Interns immersed in Asian business culture

Three University of Auckland students have received all-expenses Asia New Zealand Foundation Te Whītau Tūhono internships.

They are Mikhael Sayat, an engineering and physics student heading to Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (GISTDA) in Si Racha, Thailand; law and commerce student Annabelle Blue who will intern at CJ Cultural Foundation in Seoul, South Korea; and engineering student Parneet Kohli who will head to Beca in Jakarta.

The scheme gives young people at the start of their careers a chance to learn how Asia does business by immersing them in an Asian business culture and industry sector.

The opportunities are at some of Asia’s top companies, and vary from tax, accounting and engineering to digital marketing, blockchain and space technology.  

Parneet Kohli, Engineering student
Parneet will intern at Beca in Jakarta, Indonesia from January to March 2020. Parneet was born in India and moved to New Zealand with his family when he was four-years-old. He has had a passion for engineering from a young age as he would take things apart and learn how they work, further pursuing STEM subjects throughout school.  

Annabelle Blue, Law and Commerce student
Annabelle will intern at CJ Cultural Foundation in Seoul, South Korea from December 2019 to February 2020. She will be conducting market research, communication with overseas institutions, assist with on and offsite events, assist cultural and social events in cooperation with the project manager. Annabelle has been actively involved in the cultural arts, from dancing to drama performances.  

Mikhael Sayat, Mechatronics Engineering and Physics student
Mikhael will intern at Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (GISTDA) in Si Racha, Thailand from February to March 2020. Mikhael will be working on projects in Space Situational Awareness as well as some projects on Satellite Operations. He is passionate about all things space such as astronomy, astrophysics, and space systems. Mikhael migrated to New Zealand from the Philippines when he was 7 years old.

An internship was also awarded to University of Auckland business graduate Klara Klippel, who works at Fonterra in the trade strategy team, and will intern at APEC Secretariat in Singapore from February to April 2020.

The internships are highly sought after, with more than 550 applications for the 21 internship places available across New Zealand.

Asia New Zealand Foundation business director Felicity Roxburgh says she was excited to see young people at the beginning of their careers heading off to Asia.

“We know from experience that these internships have the potential to change the course of people’s lives and careers, so it’s so exciting to see them off on that adventure.”

Research carried out by the Foundation consistently shows that New Zealanders learn the most about Asian places and peoples when they travel.