Applications open for 2021 Asia internships


The Asia New Zealand Foundation Te Whītau Tūhono is offering New Zealand students and recent graduates a chance to undertake online and domestic internships with global Asian companies and New Zealand organisations with an Asia focus. Apply now!

The internships will provide young New Zealanders the chance to experience Asian business culture and further develop valuable work skills for their future careers.

As a result of Covid-19, in 2020 the Foundation offered the internships online for the first time and will be doing so again this year. The two-month internships are paid and will be held over the New Zealand summer.

Auckland University commerce student Kevin Li, who interned with digital marketing company United Media Solution (UMS) in 2020, says the internship provided a great opportunity to put his studies to practical use. 

“I [was able to] tackle projects of meaningful work and practice what I’ve learnt doing my Bachelors of Commerce at university, whether it be marketing research skills or managing and organising data.” 

He says the online aspect of the internship was easier than he had imagined. 

“The idea of doing an internship remotely was very foreign to me, but after spending most of the year on various Zoom calls and watching lectures from my room, I’ve come to realise just how powerful it is to use the technology to connect to people around the world.” 

The Foundation has been offering business internships since 2009 and is continually growing the pool of businesses we partner with to keep up with today’s business needs and Asia’s exciting, diverse industries.

The 2021 internships will be run across eight different sectors: law, biotech, software development, creative industries, digital marketing, trade and export, financial crime research and future food. The host companies are:

See all the internships

Asia New Zealand Foundation business programme director Alistair Crozier says the Foundation values the chance to collaborate with a diverse range of hosts across Asia and in New Zealand. 

“The internships offer a unique chance to better understand Asian culture, business protocols and economic sectors while also gaining solid professional experience.

“Confidence to engage with Asia will be more important than ever for New Zealand business as the world emerges from COVID-19.”

The application period for the internships will be between 6 August and 13 September (please note, individual internship application periods will differ).

Media enquiries:

Rebecca Inoue-Palmer

Director communications and media 

rpalmer@asianz.org.nz

(04) 470 8701