Image
CCRC Asia – China Internship Programme
The School of Law is committed to developing our Chinese linksand this has lead to the introduction of a three year scholarship programme for one law student to gain real-world, hands-on work experience in a top legal firm in China in conjunction with CRCC Asia’s China Internship Programme each summer.
The School of Law’s China Internship Scholarship funds one aspiring student to a maximum value of €2,000 to undertake a 3-month work placement in Shanghai, Beijing, or Shenzen.
Third and Fourth year undergraduate students (Law Plus or Law & Accounting) and First year Graduate Entry students may apply. You must have a minimum QCA of 2.9. A School of Law scholarship is available to the value of €1,500 towards the overall cost of a 2 or 3 month work placement with CRCC Asia.
Contact Dr Kathryn O'Sullivan for more details.
Image
Sichuan University, Chengdu, China – University Immersion Programme
Building on the School of Law’s links with China’s prestigious Sichuan University (SCU), opportunities exist for undergraduate and postgraduate students to participate in SCU’s Summer Immersion Programme. In 2015, supported by a generous scholarship from the School of Law in UL and Sichuan University, a team of 10 School of Law students completed the two week programme in China, with fellow students from all around the world, gaining an invaluable international education experience.
We would like to invite applications from LLM/MA students or Grad Entry students interested in forming part of a School of Law postgraduate law student team to travel to Sichuan University, China for the University Immersion Programme.
The UIP at Sichuan University is designed to provide international students the opportunity to gain campus experience in one of top 10 Chinese Universities and explore the unique West China Cultures. It offers a wide range of courses to meet the academic needs of students studying abroad and intensive Chinese cultural studies. Previous Chinese language study is not required. All courses will be taught in English.
Program highlights include:
- Study with Sichuan University full-time students
- Mingle opportunity with students from the world-wide
- Broad and diverse range of courses available
- Field trips to world historical, cultural and natural heritages sites (Buddhist, Taoist temples and Panda Breeding Center) etc
- Countless opportunities to take part in local cultural experiences and academic events
As with previous years, scholarships to the value of approximately €400 are being provided to international students attending the program by Sichuan University. There are no application fees and no tuition fees. Moreover, on campus accommodation is provided to all students attending from partner institutions around the world (including UL) at no charge.
This is a prestigious opportunity to be part of an international education programme, studying law/legal issues in China in classes delivered by world leading lecturers and mingling with fellow students from the top universities in the world (Harvard, MIT, KULeuven etc).
Third and Fourth year undergraduate law students (Law Plus or Law & Accounting), First and Second year Graduate Entry students, and postgraduate students can apply. Minimum eligibility has yet to be confirmed.
For more details contact Dr John Lombard.
"The time that I spent in China has provided me with invaluable experiences on a personal and professional level.
I came across the CRCC programme when a university lecturer of mine encouraged me to apply for one of the scholarships on offer. I was immediately attracted to the prospect of working and learning in China. I was extremely lucky enough to win a partial scholarship at this chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to live and work in China has many benefits, specifically gaining work experience that will benefit me in future job prospects.
I worked in a company called LegalMall which is a subsidiary of Ray Yin & Partners. It deals with foreign clients looking to establish a business presence in China or to deal with a legitimate Chinese business. It provides services such as company verification, certificate verification, finding a lawyer, recommending a supplier and providing free consultation.
During my internship most of my time at the beginning was spent redesigning and making changes to the company website.
From making sure the layout is clear and user-friendly, to what the text would actually say on each webpage to attract more clients. I never did any marketing before so that was a good learning experience. I also enjoyed researching about and writing the business article on Alibaba. I enjoyed the independence during this task as I was required to use my own initiative regarding the research about the topic. I learned a lot more about current business news on online trading in China which I found very interesting. Furthermore, the opportunity to learn from a Chinese perspective on business has helped me develop as a young professional.
The company that I worked for encouraged team work in different projects so that was an added bonus to be able to say I’ve done teamwork projects in China.
I think in most western countries, having an international work experience especially in a country that is fast-paced and vibrant like China is becoming more highly regarded these days. Learning and adapting to a completely new culture and a different way of doing business really is a priceless life achievement. It shows to prospective employers you can adjust to a new situation and you are willing to learn new things and gain a different perspective in life. I feel like this would really boost my CV and help me to really stand out from the crowd.
