Internships to build understanding of Asian business cultures
Top New Zealand students and graduates are “Thinking Asia” for their careers and spending their summer on business internships across Asia.
The Asia New Zealand Foundation is supporting 16 students and graduates from around New Zealand to undertake internships in China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Taiwan and Vietnam over the next few months. They will spend up to three months working in companies relevant to their university studies.
Asia New Zealand Foundation business programme director Felicity Roxburgh says the internships are an investment both in the individuals and in the long-term capacity of New Zealand businesses to operate in Asia.
“Some of the host companies, such as Taiwan’s Industrial Technology Research Institute and Japan’s Kyushu Railway Company, have been hosting New Zealanders for more than a decade now,” Roxburgh says.
“We’re also delighted to have some new partners on board, including Air New Zealand, South Korea’s CJ Cultural Foundation, Japan’s Mitsubishi Electric, and the Mumbai office of global PR firm Genesis Burson-Marsteller.”
The business internships are part of Asia New Zealand Foundation’s wider “Think Asia” pathway, designed to support young people to gain Asia-related skills and knowledge to support the New Zealand workforce.
“There’s no replacement to being on the ground and being immersed in a local workplace when it comes to building confidence and knowledge of Asia,” Roxburgh says.
“The Asia New Zealand Foundation’s research tells us that many young people still don’t recognise that knowledge of Asia is relevant to their careers, despite the fact most of New Zealand’s top trading partners are in Asia.”
The 2018-19 summer internships are:
Air New Zealand, Tokyo
James Bowen - commerce graduate from Victoria University of Wellington. James is currently based in Gisborne working for booking website Bookme and will spend three months at Air New Zealand gaining experience in marketing, commercial management and administration.
ANZCO Foods, Taiwan
Mac Nelson - commerce student at the University of Canterbury. He will spend three months in the Taipei office of ANZCO Foods, one of New Zealand's largest exporters, working on administration, research and analysis.
Australian Consortium for In-Country Indonesia Studies Journalism Professional Practicum
Sherry Zhang – law and arts student at the University of Auckland. She will spend six weeks in Jakarta on language and cultural training, followed by a communications work placement.
CJ Cultural Foundation, Seoul, South Korea
Kate Small – arts student at the University of Auckland. Kate will conduct market research, communicate with overseas institutions, and help social and cultural events during her time with CJ Cultural Foundation, which sits under the corporate social responsibility wing of CJ Corporation, a South Korean conglomerate.
Genesis Burson-Marsteller, India
Nick Davies – Communications graduate of Massey University in Wellington. He will spend three months working in public relations, campaign planning, event management and media relations at global public relations firm Genesis Burson-Marsteller in Mumbai.
Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre, Hong Kong
Naushyn Janah – law and arts student at the University of Auckland. She will spend three months reviewing and commenting on documents pertaining to current cases, lectures and seminars.
Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI), Taiwan
Monique Cooper - engineering and business student at Auckland University of Technology. Monique is focusing on a mechatronics project in the Service Robotics Department during her time in Hsinchu.
Shalini Guleria - engineering student at the University of Waikato and a member of the Asia New Zealand Foundation’s Leadership Network. Shalini will be working in the biomedical and device research labs in ITRI’s drug delivery department.
Tina Wei - commerce student at the University of Otago. Tina will be working for the Taiwan-USA Industrial Cooperation Promotion Office (TUSA), conducting market research and facilitating relationships between international investors and Taiwanese companies.
KPMG, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Robert Cairns - commerce student at Victoria University of Wellington. He will spend three months working at KPMG on internal audit risk consulting. Robert is also the treasurer of Ngā Taura Umanga, the Māori Students’ Commerce Association and a volunteer for Te Pūtahi Atawhai at VUW.
Jakob Gibson - law and commerce student at the University of Auckland. He will spend three months working in KPMG’s legal department. Jakob is also the business manager for the Auckland Law Review, run by law students.
Kyushu Railway Company, Japan
Benjamin Watson - commerce and law student at Victoria University of Wellington. Watson will spend three months at Kyushu Railway Company in Fukuoka, working on administration, research and analysis.
Mitsubishi Electric, Japan
Soren Bouma - computer science and mathematics student at the University of Auckland. He will spend his time at Mitsubishi Electric in Kamakura focusing on a specific project related to artificial intelligence, robotics and data analytics.
Charlene Leong - computer science and engineering student at Victoria University of Wellington. Leong is already in Japan and has been focusing on research related to machine learning.
New Zealand Consulate-General, Chengdu, China
Mabel Ye- law and arts graduate from Victoria University of Wellington and an Asia New Zealand Foundation Leadership Network member. Mabel will assist the New Zealand Consulate-General with cultural and social events, and research aspects of Southwest China that are relevant to the consulate’s work.
Skanray Healthcare and Technologies, Mysuru (Mysore), India
Pepe Rahui Mosby - biomedical engineering and law student at the University of Auckland. Skanray is a leading international healthcare technology company specialising in high frequency x-ray imaging systems, critical care, dental care, primary healthcare and telemedicine devices.
The Asia New Zealand Foundation is a non-partisan, non-profit organisation with a range of programmes designed to equip New Zealanders with first-hand experience of Asia and to forge valuable links to the region. Founded in 1994, the Foundation works in five main areas - business, arts and culture, education, media and research. It also runs a Leadership Network and takes a lead role in track II (informal diplomacy) bilateral and multilateral dialogues in the Asia-Pacific region. For more information: www.asianz.org.nz
For more information:
Rebecca Inoue-Palmer
Asia New Zealand Foundation
rpalmer@asianz.org.nz
04 470 8701
