An outstanding internship & language study experience in China

Kaustubh Vilas Mundada, an international student who completed his Master of Business Analytics at VU in 2019, was one of the 40 students who were selected to participate in the eight-week “Study Melbourne Language and Internship Program” from December 2018 to January 2019.

Kaustubh gained a valuable internship experience in GCiS China Strategic Research in Beijing for 5 weeks and studied Mandarin and Chinese culture in Beijing Normal University for 3 weeks through this program.

Kaustubh shares his experience with us.

The best part of the program was every participant was matched to an internship placement related to their fields of study in a reputable company in China.

I was placed in GCiS China Strategic Research which provides value-added analysis and strategic recommendations based upon field research with a focus on the China market.

I interned as an Industry Analyst under the supervision of Natasha and Tin. I proactively discussed with my supervisors what I was interested to do for my internship.

They immediately acknowledged my interest and allocated me to a project where my role was to conduct analysis and generate a report on flavour enhancers used in China.

I was able to successfully deliver my tasks at the end of the program. Not only was I able to develop industrial and technical knowledge during this internship, but also my interpersonal skills in the workplace, which will be beneficial to me in my future career.

An interesting part of the program was the extracurricular activities such as calligraphy and cooking classes, Taijiquan (a form of Kung Fu), visits to Beijing Business Incubation Park, the Great Wall and the Summer Palace. During the weekends we travelled to Xian (home to the world famous Terracotta Warriors), Shanghai and Yunnan.

The first challenge was the weather. When I arrived in Beijing, the temperature dropped to -10°C. My primary objective was to keep myself warm and healthy over the 8 weeks.

Language barrier was another issue but the Mandarin classes were very helpful in daily conversations.

In this outstanding program, I gained valuable work experience and communication skills in a different cultural setting which will help me to kick start my career.

I would like to thank Study Melbourne, China Education Association for International Exchange, Victoria Abroad, my mentors and peers who helped me throughout the program.

I am also very grateful to my teachers who taught us Mandarin in such a simple way that we could put what we have learnt into practice right away in our daily lives. Although all students in the group came from a different background, the strong emotional support and bond helped us to enjoy our stay in China despite the challenges.