The OUHK internship programme has offered Kailash Prasai diverse learning opportunities, allowing him to hone his all-round skills and pave the way to a career in business after graduation. For instance, in the summer of 2019, he joined a volunteer team sent to Iasi in Romania by AIESEC, a not-for-profit youth-run organisation committed to global sustainable development. This experience was built on his previous US internship at the YMCA of Greater New York in 2018.
“My ultimate aspiration is to establish an import and export company targeting the Southeast Asian region,” says Prasai, who has family links with Nepal. “But before that, I would like to work for other companies, perhaps in logistics, to gain insights and build connections.”
During the YMCA internship, the focus was largely on business as Prasai assisted with marketing and fundraising. But in Romania, there were more calls for his analytical, communication and leadership skills. His role there was to work as a “cultural ambassador” for students aged between 8 and 15. Together with his fellow team members – undergraduates representing 35 different nationalities – he developed teaching materials and engaging activities. He also conducted workshops to help the young pupils enhance their understanding of the diverse cultures found in Turkey, North Africa, Hong Kong and Nepal.
In doing this, Prasai had to observe his “target audience” carefully to identify their needs and recognise what would work best. The objective was to tailor the syllabus to specific groups and ensure the subject matters resonated with them. As a result, he has acquired new skills which will surely prove to be useful in future, in part because business is all about understanding the needs of target customers and tailoring services or products accordingly.
The workshops were also designed to inspire the kids to think about their personalities and how to improve. In class, Prasai employed his soft skills to lead conversations in a way that put the youngsters at ease and, at the same time, stimulated new ideas and perspectives. “They were willing to share their ideas and ask questions,” he says. “I tried my best to engage them in discussions about some relatively provocative issues, such as poverty.”
Altogether, it was a very fulfilling experience, especially when seeing the students analysing the issues, enthusiastically suggesting possible solutions, and providing critiques of others' ideas backed up by careful reasoning and logical thinking. “When I led workshops, I would observe the students, steer the conversation, and encourage all of them to contribute ideas,” Prasai says. “These also helped in developing my leadership skills.”
