scale war on its northern border against Hezbollah. And the United States will be in the midst of a presidential election that could be every bit as contentious as the 2020 contest.

But the summer does give space for a reboot. It allows universities to declare unequivocally that they will protect free speech, respect peaceful civil disobedience and uphold the rule of law by protecting the campus community from violence and chaos. Universities should not protect students from hurtful ideas, but they must protect their ability to peacefully live and learn in a community of scholars. There is no other viable alternative.

The Times is committed to publishing a diversity of letters to the editor. We’d like to hear what you think about this or any of our articles. Here are some tips . And here’s our email: [email protected] .

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David French is an Opinion columnist, writing about law, culture, religion and armed conflict. He is a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom and a former constitutional litigator. His most recent book is “Divided We Fall: America’s Secession Threat and How to Restore Our Nation .” You can follow him on Threads ( @davidfrenchjag ).

Tufts calls for end of Gaza encampment, as other schools weigh how to proceed on protests

Tufts University on Sunday said an encampment set up by students protesting Israel’s war in Gaza “must end” as the school begins to prepare for its commencement, the latest effort by school officials in the Boston area to wind down demonstrations as they try to balance students’ right to free speech while readying their campuses for the year’s biggest event.

The call for the Tufts encampment to conclude came a day after MIT president Sally Kornbluth released a video message calling for an encampment there to end soon. Both encampments remained in place as of Sunday night.

Meanwhile, officials at Emerson College said they are hoping students arrested on their campus won’t face legal action after police cleared an encampment last week. Emerson leadership announced Sunday that it would not be bringing university disciplinary action against students who were arrested.

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While protests have roiled campuses across New England and the country, Tufts officials Sunday appeared to be aiming for an encampment denouement.

“Over the past two weeks, we have respected our community members’ right to advocate for their beliefs through a small camp site on the academic quad on our Medford/Somerville campus,” Tufts leaders said in a letter signed by several top administrators, including president Sunil Kumar. “We have even delayed some preparations for Commencement as much as possible to allow the protest to resolve peacefully. But now the encampment must end, ideally peacefully and voluntarily, so we can prepare the campus for Commencement. Student Life staff will be reaching out to the protesters tomorrow morning to plan for the end of the encampment in the next few days.”

At least 15 tents remained on the lawn at Tufts on Sunday night. Protesters declined to comment but offered a brief statement, spoken by one organizer who identified himself as the press contact. “All eyes on Gaza. We won’t back down,” he said.

The college encampments in the Boston area are part of a national wave of student protests against the Israel-Hamas war calling on their schools to condemn the rising death toll in Gaza and, for some, divest from financial ties to Israel.

A total of more than 200 demonstrators were arrested or detained after police broke up the encampments at Emerson on Thursday and Northeastern University on Saturday .

Emerson College president Jay Bernhardt said in a statement Sunday that the college will not bring disciplinary action against the protesters and “will encourage the district attorney not to pursue charges related to encampment violations.” He said the college will provide housing to students who must stay in Boston for court appearances after their dorms close. Boston police cleared the Emerson encampment, which was set up in a public walkway off Boylston Street, on Thursday morning and arrested 118 people.

“The College has done its best to keep all community members safe every day during these challenging times, but we recognize that we must do more,” Bernhardt wrote. “Our leadership team is committed to redoubling our efforts, engaging and respecting all voices across our community, and actively listening and learning how to move forward together.”

Jim Borghesani, spokesperson for Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden, declined to comment on Bernhardt’s statement Sunday. It was not immediately clear when the demonstrators are expected to be arraigned, though some have said they have court dates in Boston this week.

Renata Nyul, vice president for communications at Northeastern, where more than 100 demonstrators were detained as police cleared an encampment from Centennial Common on Saturday morning, wrote in a statement that protesters who produced valid university IDs were released and “will face disciplinary proceedings within the university, not legal action.”

“Those who refused to disclose their affiliation were arrested,” Nyul wrote Saturday.

