Economics Internships in China

Absolute Internship gave me an incredible opportunity this summer. For the first time, I was able to visit China and complete an eight week internship abroad in Shanghai. It was an incredible time where I was able to put past skills to use, all while gaining new ones. Additionally, Absolute had structured a great program with a strong balance of planned activities and free weekends to explore the city on one's own. Absolute hosted several day trips and two weekend trips, all with chaperones and busses that drove us to our locations. They planned activities for us, got our train tickets, and essentially made sure all we had to do was show up. It was amazing not to have to worry about details all while getting to see new places. One thing I absolutely loved was the housing Absolute chose to put my program in - we were in an apartment with our own rooms. Being able to come home to an empty room after a long day at work was incredible. I don't know if I would have been able to finish the program as happy as I did if I had to share a room the entire time, knowing I would've been incredibly burnt-out the entire time. It definitely wasn't the 'best' part of the internship, but it made it much better.

AIP provided excellent support throughout my internship experience in Hong Kong. From the beginning, the process was organized, clear, and much less stressful because the team was available to answer questions and provide guidance. Moving to another country for an internship can feel overwhelming, especially when you are balancing travel arrangements, housing, workplace expectations, and adapting to a new city, but AIP made the transition much easier. The communication was one of the strongest parts of the experience. I always felt that I had a clear point of contact if I needed help or had a question. The team was responsive, professional, and supportive throughout the program. They helped make sure I understood what to expect before arriving and continued to provide support while I was in Hong Kong. That gave me confidence and allowed me to focus more on learning from the internship itself. The placement gave me a valuable opportunity to experience a professional workplace in an international environment. I was able to develop practical skills, improve my confidence, and gain a better understanding of how professional work is done outside of the classroom. Living and working in Hong Kong was also a meaningful part of the experience. It pushed me to become more independent, adapt to a different environment, and learn how to navigate daily life in a fast-paced global city. I also appreciated that the program was not only about completing an internship. It gave me the chance to grow personally as well as professionally. I learned how to communicate in a workplace, manage responsibilities, work with different people, and become more comfortable in unfamiliar situations. Those are skills that will be useful in future internships, university, and my career. Overall, I am very grateful for the opportunity and for the support AIP provided throughout the process. The experience was well organized, worthwhile, and memorable. I would recommend AIP to students who are looking for an overseas internship and want the support of a team that is helpful, professional, and committed to making the experience run smoothly

My experience in Thailand has been so fun! I got to see a lot of the major temples and sites that are a must visit. I made many friends with the other interns here. The staff were very welcoming and accommodating. They helped me with any questions I had or anything in general. Overall my experience was amazing, 10/10 would recommend to anyone on the fence about it! I would even come back if I could!

After finishing school in Ireland, I didn't want to just travel — I wanted to do something meaningful. GAC's gap year program in Shanghai was perfect. I interned at a marketing agency in the mornings and studied Mandarin at Fudan University in the afternoons. The team arranged everything — my internship, classes, shared apartment, and weekend trips. I came back with real work experience, improved Chinese, and a clear direction for my future. Highly recommend.

After studying Mandarin for ten years, moving to Shanghai felt like turning years of learning into real life. Suddenly, the language I had studied in classrooms became the language I used every day: to work, connect with people and truly experience China from within. My internship challenged me professionally, while living on the other side of the world pushed me to become more independent, adaptable and confident. Knowing Mandarin helped me overcome cultural barriers and made every interaction more meaningful, from the workplace to everyday life and travelling across China. I went to Shanghai looking for international experience in one of the countries I love most, but I came back with something much bigger: the feeling that ten years of studying had finally found their purpose. China was no longer something I had learned about—it became a part of my story. Choosing just one photo to represent this experience almost feels impossible—two months in China gave me far too many places, people and memories worth capturing in a single frame.

After studying Mandarin for ten years, moving to Shanghai felt like turning years of learning into real life. Suddenly, the language I had studied in classrooms became the language I used every day: to work, connect with people and truly experience China from within. My internship challenged me professionally, while living on the other side of the world pushed me to become more independent, adaptable and confident. Knowing Mandarin helped me overcome cultural barriers and made every interaction more meaningful, from the workplace to everyday life and travelling across China. I went to Shanghai looking for international experience in one of the countries I love most, but I came back with something much bigger: the feeling that ten years of studying had finally found their purpose. China was no longer something I had learned about—it became a part of my story. Choosing just one photo to represent this experience almost feels impossible—two months in China gave me far too many places, people and memories worth capturing in a single frame.

After studying Mandarin for ten years, moving to Shanghai felt like turning years of learning into real life. Suddenly, the language I had studied in classrooms became the language I used every day: to work, connect with people and truly experience China from within. My internship challenged me professionally, while living on the other side of the world pushed me to become more independent, adaptable and confident. Knowing Mandarin helped me overcome cultural barriers and made every interaction more meaningful, from the workplace to everyday life and travelling across China. I went to Shanghai looking for international experience in one of the countries I love most, but I came back with something much bigger: the feeling that ten years of studying had finally found their purpose. China was no longer something I had learned about—it became a part of my story. Choosing just one photo to represent this experience almost feels impossible—two months in China gave me far too many places, people and memories worth capturing in a single frame.

