The global pandemic has revolutionized the patterns of interregional business. Nowadays, remote working has become a more permanent fixture in business operations. It is no surprise that, for the new generation of graduates, skills to communicate effectively in a remote setting will be must-haves. Last summer, the Student Affairs Office organized two in-house virtual 'overseas' internships, providing students with the opportunity to work with Japanese and Turkish companies on specific projects. Both programmes also came with pre-internship training and cultural experience workshops.
Tao Zhenyang, a student in Electronic and Computer Engineering, was placed in Turkish software company Kartelam. He reflects, 'We were tasked with enhancing the UX design of the company website and collecting users' feedback on it. In the process, I gained handson experience in common UX design tools including Google Analytics and Firebase, and sharpened my communication and problem solving skills through teamwork. I enjoyed the pre-internship cultural experiences, especially the Ebru painting and mosaic lamp workshops,too!
Global Business and Marketing student Winkia Chung Wing-ki worked for sake brewery Takamasamune, investigating Hong Kong's import regulations on alcoholic beverages and related market preferences. She is impressed with the interactions with her supervisors and colleagues. 'We received lots of valuable comments from Mr Harada, Mr Daigo and Ms Kyungmi. It was also wonderful to work with Japanese interns Eri and Misaki. They are nice and innovative, and have taught me a lot of Japanese phrases and words. I'd like to keep in touch with them.'
Psychology student Catherine Yeung Lokning also embraced the cultural experience brought by the internship. Her host company was TNYWAY, a Turkish company developing mobile 'tiny houses'. 'Thanks to the preinternship training, I was able to introduce myself in Turkish to my employer,' she says. 'As a psychology student, it was a precious opportunity for me to work with business people and understand their mindset.'