State Police on Saturday confirmed that Northeastern University Police requested their assistance after the university decided it would require students to leave the encampment.

State Police said 102 protesters “who refused to comply with orders to disperse” were arrested and were expected to be charged with trespassing and disorderly conduct. They were taken to the Suffolk County House of Correction to be booked and processed, State Police said. It was not immediately clear Sunday how many of the Northeastern demonstrators possessed university IDs and were released.

Officials from Northeastern and Emerson did not immediately reply to questions emailed Sunday afternoon, though both schools acknowledged receiving the requests.

At Emerson on Sunday, students and members of the public passed through the Boylston Place alley, wheeling carts up and down its brick ramp. Chalk scars remained on the ground and walls, smudged by apparent splashes of water. An Emerson police officer stood at the entrance to the alley around the middle of the afternoon.

Maddie Barron, an Emerson sophomore who was present but not arrested when the encampment was cleared last week, said she was “absolutely” sure she and other protesters would be facing disciplinary action before Bernhardt’s statement.

“All of us were very concerned about our future at Emerson, but we were also prepared to fight for what we believe in,” she said.

But Barron expressed doubt about whether to trust Bernhardt’s claims. She said she believes the school president has consistently failed to stand by his students.

“I’m not sure if I entirely believe that,” Barron said. “I do not trust a word that comes out of their mouth.”

Amina Adeyola, an Emerson second-year student who was among those arrested Thursday, was also skeptical, saying Bernhardt “just sent a pretty email.”

“It’s helpful. It is PR though. It’s not coming from the goodness of his heart,” Adeyola said. “It is meant to rehabilitate his own image, the school’s image, which he has damaged to a point of no return.”

She said she does not believe that Bernhardt’s request to the district attorney will carry any weight.

About 275 people were arrested on Saturday at campuses across the country. Those have pushed the number of arrests nationwide to nearly 900 since New York police removed a pro-Palestinian protest encampment at Columbia University and arrested more than 100 demonstrators on April 18. Since then, students have dug in at dozens of pro-Palestinian encampments around the country, prompting a range of responses from administrators.

In New Haven, about 40 tents were erected on Yale University’s Cross Campus Green Sunday afternoon, while protesters made a human chain to block entrance to the space, according to the student-run Yale Daily News. The new encampment comes less than a week after police arrested dozens of students at another encampment on campus on April 22.

Student protesters say they have set up the encampments to bring attention to the plight of civilians in Gaza, where more than 34,000 people have been killed during Israel’s bombardment and invasion during retaliatory operations following the Hamas-led attack on Israel on Oct. 7. More than 1,200 people were killed and another 250 were kidnapped in that attack.

In a sharp contrast to scenes at Emerson and Northeastern days earlier, the remaining Boston-area tent encampments were largely calm Sunday .

At Harvard University, officials restricted access to Harvard Yard indefinitely, as a similar encampment went up there last week. Only people with university identification cards may enter the yard, a school spokesperson said Saturday in an email. The restrictions were first reported Friday night by The Harvard Crimson student newspaper.

Protesters raised three Palestinian flags over the John Harvard statue in Harvard Yard on Saturday night, according to the Crimson . Images of the flag-raising drew anger online, including from the Republican governor of Texas.

The flags were eventually removed by Harvard facilities workers, a Harvard spokesperson said.

“The actions are a violation of University policy and the individuals involved will be subject to disciplinary action,” the spokesperson said in a statement to the Globe.

Meanwhile at MIT, the encampment on the Kresge Lawn was calm over the weekend. Protesters enjoyed Sunday’s warm weather, laying on blankets and dancing to music as some campus police officers stood nearby.

The MIT Coalition for Palestine said in a statement that the group had met Friday with university leaders and another meeting was scheduled for Saturday afternoon to discuss demands that the school cut ties with the Israeli military, but MIT administrators canceled the session shortly before it was set to begin, the coalition’s statement said.

