The Griffith Asia Business Internship Program or ‘GABI’, started in early November, with 31 students kickstarting careers and establishing professional networks in the Asia-Pacific region. After two years of remote global internships, the large majority of interns are again travelling to the Asia-Pacific, including Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, and Malaysia.
Convened by Dr Andrea Haefner, the program is supported by New Colombo Plan funding and highlights the importance of developing partnerships and enhancing Asian literacy in our students. Over the course of their 6-week placements, 31 students will learn to work across cultures, overcome language barriers, be immersed in a new country while building important soft skills to improve employability.
The student cohort is comprised of Bachelor and Master students studying a variety of disciplines including marketing, graphic design, human resource management, law, international relations, Asian business, sports management, tourism and hospitality and accounting. Students have been matched with both not-for-profit organisations and private companies of all sizes, from start-ups to large corporates, to get first insights into their future professions.
To best equip students before they commence their internship, GABI hosted the Asia Ready Program, a series of events and webinars to prepare students for the challenges and obstacles of undertaking an international internship, including a combination of industry events, language lessons, business and history intro sessions. The sessions were a great opportunity for students to ask questions and prepare themselves for the challenge of the internship. As highlighted by James Walbutton, a Bachelor of Business student with a major of accounting reflecting on the Asia Ready Program:
“Thank you so much! The last 3 days have made me feel a lot more prepared”.
Besides the Asia Ready Program, students also undertake in-country orientations, including industry briefings and networking events. From the outset, the program seeks to facilitate students in establishing and growing their networks within the Asia-Pacific region, to get a foot in the door prior graduation, and excel in a global career.
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