Although the commercial sector is the primary focus of Chan Yat Hin's studies, his internship at the non-profit Russian New University in Moscow proved a very rewarding experience in many ways. While there, Chan undertook research assistanttype work, which required him to apply both analytical and critical thinking when reviewing data available online, and to hone his communication skills when writing reports and preparing presentations.
During the internship, Chan's research was centred on the education of children with special needs, along with education policies in mainland China. He also helped out with a wide-ranging comparison of education-related policies in place in China and Russia. The days spent on data collection involved searching the websites of relevant government departments in the two countries, as well as the sties of schools for children with learning difficulties. For a broader understanding, he also browsed UN-linked websites concerned with matters of education.
Along the way, Chan encountered some challenges. “In screening the websites, I had to analyse the data carefully to identify the credible ones,” he says. “From time to time, I would also initiate discussions with the professors supervising my work and we tackled the issues together.”
Later, he helped the team expand the scope of their research by also including data from Hong Kong.
Overall, though, these research projects were only a small part of his work in Moscow. He was not just responsible for selecting relevant data and information in Chinese, but also translating them into English and then compiling the reports which organised and incorporated all these materials. This allowed Chan to put his communication skills – and his English – to good use. “One of the most memorable moments was the session with a local education department official where the professor presented the report which I had helped to compile and research,” he says.
The whole internship experience also made Chan more aware of the issues of business ethics and academic rigour. “I was very impressed by how meticulously the academics that I met approached their research projects and paid close attention to accuracy. Working in Russia also helped me dispel some myths about the country,” he says. “My colleagues were warm and polite. They were non-hierarchical; they valued collaboration and were result-oriented.”
