Living and Working Overseas Through OSIP

11 BIT students participated in the Overseas Student Internship Program (OSIP) from April to August 2006. These students had an enriching learning experience working on varied and challenging tasks and projects in 5 companies in Shanghai, Shenyang and Bangkok.

Yi Ling and Wei Qiang were attached to the Singapore Pavilion at the International Horticulture Exposition in Shenyang, China to help promote Singapore’s culture, history, food, education and products like Super Coffeemix to visitors. They had the enviable opportunity to meet our Senior Minister Mentor, Mr Lee Kuan Yew, and our Minister of Education, Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam, in person, when they visited the pavilion. At Synergistic Real Estate Management & Network Pte Ltd (SRE) in Shanghai, Jason and Derek were able to apply their skills in website development to help the company create an e-commerce website and develop a content management system. They also learned market research skills and developed negotiation skills when they went on merchandising trips with company directors and assisted with market research activities. Singapore Search and Investment Capital (SSIC) which provides executive search and investment services is another company in Shanghai which offered BIT students a valuable learning experience. Through participating in the executive search process, the students developed confidence in talking to strangers and learned to communicate persuasively over the phone. For Nicole, she learned to be an independent and resourceful problem solver through her internship with Focus Media, one of China’s largest lifestyle media and advertising company. Gary and Emmanuel had an enriching experience in Bangkok at C.P. Intertrade, the conglomerate behind the well know Royal Umbrella rice. They handled customer queries, process orders and assisted with import and export consolidation.

Ms Phyllis Chong, the liaison officer in-charge of OSIP, quipped, “From the interns’ e-journals, reports and presentations, I can see them becoming more mature and independent. They were able to overcome cultural and language problems and learned to accommodate differences. The OSIP has indeed broadened their global outlook!”. She was obviously pleased with the interns’ positive learning experiences.

Wei Qiang and Yi Ling have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to speak to Senior Minister Mentor, Mr Lee Kuan Yew, in person, when he visited the Singapore Pavilion in Shenyang.


Gary & Emmanuel enjoying themselves with colleagues at the Songkak festival in Bangkok


Qinsheng, Pei Lian, Cynthia and Ziming visiting the Chinaplas exhibition in Shanghai to establish contacts for the executive search company that they were attached to.

Charity Drive

For three years in a row, we adopted the Down Syndrome Association (DSA) for our annual Charity Drive. During these events, we organized a telematch for the children and raised funds using pledge cards. We took part in the DSA annual buddy walk and also raised funds through pledge cards.

Disabled People Association (DPA) is a non-profit organization registered in 28th April 1986. It is a cross-disability organization, meaning it has members who are on wheel chair, visually handicapped people and people with other types of disabilities.

We took part in the annual Flag Day of DPA. Proceeds from the sale of flags will be used for the Association's various disability-related programmes. One of its key services is its Independent Living Centre (ILC), which introduces alternative styles of living to people with disabilities. The ILC is actually a model of an accessible 4-room HDB flat, equipped with assistive devices like a talking microwave, height adjustable stove, kitchen sink, accessible bathroom, tactile flooring and more to help people with disabilities live independently. People with disabilities, their relatives and friends can have a look at this model apartment and decide on choosing assistive devices.