The Harvard China Student Internship Program offers seven-week internships at Chinese corporations, NGOs/NPOs, and multinational companies in Greater China, plus a one-week field trip. Students experience modern China through their internship placements and gain an introduction to Chinese history and culture, all while learning first-hand about life in the workplace. The field trip offers an opportunity to visit important cultural institutions, and to meet with people from all walks of life—from farmers to entrepreneurs and professors.
In previous years, students have interned at companies in a variety of industries including consulting, education, investment, healthcare, research, retail, environment, and NGO.
Since 2008, the Harvard China internship program has grown into one of the largest and most successful summer internship programs at Harvard. In 2023, the summer internship aims to run fully in person. Please note that the plan is subject to change due to the evolving COVID-19 pandemic situation. We urge you to consult Harvard’s official website regarding COVID-19 for the most recent travel guidance and healthcare resources.
The program is managed by the Harvard China Fund staff in Shanghai and Cambridge.
Please click here to watch a vlog created by one of our 2019 interns to learn more about the program orientation week.
How To Apply
Program Dates: Saturday, June 17 to Friday, August 11, 2023.
Eligibility: Returning undergraduates from all concentrations are eligible to apply. Chinese language is not required to apply, but many internship positions require some knowledge of oral and written Chinese. Students must be able to commit to the entire 8-week program.
Potential Host Locations: Students may be able to participate in Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Singapore depending on individual situations.
Potential Host Institutions: Please check on CARAT.
Program Fee: $3,500 (including a $100 confirmation deposit)
Funding: All participants will be eligible to receive funding for airfare, housing and stipend from OCS, HCF and host institutions. In addition, the week-long field trip will be fully covered by the program.
Application Deadline: Monday, February 6, 2023
Info Session: 12pm on Tuesday, December 6, 2022, with FREE LUNCH. Sign up here to receive the invitation!
Please submit the following materials when applying:
- 2023 HCSIP Application (download from CARAT)
- Essay (no more than two pages double-spaced, see application form for the topic)
- Unofficial transcript
- Resume (no more than one page)
- Letter of recommendation
Please submit all application materials through CARAT, Harvard’s centralized application tool, and select the funding source Harvard China Student Internship Program. While all efforts should be made to submit the recommendation letter through CARAT, if your recommender is unable to access CARAT, please have them send their letter directly to Emmeline Liu at emmeline_liu@fas.harvard.edu.