Prahlad Iyengar, a first-year grad student studying electrical engineering at MIT who has been participating in the encampment, said Kornbluth’s video message was not well received by others at the camp.

“We are still at the negotiation table. As long as that’s the case, I think it would be unwise and irresponsible for the administration to do something like clear the encampment,” Iyengar said.

Sarah L. Ryley of the Globe staff and correspondents Cathy Ching and Adam Sennott contributed to this report, which used material from the Associated Press.

Daniel Kool can be reached at [email protected] . Follow him @dekool01 . Nick Stoico can be reached at [email protected] .

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USTR Releases 2024 Special 301 Report on Intellectual Property Protection and Enforcement

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April 25, 2024

WASHINGTON – The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) today released its 2024 Special 301 Report on the adequacy and effectiveness of U.S. trading partners’ protection and enforcement of intellectual property (IP) rights.   “Many of the issues highlighted in the Special 301 Report demand collaborative efforts from our allies and partners,”  said Ambassador Katherine Tai.   “Many of my counterparts share the goal of making sure that trade supports the interests of our people, and one of the most dangerous types of IP violations involves counterfeit goods that pose health and safety risks. In addition, the Biden-Harris Administration has continued its policy of declining to call out countries for exercising TRIPS flexibilities, including with respect to compulsory licenses, in a manner consistent with TRIPS obligations.”   This annual report details USTR’s findings in a review of more than 100 trading partners after significant research and enhanced engagement with stakeholders.  Key elements of the 2024 Special 301 Report include:

• USTR removed the Dominican Republic from the Watch List this year for significant progress on addressing concerns with IP enforcement and transparency.  Dominican Republic agencies increased enforcement actions and interagency cooperation on combating signal piracy, improved resource allocation for agencies, made publicly available enforcement-related statistics, increased the number of specialized IP prosecutors, increased enforcement actions against counterfeit medicines, and worked with various U.S. agencies to receive training and technical assistance.  The Dominican Republic has committed to continue taking enforcement actions to combat copyright infringement, including signal piracy, and to increase capacity through training and engagement with the United States.  
• USTR also removed Uzbekistan from the Watch List this year due to sustained progress on long-standing issues pertaining to IP protection and enforcement.  For example, Uzbekistan enacted new Customs Code amendments that introduce  ex officio  authority to suspend and seize counterfeit imports and exports.  Uzbekistan also continues to give high-level political attention to IP, including support for and participation in the Intellectual Property Working Group under the United States-Central Asia Trade and Investment Framework Agreement.  
• The Special 301 review of Ukraine continues to be suspended due to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.  
• For example, there remain many serious concerns regarding IP protection and enforcement in the People's Republic of China (PRC).  In 2023, the pace of reforms in the PRC remained slow.  Stakeholders continue to raise concerns about implementation of the amended  Patent Law ,  Copyright Law , and  Criminal Law , as well as about long-standing issues like technology transfer, trade secrets, bad faith trademarks, counterfeiting, online piracy, and geographical indications.  Also, statements by Chinese officials that tie IP rights to Chinese market dominance still raise strong concerns.  The United States continues to monitor closely the PRC’s progress in implementing its commitments under the United States-China Economic and Trade Agreement (Phase One Agreement).  
• In addition, while there has been progress under the U.S.-India Trade Policy Forum in addressing certain issues with trademark infringement investigations and pre-grant opposition proceedings, numerous long-standing concerns remain.  These include inadequate IP enforcement, including high rates of online piracy, an extensive trademark opposition backlog, and insufficient legal means to protect trade secrets.  Among other things, India still needs to fully implement the WIPO Internet Treaties and to ensure that copyright statutory licenses do not extend to interactive transmissions.  
• For example, the report explains concerns regarding IP protection and, in particular, enforcement in Vietnam.  Vietnam has increasingly become a leading source of online piracy and currently hosts some of the most popular piracy sites and services in the world that target a global audience.  Despite having criminal laws for copyright and trademark infringement, Vietnam has almost no criminal investigations or prosecutions.  
• Also, Mexico needs to fully implement the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), including the obligations regarding IP with transition periods that end in 2024 and 2025.  The report also details concerns regarding the high prevalence of online piracy and counterfeit goods.  
• This Administration recognizes that counterfeit products, including counterfeit medicines, can pose harms to the citizens of the trading partners where those counterfeit products are consumed.  In that regard, appropriate enforcement can also serve the interests of foreign governments.  The Report calls for adequate and effective enforcement against trademark counterfeiting, which plays a key role in reducing the potential health and safety risks due to counterfeit products.  
• On IP and public health, the United States continues to respect its trading partners’ rights to grant compulsory licenses in a manner consistent with the provisions of the WTO Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS Agreement) and the Doha Declaration.  The United States also recognizes that the TRIPS Agreement provides for additional flexibilities in public health emergencies and other circumstances of extreme urgency within a Member’s territory.   
• The Report continues to highlight ongoing concerns related to online piracy and broadcast piracy.  Examples include concerns related to stream-ripping, illicit streaming devices and related piracy apps, cable providers distributing pirated content, and illicit Internet Protocol television (IPTV) services.  Stakeholders from both unions and companies in the creative sectors have underscored the importance of copyright protection and enforcement to their livelihoods and businesses.  
• Concerns with the European Union’s aggressive promotion of its exclusionary geographical indications (GI) policies persist.  The United States continues its intensive engagement in promoting and protecting access to foreign markets for U.S. exporters of products that are identified by common names or otherwise marketed under previously registered trademarks.  The United States remains concerned about the proposed expansion of the EU GI system beyond agricultural products and foodstuffs to encompass non-agricultural products, including apparel, ceramics, glass, handicrafts, manufactured goods, minerals, salts, stones, and textiles.   
• USTR also continues to engage trading partners to address concerns on IP protection and enforcement, including through bilateral engagement under Trade and Investment Frameworks (TIFAs) and through other mechanisms.  Examples include engagements with Armenia, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Paraguay, Peru, Tajikistan, Thailand, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam.