I am very grateful to CRCC for the amazing opportunity they gave me and must I say the best summer of my life. They were literally like a parent and a close friend at the same time. From picking us up at the ferry port to providing us with a local sim card and a book guide showing must-see local tourist places and restaurants; their level of help and guidance was definitely above and beyond my expectations.
They took away the unnecessary worry and stress that living abroad on your own can bring. This made me focus more on important things like going to every networking event and really getting myself out there. These events helped me build confidence when engaging with people of all cultures and statures. In any walk of life, the experience of these engagements are beneficial as you never know what doors they may open.
The best part of my experience in China was the other interns from all over the world I was lucky to meet. They have the same drive and ambition, and are also goal-oriented individuals like myself. They inspired and taught me that I need to get out there more, travel, and learn more. Building relationships through networking connections is the most basic and central part of doing business in China. Through this, not only do you get by day-to-day activities, you really advance yourself when it comes to achieving goals or seeking business or personal advice.
I would strongly recommend interning in China and applying for any scholarships that may be on offer. Students from the School of Law, University of Limerick, are very lucky to be presented with such fantastic opportunities to work or study abroad and gain invaluable experiences to develop oneself both personally and professionally.
It is never too early to start applying for various opportunities at home or abroad even if you’re just a first-year student. There are endless possibilities for you if you take the initiative and apply for any opportunity that appeals to you, whether it might sound crazy and completely irrelevant to what you’re doing right now or what you think you want to do in the future. Every opportunity is relevant if it is a life experience and you can take away something from it and learn a valuable life lesson.
Personally, I would encourage anybody to try new experiences. If anybody has the opportunity to embark on this amazing adventure, I would encourage them to embrace it. It is important to come with an open mind and with the right attitude, you will most definitely enjoy your time in China. With its rich culture, fascinating history and very hospitable locals, it is hard not to fall in love with this beautiful country."
My name is Siobhan Sugrue and I recently completed a three-month long legal internship in Shenzhen, China. The internship was organized and arranged by CRCC Asia, a company whose vast network enables it to offer placements of one to three months in various industries within China.
I was lucky enough to be granted a scholarship by UL’s Department of Law to fund 3 months within Liu & Wang Attorneys at Law, a Chinese law firm based in Shenzhen, China.
Liu & Wang is part of a bigger law firm, Guangdong HaiPai, which is actually based in Hong Kong, where most of the international cases and contracts the company dealt with originated from. They deal with a large variety of law, mainly foreign related legal matters such as foreign investment, international trade, and intellectual property.
CRCC Asia organised everything initially; transportation from the airport, a metro card used each day to travel to work, and provided us with a local SIM card and a guide showing must-see local tourist places and restaurants, their level of help and guidance was definitely above and beyond my expectations.
fter the induction, where they gave us further tips and advice, we were left to find our own feet; although the team had an excellent response time (via phone or email) in dealing with any questions or problems. The accommodation was fantastic, clean and safe, and everyone had a private room to themselves.
After I met my supervisor, I was given an extremely exciting case to work on, a project which was the highlight of my work experience in China.
The case which was related to the military coup in Thailand, which a few years ago made news headlines across the world. We (in conjunction with a Thai law firm) were to represent a Chinese electronics company who had been contracted to produce one tablet computer for every single child of primary school age in Thailand, within one year. I was tasked with writing a brief on the case itself, and creating a short summary/presentation of the Thai ‘One Tablet per Child’ policy. Other tasks involved proof-reading contracts and letters which had been translated from Chinese to English. This was quite interesting but also challenging as concepts or turns of phrase that are familiar to a particular culture or language, may not transfer well to another. The teamwork that was required to reach a mutually understandable translation was very fulfilling and rewarding, and a great lesson in patience, communication, and cultural awareness.
Would I recommend the CRCC Asia program? Absolutely, they deliver an incredible experience to anyone who is willing, positive and open to opportunity.
As with any internship there was a lot of downtime, and it can be difficult to stay enthusiastic. To do well, living and working, in China, it is necessary to be flexible and positive. You have to know that you won’t be able to control everything but that there is a lot to learn and experience. The interns that gain the most from their experience in China are the ones that are able to adapt easily and can maintain perspective when facing new and different experiences in a culture that is so different from anything they’ve experienced in the past.
I think my internship in China will prove to be great for my professional career. As I apply for jobs in the legal field, employers are especially interested in my experience working in a law firm.