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A care programme in Kenya under Projects Abroad
Photo courtesy of Projects Abroad
cine and healthcare projects there.
“Many people came to us because
they want to be inspired. If you are not Internship only exists when
clear about life direction, there is no
harm in taking a leap to think about you are students
what to do next,” says Chan Wing-chi,
director of Projects Abroad for Hong
Kong.
The organisation says they sent Taking a gap year is common
944 volunteers abroad from the U.S. among mainland students as well. “Al-
most all of my colleagues took a gap
and 1,263 from the UK last year, while year,” says Jack Wong, a final year stu-
in Hong Kong, only 135 young people
joined the programmes. dent at CUHK. He had an internship
Instead of travelling and volun- at an investment company in Beijing
teering, young people in Asia espe- last semester.
“Internship only exists when
cially Hong Kong prefer to intern and you are students. After you gradu-
work to enrich their resumes, sharp-
ening their competitive edge. ate, you can no longer apply for an
internship, you apply for a job,” he
Why do Asian students prefer to says. He grabbed every opportunity
intern during gap year? to gain work experiences before he
On the application form for sus- steps into society. A semester-long
pension of studies downloaded from leave from school seems necessary for
the website of the Chinese University him to build an impressive resume.
of Hong Kong, the reasons for suspen- The workplace environment in Hong
Kong is too competitive for Jack not to
sion of studies are divided into two worry about his future employment,
categories –– internship and other
reasons. In the business school, more motivating him to plan ahead for his
than half of the students take gap career. Japanese gappers volunteer to make a fence
years for an internship. “Maybe there is someone go- for a Cambodia kindergarten
Photo courtesy of Projects Abroad