  BACKGROUND   The “Special 301” Report is an annual review of the global state of IP protection and enforcement.  USTR conducts this review pursuant to Section 182 of the Trade Act of 1974, as amended by the Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act of 1988 and the Uruguay Round Agreements Act.   USTR reviewed more than 100 trading partners for this year’s Special 301 Report, and placed 27 of them on the Priority Watch List or Watch List.  The Special 301 review of Ukraine has been suspended due to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.   In this year’s Report, trading partners on the Priority Watch List present the most significant concerns this year regarding insufficient IP protection or enforcement or actions that otherwise limited market access for persons relying on intellectual property protection.  Seven countries are on the Priority Watch List: Argentina, Chile, China, India, Indonesia, Russia, and Venezuela.  These countries will be the subject of particularly intense bilateral engagement during the coming year.   Twenty trading partners are on the Watch List, and merit bilateral attention to address underlying IP problems: Algeria, Barbados, Belarus, Bolivia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Colombia, Ecuador, Egypt, Guatemala, Mexico, Pakistan, Paraguay, Peru, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Türkiye, Turkmenistan, and Vietnam.   PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT   USTR continued its enhanced approach to public engagement activities in this year’s Special 301 process.  USTR requested written submissions from the public through a notice published in the Federal Register on December 6, 2023 (Federal Register notice).  In addition, on February 21, 2024, USTR conducted a public hearing that provided the opportunity for interested persons to testify before the interagency Special 301 Subcommittee of the Trade Policy Staff Committee (TPSC) about issues relevant to the review.  The hearing featured testimony from witnesses, including representatives of foreign governments, industry, and non-governmental organizations.   The Federal Register notice drew submissions from 45 non-government stakeholders and 16 foreign governments.  The submissions filed in response to the  Federal Register  notice are available to the public online at www.regulations.gov, docket number USTR-2023-0014. 

To read the Special 301 Report, click  here . 

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