Interns from HK, Macao develop a taste for Shenzhen

Experience is the teacher of all things.

Hong Kong and Macao students who study at universities on the Chinese mainland recently got a taste of the potential and promising future of Shenzhen through a two-month internship project launched by the Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Modern Service Industry Zone.

To integrate young people from Hong Kong and Macao into the overall development of the country, Qianhai has recruited 759 of them in recent years. Of those, 60 found jobs in Qianhai.

Cora Ho, a Hong Kong student at Jinan University, is one of the interns. She worked as part of an operation planning team at a company in Qianhai over the summer.

Her workday always starts at the refrigerator: Take food out and then take a 15-minute subway rides to get to the company.

To facilitate the internships, the Qianhai administration bureau arranged for apartments nearby their workplaces.

"Enrichment" is how He summarizes her internship over the past few weeks. Besides being responsible for the company's new media operation, she has been encouraged to try other things at the company.

"My boss always motivates me to undertake jobs in different fields in the company while lending me a hand when I need it," she said.

The administration bureau also organizes themed activities for the interns after work. Last week, Ho and her companions visited the headquarters of drone-maker DJI. The different models of drones on the display rack and the demonstrations by DJI's staff left a deep impression.

"It turns out that drones can now be manipulated through facial expressions and body language," she said.

"The internship in Qianhai has broadened my horizons. I experienced a different lifestyle and work rhythm here. I never thought I'd work in Shenzhen before the internship, but now I hope to stay in the city."

Some of the interns have already turned their dreams into reality. Yannie Lee from Hong Kong graduated from Shenzhen University to become an employee of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Youth Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center in Qianhai.

"Being able to cooperate with many outstanding entrepreneurial young people and seniors is a great help for me in developing my career," Lee said.

Sou Man Kit of Macao is a junior student majoring in international business at Sun Yat-sen University. After finishing his internship in Qianhai in September, Sou plans to to seek postgraduate admission to Peking University and the University of Hong Kong.

Looking forward to the future, he said: "I have communicated with many of my fellow interns. After experiencing the internship in Qianhai, I will seriously consider the possibility of working in Shenzhen after getting a master's degree."