11
SPOTLIGHT
Oct 2012
UMP
ɽኪᄿఙ
B
osnia, Egypt, Ghana and mainland places like Guiyang and Inner Mongolia may not be the popular destinations
for holidays, not to mention internship. Last summer, with the new collaboration between the Career Planning and
Development Centre and various organizations, e.g. AIESEC-LC-CUHK, The Centre for Civil Society Studies, Hong Kong
Institute of Asian Pacific Studies and Youth Civil Society, around 500 students have stepped out of Hong Kong to explore
these places, and many others around the globe, through internship under the Global Internship Programme (GIP) 2012.
We are glad that students found their internship experience fruitful and memorable. Some of them would like to share with
you about their offshore exposure below:
An Exposure to Explore the World -
Global Internship Programme
Global Internship Programme (GIP) at a Glance
Programme history
:
Since 1997
Variety of industries
:
Business, cultural industry, education, government, medicine, non-government
organizations, technology
Recruitment period
:
January (ALL disciplines are welcome)
Website
:
http://cpdc.osa.cuhk.edu.hk/student/gip
Figures of GIP 2012
No. of participants
:
Around 500
No. of host countries
:
Over 20
No. of host organizations
:
Over 190
I worked as an intern in Ghana in Western Africa for six weeks. I joined a group of interns
from around the world to organize the ASK project, which aimed at educating local students
the basic knowledge about HIV and ways to prevent them from getting the disease. We
conducted training sessions in several schools and organized a closing ceremony for the
whole project. The children there were optimistic, passionate, energetic and eager to learn.
They were active in class and willing to raise questions. After the trip to Ghana, I realized
that happiness depends on your choice, but not your conditions.
Amine Yau (Biology / Year 2)
Intern in AIESEC Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
My experience in Egypt was probably a story different from others, and I feel so blessed to have this
exposure. I ran into people on the other side of the globe, and they come from all walks of life. Finding
accommodation was also quite an experience, especially when I could not read nor speak the local
language. Some of the hard experiences were launching myself into new situations and forcing myself
to adapt, but the payoff turned out to be one of the biggest rewards. The exposure has changed how I
see the world - a great and big one waiting to be explored. I do not settle for following the path others
set for me. Instead, I love that I am writing my own story.
Hanley Li (Integrated BBA / Year 4)
Intern in InterMark Marketing and Advertisement Agency, Cairo, Egypt
Through the internship, I learnt a lot and started to have a better idea of what I would like to do in
my future career. As a lobby manager, I helped to solve problems for clients in various matters,
e.g. preparation of supporting documents and filling of forms. The position allowed me to meet
people of different backgrounds and broaden my horizon. I am happy to have been exposed to
the unique culture of Chongqing, known more about the city as well as the country and made a
lot of new friends.
Jaco Yeung (Integrated BBA / Year 1)
Intern in Agricultural Bank of China, Chongqing, mainland China
The internship in MTR Corporation Limited was an eye-opening experience. As Hangzhou Line
1
was still at the stage of construction and system testing during my internship, I was lucky
enough to have the chance to witness the implementation of the project and gain a better
understanding of the operation of MTR. I also experienced the cultural difference between
companies in Hong Kong and on the Mainland. Communicating with colleagues, who come
from all around China, has not only improved my Putonghua but also communication skill. I
really enjoyed the internship and learnt a lot.
Kelvin Lau (Mechanical and Automation Engineering / Year 3)
Intern in MTR Corporation Limited, Hangzhou, mainland China