Campus Rural UAB 2026: How to Incorporate University Interns in Rural Areas

Key data

Companies and rural entities have had since April 2026 a new official channel to incorporate university students in internships. The General Directorate of Policies Against Depopulation and the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) have formalized the agreement that regulates the Campus Rural Program, published in the BOE on April 13, 2026 (reference BOE-A-2026-8199).

The program has a dual objective: to offer real professional experience to university students and to bring qualified human capital to territories suffering from or at risk of depopulation. For rural entities, this means being able to count on interns without having to directly manage the university selection and academic mentoring process.

What does this regulation establish?

The agreement establishes the legal and operational framework under which the UAB and the General Directorate of Policies Against Depopulation jointly execute the Campus Rural Program. The key elements of the agreement are:

• Purpose: To facilitate the completion of academic internships by UAB students in rural municipalities, especially in depopulated areas or at risk of depopulation.
• Receiving entities: Municipalities, companies and rural associations that serve as destinations for intern students.
• Collaboration framework: The agreement regulates the responsibilities of each party (UAB and General Directorate), as well as the program's financing model.
• Dual benefit: Students gain professional experience in rural environments; receiving entities gain access to qualified university profiles.
• Rural employability: The program also strengthens the employability of students interested in developing their careers in rural environments, which can generate talent retention in these territories.

The agreement does not impose obligations on companies or municipalities. Participation as a receiving entity is voluntary and is articulated through the framework established by this institutional agreement.

Economic and operational impact

For rural entities, the main impact is one of opportunity, not mandatory cost. The agreement opens a structured channel to access UAB university students with the backing of an institutional agreement between the university and the General State Administration.

The most relevant operational aspects for a company or receiving entity are:

• Possibility of incorporating qualified university profiles in internships without assuming the costs of selection and academic management.
• The program's financing framework is regulated between the UAB and the General Directorate of Policies Against Depopulation. The agreement does not publicly detail the amounts allocated to the program or the specific economic conditions for receiving entities.
• Receiving entities assume responsibilities for practical mentoring of the student at their headquarters, in accordance with what is established in the individual internship agreement.
• The program can help meet human resource needs in specific periods, especially in municipalities with difficulties attracting talent.

Who does it affect?

This regulation directly affects three groups:

• Rural companies: Any company located in a rural municipality, especially in depopulated areas or at risk of depopulation, that wants to incorporate UAB university students in academic internships.
• Rural municipalities and local entities: Municipalities that need to strengthen their technical or administrative capacity with university profiles during internship periods.
• Rural associations: Third-sector entities or local associations operating in rural territories that can benefit from the incorporation of students.
• UAB university students: Students of any degree program at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona interested in completing their academic internships in rural environments.
• Depopulated municipalities or at risk of depopulation: The target territories of the program, which benefit indirectly from the arrival of qualified human capital.

Practical example

An agribusiness company located in a rural municipality with fewer than 2,000 inhabitants, with difficulties attracting technical or management profiles, can register as a receiving entity of the Campus Rural Program. Through the agreement between the UAB and the General Directorate of Policies Against Depopulation, the company could receive a UAB university student to complete their academic internship during a specific period.

The student would bring updated university education (in areas such as administration, agricultural engineering, communication, law or other UAB degree programs), while the company covers a specific operational need without having to directly manage the university selection process or assume the costs of academic mentoring, which fall on the university.

For the municipality, the presence of university students in internships can also help revitalize the territory and, in some cases, generate links that favor the retention of that talent in the area once training is completed.

What should companies do now?

1. Assess whether your entity meets the receiving profile: Check if your company, municipality or association is located in a rural municipality or in an area at risk of depopulation. This is the key territorial criterion of the program.
2. Contact the UAB or the General Directorate of Policies Against Depopulation: To learn about the registration process as a receiving entity, the program schedule and the specific conditions for participation, which are not detailed in the resolution published in the BOE.
3. Identify what human resource needs you could cover with an intern student: Define what university profile would be useful for your organization (management, technical, communication, legal, etc.) before starting the process.
4. Review the full text of the agreement: The resolution published in the BOE (BOE-A-2026-8199) contains the complete agreement with the financing conditions and responsibilities of each party.
5. Prepare internal mentoring capacity: As a receiving entity, you will need to designate an internal mentor who will accompany the student during their internship period, in accordance with the requirements established in the individual internship agreement.