Campus Rural 2026: opportunity for rural entities in Seville with university internships

Key data

Rural municipalities at risk of depopulation now have a formal channel to incorporate university talent through professional internships. The Campus Rural program, structured through the agreement published on 3 April 2026 between the Dirección General de Políticas contra la Despoblación and the Universidad de Sevilla, creates a direct bridge between university knowledge and the real needs of rural areas.

This is not a direct financial grant for rural entities, but something with a different kind of value: access to trained students who bring technical capacity, innovation projects and dynamism to territories that would otherwise struggle to attract qualified profiles.

What does this regulation establish?

The resolution publishes the collaboration agreement between two institutions with complementary objectives:

• The Dirección General de Políticas contra la Despoblación seeks to halt the emptying of rural municipalities by bringing economic activity and knowledge to these territories.
• The Universidad de Sevilla expands its territorial collaboration network and offers its students professional experience in non-urban environments.

The agreement regulates three fundamental aspects:

• Collaboration framework: defines how both institutions coordinate to select students, assign them to rural entities and monitor internships.
• Funding: establishes how resources are distributed between the parties to sustain the program. Specific amounts are not detailed in the published resolution.
• Responsibilities: delimits what falls to each institution and what obligations are assumed by rural entities participating as student hosts.

The program forms part of the national strategy against rural depopulation, indicating that Campus Rural is not an isolated initiative but part of a public policy with planned continuity.

Economic and operational impact

For participating rural entities, the impact is not a cost but an opportunity to access resources that are not normally available in rural areas:

• Technical support: students on internships bring specialised knowledge according to their degree (engineering, business administration, tourism, communications, etc.) that can be applied to specific projects within the entity.
• Innovation capacity: the presence of university students can drive digitalisation, process improvement or the development of new services in municipalities with limited human resources.
• No direct hiring cost: as these are university internships, the economic framework differs from ordinary employment contracts. The specific conditions of remuneration or compensation are not specified in the published resolution.

For municipalities, the benefit is also one of image and dynamism: the presence of young university students contributes to local activity and can generate ties that lead to settlement or rural return.

For the Universidad de Sevilla, the agreement means expanding its network of collaborating entities beyond the urban environment, diversifying internship options for its students.

Who is affected?

• Rural area entities (local councils, cooperatives, associations, local businesses, municipal associations) wishing to host students on internships and located in rural municipalities within the area of influence of the Universidad de Sevilla.
• Rural municipalities at risk of depopulation seeking ways to attract talent and activity.
• University students of the Universidad de Sevilla wishing to complete their curricular or extracurricular internships in rural environments.
• Rural development managers and technicians working on territorial revitalisation programs in Andalusia.
• Human resources and management officers of rural entities needing to incorporate technical profiles without bearing the costs of ordinary employment.

Practical example

A association of rural municipalities in the province of Seville wants to digitalise its administrative management and develop a rural tourism strategy, but does not have the budget to hire a digital marketing technician or a public administration specialist.

Through the Campus Rural program, this association can request the placement of one or more students from the Universidad de Sevilla as interns. A Business Administration and Management student could work on improving internal processes, while a Tourism student develops the territory's promotional plan.

The result: the association obtains qualified technical support, the students gain real professional experience in an environment different from the urban one, and the municipality gains dynamism and visibility. All of this within the framework of collaboration, funding and responsibilities established by the agreement between the Dirección General de Políticas contra la Despoblación and the Universidad de Sevilla.

What should rural entities do now?

1. Assess whether your entity fits the profile: check whether your organisation is located in a rural municipality and whether you have the capacity to supervise an intern during the period established by the program.
2. Contact the Universidad de Sevilla: the agreement positions the Universidad de Sevilla as the key contact for student management. Identify the internship service or the university's business relations office to express your interest.
3. Contact the Dirección General de Políticas contra la Despoblación: as the program's promoting body, it can guide you on participation requirements, the calendar and the specific conditions of the agreement.
4. Define what you need: before requesting a student, identify what specific project or task they could develop, what educational profile you need and what internal resources you can dedicate to their supervision.
5. Follow program updates: since the entry into force date is not specified, stay alert to official communications from both institutions to learn about application deadlines and specific calls.

Official source

View full regulation at official source

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For specific decisions, please consult a qualified professional. Source: https://www.boe.es/diario_boe/txt.php?id=BOE-A-2026-7623