Before going to Hong Kong, i thought all I was going to experience is the internship itself and nothing else. Until I realized the intern group provided other memorable experiences for us. I met a LOT of new people and got to know more about them and how we all ended up in Hong Kong. What an experience

After finishing school in Denmark, I wanted something meaningful before university. GAC's gap year program in Beijing was perfect. I interned at a consulting firm in the mornings and studied Mandarin at BLCU in the afternoons. The team arranged everything – my internship, classes, shared apartment, and even weekend trips to the Great Wall and Xi'an. I came back with real work experience, improved Chinese, and a clear direction for my future. Best decision I ever made. If I get to do it again, I will certainly go with GAC's program.

As an engineering graduate from Milan, I wanted hands-on experience in manufacturing. GAC placed me with a tech company in Shenzhen where I worked on real production projects. My colleagues were incredibly supportive, and my mentor taught me how Chinese factories operate at scale. The team handled my visa, found me a modern apartment, and checked in regularly. Three months later, I returned to Italy with practical skills and a job offer. Highly recommend for any engineering student. I came back knowing what would be next step in my career.

After high school in Sweden, I wanted something more meaningful than just traveling. GAC's gap year program in Shanghai was perfect. I interned at a trading company in the mornings and studied Mandarin at Fudan University in the afternoons. The team handled everything – my internship, classes, shared apartment, and weekend trips to Hangzhou. I came back with real work experience, improved Chinese, and a clear direction for my future. Best decision I ever made and I will do it again If i get the chance to do so.

After finishing high school in Norway, I wanted something more meaningful than just traveling. GAC's gap year program in Shanghai was exactly what I needed. I interned at a trading company in the mornings and studied Mandarin at Fudan University in the afternoons. The team arranged everything – my internship, classes, shared apartment, and weekend trips to Hangzhou and Suzhou. I came back with real work experience, improved Chinese, and a clear direction for my future. Best decision I ever made.

After finishing school in Sweden, I didn't want to rush into university. GAC's gap year program in Beijing was perfect. I interned at a marketing agency in the mornings and studied Mandarin at BLCU in the afternoons. The team arranged everything – my internship, classes, shared apartment, even weekend trips to the Great Wall and Xi'an. I came back with real work experience, improved Chinese, and job offers. Best decision I ever made.

After finishing school in Ireland, I didn't want to just travel – I wanted to do something meaningful. GAC's gap year program in Shanghai was perfect. I interned at a marketing agency in the mornings and studied Mandarin at Fudan University in the afternoons. The team arranged everything – my internship, classes, shared apartment, and even weekend trips to Hangzhou and Suzhou. I came back with real work experience, improved Chinese, and job offers. If you're thinking about a gap year, skip the backpacking and do something that builds your future.

After finishing school in Germany, I wanted something more meaningful than just traveling. GAC's gap year program in Beijing was perfect. I interned at a consulting firm in the mornings, studied Mandarin at BLCU in the afternoons, and explored China on weekends. The team handled everything – my internship, classes, shared apartment, even weekend trips to the Great Wall and Xi'an. I came back with real work experience, improved Chinese, and job offers. If you're thinking about a gap year, do this.

After high school in Switzerland, I didn't want to rush into university. GAC's gap year program in Beijing was exactly what I needed. I interned at a consulting firm in the mornings and studied Mandarin at BLCU in the afternoons. The team arranged everything – my internship, classes, shared apartment, even weekend trips to the Great Wall and Xi'an. I came back with real work experience, improved Chinese, and clarity on what I want to study. If you're thinking about a gap year, skip the backpacking and do something that builds your future.

After finishing school in Germany, I didn't want to just travel – I wanted to do something meaningful. GAC's gap year program in Beijing was perfect. I interned at a marketing agency, studied Mandarin at BLCU, and explored China on weekends. The team arranged everything – my internship, classes, shared apartment, even weekend trips to the Great Wall and Xi'an. I came back with real work experience, improved Chinese, and job offers. If you're thinking about a gap year, do this.

As a mechanical engineering graduate from Sweden, I wanted hands-on experience in renewable energy. GAC placed me with a clean tech company in Shenzhen working on EV battery systems. I wasn't just observing – I was in the lab, running tests, analyzing data, and presenting findings to senior engineers. My mentor taught me how Chinese manufacturing works at scale. The team handled my visa, found me a modern apartment, and checked in weekly. Three months later, I landed a job in green tech back in Stockholm. My China experience made my CV stand out. Worth every krona.

Finished uni in Sydney and had no idea what to do next. I didn't want a normal gap year of just backpacking — I wanted something that would actually help my future. GAC's gap year program was perfect. I spent 6 months in Beijing: interned at a marketing agency in the mornings, studied Mandarin at BLCU in the afternoons, and explored China on weekends. The team arranged everything — my internship, classes, shared apartment with other interns, even weekend trips to the Great Wall and Xi'an. My Mandarin went from zero to holding conversations. My internship gave me real experience I still use in interviews. And the friends I made are from all over the world. If you're Australian and thinking about a gap year, skip the usual backpacking route. Do something that builds your future. This was the best decision I ever made.

Finished uni in Swiss and had no clue what to do next. Found GAC's gap year program and figured why not. Spent 4 months in Beijing—interned at a marketing startup in the mornings, took Mandarin classes in the afternoons, and explored the city on weekends. The team found me a shared apartment with other international interns, so I never felt alone. Made friends from all over the world. My Mandarin went from zero to ordering food, bargaining at markets, and actually having conversations. Came back with real work experience, a global network, and way more confidence. Now applying for jobs in international business. If you're stuck after graduation, do this.