Over 80 Students Experience Global Internships

This summer, more than 80 CityU students visited 6 international cities–Sydney, London, Shanghai, Tokyo, Berlin and Munich in their internships of 8 – 12 weeks under the Global Work Attachment Programme (GWAP). The participants had a rewarding time working and exploring cultures in overseas settings.

Sydney, Australia Yannis Lo Ching-Yan (English, Year 4) had been an Administrative Assistant in Halation Agency, a fashion agency. Her major duty was to help the employer facilitate communication between fashion brands and retailers. In merely 10 weeks, Yannis built up her knowledge in fashion sales management, e-marketing and customer relations management. Besides building up knowledge in the realm of business, Yannis made good observations of the local working culture, “Australia has an egalitarian culture. I noticed that my supervisor would listen to employees’ opinions before making an important decision and every colleague in the company is supportive of each other. It was also interesting to note that the customers and my colleagues would have a casual chat before they start discussing business in order to create a better partnership.”

The internship helps Yannis (right) learn about the culture of Australia.

London, United Kingdom Wong Yun-fung (Creative Media, Year 3) worked in Imakr as 3D Designer for 2 months. Imakr is a company that sells 3D printers, 3D scanners and accessories; and provides 3D printing, 3D scanning and design services. He was assigned to conduct research on the global toys and games market as well as re-organise the contents on the company’s website. As Fung recalled, the most challenging task was to create 3D models of jasmine. Most importantly, his hard work was recognised by the customers! The experience at Imakr has inspired Fung to become a 3D designer. And for him now, the goal is to set up his own design studio and e-shop in the future.

Fung (left) hopes to become a 3D designer after the internship at Imakr.

Shanghai, China Kiki Liu Tsz-ting (Translation, Year 3) had a wonderful time in The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Shanghai (SHETO). Her duties included drafting activity highlights and liaising with business partners. Reflecting on her internship, Kiki said that her most unforgettable experience was that she was nominated by the Director of SHETO to be interviewed by a newspaper as a representative of the interns who worked there! Living in Shanghai for 2 months also gave Kiki new perspectives about Mainland China. For instance, the mobile phone payment system and popularity of other mobile applications deeply impressed her. She concluded that joining GWAP was certainly one of the best decisions she has ever made.

Kiki working on an activity highlight.

Tokyo, Japan Arnaud Koo Chak-long (Management, Year 4) worked in the Tokyo office of AVIAREPS, which provides tourism, aviation and trade promotion services to its clients. Being good at speaking Japanese, Arnaud was given the chance to participate in magazine interviews with overseas wine-makers as well as food tasting and other trade events. He felt accomplished when he conducted research and analysis on various tourist destinations such as Dubai, Peru, Saipan & USA; and when he introduced interesting events in these destinations in newsletters to Japanese readers. Arnaud was amazed by the dedication his Japanese colleagues put in their work and how much teamwork and planning are valued. The open office setting at AVIAREPS well-illustrates their team spirit.

Arnaud (centre front) found himself falling in love with tourism- related work.

Berlin, Germany Cecilia Sze Shi-wah (Media and Communication, Year 4) worked for COPYTRACK, a startup company that helps clients protect their intellectual property rights. Cecilia applied her design skills and demonstrated her creativity in producing different marketing materials, which helped enhance the host company’s brand image. Being placed in a foreign workplace, Cecilia learnt to be proactive and often took the initiative to assist with her supervisor’s work. She concluded that this experience equipped her with many specific skills and provided her insights for her future career planning.

Cecilia (centre) learnt to be more proactive after working at COPYTRACK.

Munich, Germany Nicky Jiang Zhuoran (Information Systems, Year 4) appreciates the chance to work in HeroBakery, a startup company that focuses on matching talents worldwide with great career opportunities. Nicky’s duties included managing the company’s social media platforms and conducting market research. Nicky is proud that she has written 5 detailed articles for the Business Insight Blog of the company’s homepage with elaborate infographics. Working overseas for the first time, Nicky was impressed by the local culture. “The German people are highly self-disciplined and they respect rules. For instance, in Munich, there are no baffle gates in most public transport systems—that means the citizens are trusted to be honest and always pay for their ride,” she explained.

Nicky (centre) enhanced her business acumen and is now confident that she would be a competitive candidate in the job market.