Reflections on my BCI Project Assistant Internship

Our 2023-2024 intern, Émilien Luigi looks back at his time as the Leeds Business Confucius Institute (BCI) Project Assistant. 

An exciting opportunity to develop various skills

One of the greatest aspects of the internship is that you get to contribute to various projects that, in turn, develop numerous transferable skills.  

Social media

A key focus of my internship has been developing the BCI Instagram account, building on the work of my predecessor Simona Grandsberga.

We were keen to introduce our audience to useful and authentic Chinese, so I worked very closely with our teachers to identify topics and make recordings with relevant language. I then turned the clips into a series of educational posts.

From working or studying in China to travelling, you can take your pick and start learning everyday Chinese sentences and phrases.

What was interesting about this project is that I got to work in collaboration with other members of staff while learning how to use digital media tools such as Canva and Facebook/Meta Business Suite and professional recording equipment in Helix. 

I also learned some great Chinese expressions that hadn't come up in my degree studies!

Events

But my internship was not limited to social media, I also got to be involved in various events!

During the 2023-2024 academic year, the BCI hosted a wide range of events focusing on the theme of interculturality and cross-cultural communication with China. The whole team was especially delighted to see how popular both our Chinese New Year Celebrations (looking ahead at HELIX and celebrating at the Business School) were!

I especially enjoyed Lexie Morris’ lecture on UK-China business and communication as it allowed me to better understand how cultural expectations can influence business practices.

I am thankful that this internship featured a substantial event support component, as it allowed me to acquire a completely new set of skills while helping to deliver fascinating guest lectures for students, staff and members of the public.  

Intercultural communication

Another key aspect of the internship is the extent to which it contributed to the development of my communication skills in an international environment.

Working at the BCI meant that I got to interact on a weekly basis with various members of the team both in Chinese and English and to work in projects where the Chinese language is always involved. This was a great opportunity to use my Chinese in a more professional context and to maintain the level I had coming back from my year abroad in Taiwan.  

Highlight of the internship 

My favourite moment of this internship was going to London with the Leeds BCI to follow all the developments of the 2024 Chinese Bridge Competition (汉语桥). This was a valuable opportunity because it gave me the occasion to see the behind-of-the-scenes of this prestigious event and to meet the very talented candidates that were taking part in it.

In addition to reporting on the Leeds participants who did wonderfully, I got to interact with various Chinese news outlets, asking them questions about the technological aspect of their profession. 

Overall reflections

Overall, this internship featured all sorts of different tasks that gave me the opportunity to develop my skills related to interpersonal communication, social media, event support, and more. It is a wonderful opportunity for any student eager to take on a part-time position alongside their studies and who is dedicated to promoting cross-cultural understanding with China.

The BCI gave me the opportunity to have a blend of in-person and remote work, as well as organise most of my hours freely. This was extremely valuable as it allowed me to combine my internship with classes and other work duties and, in turn, I trust that such a flexibility contributes to making this internship appealing to a wide and diverse range of students, including those who may need to work several jobs. It was also a great way to develop my organisational and time-management skills.  

I would especially like to thank Frances Noble, the BCI’s Communications and Engagement Officer, for her constant support and advice throughout this internship. I would also like to express my gratitude towards the BCI’s voluntary teachers Meifang Tu, Chang Lu and Xiujuan Wu, whose precious help made our language series possible.

Next challenge

I trust that this internship has greatly contributed to developing my employability as it allowed me to secure the Marketing Assistant position at the Leeds International Piano Competition!