International students come to Ho Chi Minh City for internships.

A group of Singaporean students at a meeting at their internship company in Ho Chi Minh City - Photo: TRONG NHAN

AIVision, a company specializing in AI solutions and based in Phu Nhuan District (Ho Chi Minh City), is currently recruiting five special interns. These include three students from the National University of Singapore and two students from Nanyang Technological University.

These are two prestigious universities in Singapore, one ranked 8th and the other 15th according to the latest global university rankings published by QS.

"Vietnam still has a lot of potential."

Choy Qi Hui, a data science and analytics student at the National University of Singapore, arrived in Ho Chi Minh City in May 2024. She shared that during her three-month internship, she and her fellow students followed the eight-hour work schedule of full-time employees, under the supervision of the Chief Technology Officer.

Each morning, there's a scheduled 30-minute meeting with the project manager. Hui's team is tasked with supporting the front-end programming (website interface) for the company's new chatbot. At the end of each week, the team provides a progress update.

"My internship wasn't too difficult, partly because my colleagues were very helpful. However, there's a gap between what I learned in university and the reality of the job. Many of the lessons I learned in school were more theoretical, while the workplace requires more practical knowledge and skills," Hui said.

"Why did you choose to do your internship in Vietnam instead of a larger country, or at least stay in Singapore for your internship?" we asked.

Hui explained that, first of all, doing an internship abroad would still allow for more learning than doing it domestically. Vietnam is a rapidly developing country with much potential in both technology and economics .

Furthermore, in your opinion, if you're planning to build a career in Southeast Asia, you need to understand Southeast Asian businesses and markets. "Internships will help me delve deeper and understand many things that are very useful for my future career path," Hui shared.

Experience a new work environment.

Yang Yihan, a student majoring in Data Science and Economics at the Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, added that besides considering the country where they plan to intern, they are also interested in the company they want to work for.

Before deciding on an internship location, students will research the company's operations, projects, and environment. For example, the company where Yihan's group is interning is a tech startup, and some members of the group also aim to join a tech startup. Therefore, the internship serves as a chance for them to experience the work environment they will be in later.

Anselm Chin, a final-year engineering student at Nanyang Technological University (Singapore), and a group of Singaporean students shared an apartment in District 4 (Ho Chi Minh City) during their internship.

Every day, the group takes a Grab taxi to Phu Nhuan for work. Every evening, they usually spend time eating, drinking, and having fun in Ho Chi Minh City. Occasionally, they also take trips further afield.

The students shared that Ho Chi Minh City and Singapore have many similarities, from lifestyles to daily habits. Therefore, the internship could allow them to explore a new destination that is not entirely different from Singapore.

After completing their internship in Ho Chi Minh City, students will return to their school in Singapore to complete their remaining courses and graduate.

If you've decided to build your career in Southeast Asia, you need to understand Southeast Asian businesses and markets. Internships will help me delve deeper and gain a lot of valuable insights for my future career path.

Choy Qi Hui (Analytical Data Science student, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore)

Diversity for the company's workforce

In recent years, IVS – a software development company based in District 3 (Ho Chi Minh City) – has frequently accepted international students for internships, mostly from Japan.

Mr. Pham Thanh Huu, director of IVS, said that depending on the period each year, there are periods with about 5-7 Japanese students coming for internships, and periods with 1-2 students. Among the interns are students from many famous universities in Japan such as Kyoto University, Kyoto Institute of Technology, etc.

Students typically choose internships ranging from six months to a year, with a minimum internship duration of three months. They may be assigned to various roles, from engineering to sales.

"Japanese students are very proactive and usually don't worry too much about whether the assigned tasks are directly related to their major. This is quite different from Vietnamese students, who are usually concerned that internships must be in their field of study. For many Japanese students, even if assigned tasks outside their field, they are still willing to accept and do well to gain experience ," Mr. Huu said.

On the other hand, Mr. Huu believes that the presence of international interns creates diversity within the company's workforce. They also act as "ambassadors," sharing stories and images about the company and its working environment once they return to their home countries.

Furthermore, it is undeniable that international students also contribute a significant amount of time and effort to the progress of the company's projects.

"To attract international students for internships, the company first needs to have international connections. For example, we have networking activities with universities and associations in Japan. These will be bridges connecting international students to the company for internships," Mr. Huu stated.

A systematic strategy

According to Mr. Le Nhat Quang, Director of the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center at the Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City, some universities in Singapore often include overseas internships for students in their training programs.

Schools that follow this approach will have two options. One is to do internships in developed countries such as the US, Australia, and Europe; the other is to do internships in Southeast Asian countries, including Vietnam.

According to Mr. Quang, Southeast Asia is considered a promising internship destination for Singaporean students because universities want their students to understand the markets, technologies, and cultures of the countries in the region. This makes it easier for them to later work for multinational companies or start businesses in the region.

The current investment landscape also shows that Singapore is the largest investor in Ho Chi Minh City.

Mr. Quang added that because they established this goal from the outset, Singaporean universities are usually very proactive in connecting with partners. Some universities even have departments dedicated to connecting with partner companies and start-ups in countries across the region.

For example, the University of Social Sciences Singapore (SUSS), the National University of Singapore, and Nanyang Technological University are connected with the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center of the Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City, and many startups are operating at the center.

Each year, this department updates its needs and the fields requiring student interns, and acts as a liaison for students to come to Vietnam for internships.

A delegation from the University of Social Sciences Singapore (SUSS) visited the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center of the Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City to "pave the way" for student internships - Photo: IEC

To attract international students

Similarly, Mr. Huynh Van Hoa Hiep - CEO of AIVision - said that the relationship between companies and departments within a university is very important so that they can have enough confidence to recommend students for internships.

Mr. Hiep himself previously worked as a speaker for universities abroad. Afterward, the company will proceed to sign MOUs with faculties and departments of universities regarding student internships. Company information will also be published on various university information channels.

Mr. Huynh Van Hoa Hiep revealed that the company will provide a monthly allowance to the group of Singaporean students interning at the company. Each student will receive 5 million VND.

However, according to Mr. Hiep, money is not the main reason why students come to Vietnam for internships; it's the experience of work and life.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/sinh-vien-quoc-te-den-tp-hcm-thuc-tap-20240702083810645.htm