[The following speech was delivered in English and Chinese]
Opening
- Good morning, Business China’s Committee Members, YES partners, alumni, and students. Thank you for spending your Saturday morning with us. It is wonderful to see so many of you here, and I hope that today’s session will give you a better sense of what you can look forward to from the YES internship experience.
- To get us started, I would like to share three short stories from some of my recent conversations. The first is about looking beyond language barriers to participate in programmes in China. The second is about the increasing interest in China’s development and capabilities. And the third is about how having an early working experience overseas can shape future career perspectives and opportunities.
- Together, these stories reflect some of the possibilities that an experience in China can open up for many of you.
Story One: Looking Beyond Language Barrier
- Back to the first story. I recently had a conversation with the CEO of Mendaki, Singapore’s Malay/Muslim self-help group. We were speaking about China’s development, and how the Malay/Muslim community can better understand and engage with China.
- I am pleasantly surprised to hear about the interest in China and Business China programmes among the leaders in the community. And at the same time, our conversation also surfaced a very practical concern that many of our students may face, which is, language ability.
- It affects how confident we feel about communicating with locals and adapting to life in China.
- But through YES internship, we have also seen many students take that first step. This includes students from different backgrounds, who may not have grown up using Mandarin frequently, but are still open to experiencing China for themselves.
- One example is Nadhrah from Singapore Polytechnic, who is here with us today as one of our speakers. Nadhrah has completed her internship in Shanghai. And I look forward to her sharing later about how she navigated a different language and cultural environment in China.
- But language is only part of the equation. Sometimes, what motivates us to step beyond our comfort zone is the opportunity to learn something we may not be able to fully learn by staying where we are.
- The next story builds on this. It is about a student who chose to study in China despite the language challenge, because he is very passionate about experiencing first-hand China’s growing capabilities in technology.
Story Two: Beyond Comfort, Towards Opportunity
- I recently interviewed him for a scholarship awarded by the Singapore Federation of Chinese Clans Association. He had applied to pursue a science-related undergraduate degree at a top China university, and the programme will be taught fully in Mandarin.
- During the interview, we could tell his spoken Mandarin was relatively less fluent. Naturally, we wondered how he would cope with studying in China. The interviewers were also curious as to why he chose China, especially when he was much more comfortable speaking in English.
- His answer was very clear. He wanted to learn in a place where technology is not only frontier, but also tested, deployed and applied at scale in the real world. He was especially interested in how robotics can address the challenges of an ageing population which both Singapore and China face. China’s leadership in robotics makes it an important place to observe this up close and learn. According to the International Federation of Robotics, China has around 2 million industrial robots in operation, that’s about 4.5 times more than Japan, the global number two. And China’s robotics story is not only about the automation we see in factories today. It is also moving rapidly into the next generation of robotics, including humanoid robots and embodied AI. Importantly, these technologies are moving towards more real-world applications, such as in manufacturing, logistics, healthcare and eldercare. For a young person interested in how frontier technology can solve real societal challenges, China offers him this opportunity.
- At this point, can I have a show of hands how many of us think that the interviewers awarded him the scholarship in the end? The answer is we did. We wanted to give him the opportunity to experience China’s technological development. Not everyone may be as courageous, and we recognise his can-do spirit. I wish him all the best. I hope he not only does well in his undergrad studies, but also bring back the technological know-hows and skills to Singapore and benefit our society.
- His story shows that many young people today are thinking carefully about where they can learn best and how they can maximise opportunities, even if the path may not be the easiest. This is also aligned with the SG Youth Plan recently announced by the National Youth Council, that recognises the value of overseas experience and exposure.
- Indeed, this is increasingly seen as an important part of youth development and career readiness. At Business China, we are glad to provide platforms like YES, where our youths can gain exposure through living and working in China.
Story Three: Taking the Leap Into China and Beyond
- This brings me to the third story I want to share about how such overseas experience can change the way a young person sees the world, and ultimately, make choices about one’s career.
- Another speaker Zhu Kou’s YES journey is a positive example. She was a YES intern with Sateri (赛得利), under Royal Golden Eagle Group, in Jiujiang, which is in Jiangxi. After her internship in China, she became more open to exploring regional roles. More recently, she joined Sea Group upon graduating from SMU, where she is gaining industry experience and exposure to work across different markets in the region. Her journey shows that an overseas internship can bring about broader perspectives, including seeing the value of understanding different markets, and ways of doing business.
- Today, many Chinese companies, technologies and business models are becoming more connected with Southeast Asia. More Chinese companies are coming into Singapore, and using Singapore as a base to expand into Southeast Asia and other parts of the world. Hence, cross-cultural and bilingual skills will only become more invaluable. Singapore youth who can navigate both Singapore and China’s business environments are better placed to take on roles that connect China with regional markets.
- This is why opportunities like YES matter.
Business China’s Youth Platforms
- Beyond YES, Business China also provides other programmes for our youths to better understand China and the region, build their awareness and interest in China, develop their capabilities to navigate China, and provide immersion opportunities for them to better operate there.
- More recently, we have also seen growing interest from students across a wider range of institutions. This is encouraging, and we are glad to support youths from different backgrounds and pathways.
Closing
- Before I conclude, I would like to thank our hosting companies, sponsors and partners such as; China Construction Bank, Guangzhou Knowledge City, Hyperforge, Tanoto Foundation, Yang Guo Fu (杨国福) and Yuewen Group.
- Sitting among us here today are several Business China’s stakeholders and friends who have deep China expertise and networks. They are seated in the front rows, and we encourage our students, don’t be shy and interact with them during the networking session later.
- I would also like to thank our student volunteers for supporting today’s event.
- Let me now conclude with a few words in Mandarin.
- 所谓 “百闻不如一见” 。很多时候，只有亲身去体验，才能真正感受不同的文化、环境和工作方式，并从中学习和成长。
- 今天分享的三个故事，也希望带出三个重点。第一，语言或许是一道门槛，但不应该成为我们去学习和交流的阻碍。只要愿意踏出第一步，就能在不同的环境中慢慢适应、建立信心。
- 第二，中国的发展和应用场景，为年轻人提供了很多很好的学习机会。到中国学习，不只是学习一门专业，也是在真实环境中观察产业如何发展，科技如何落地以及这些变化如何回应社会的实际需求。
- 第三，一段海外经历的影响，可能会改变你看待未来职业发展的方向，也让你更早意识到，未来的机会可以来自世界各地。
- 最后，祝愿在座的同学们，在学习和成长的道路上，勇于探索，学有所获。谢谢大家！