In 2024, German student Lars Böge completed an internship at the Beijing-based company EUROIMMUN Medical Diagnostics (China) Co. Ltd. where he conducted market research and facilitated communication between the Chinese affiliate and German headquarters using language and professional skills.
In the meantime, another German intern assisted a Beijing HR company in preparing young Chinese professionals for careers in Germany’s care sector, leveraging her language abilities to bridge cultural and operational gaps.
How did the two German students started their internships in China and supported the companies with their knowledge and skills?
The two students were from the Hanse-School for Business and Administration ("Hanse-School"), a public vocational school in the Hanseatic city of Lübeck with approximately 1,500 students, which offers 14 disciplines within the dual system including clerks for various industries, assistant and specialist within the scope of business administration.
Jens Oberbeck, head of the school’s Industry, IT Professions and Events Department, coordinates different training programs and international internships for the students. He observed a gap that the majority of Hanse-School’s students as well as people in Germany don’t know a lot about China.
When Mr. Oberbeck started the initiative to send the students to China on internships, his goal was clear: China has developed into a globally leading country. Besides U.S., China is biggest partner of German companies, and it’s necessary to learn about this market.
“To succeed in the Chinese market, one must understand its people,” he noted. “We prepare students for international work especially in China, to get a deeper understanding of what’s going on in China and the business culture of the country, which requires spending time in China. That’s why we send students for internships.”
German Internship Program: a blueprint of collaboration for youth
In the past few years, three students from Hanse-School have completed internships in China through the China-Germany Youth Interns Exchange Programme (CGYIEP), which is an initiative jointly launched by China and Germany, that aims to strengthen bilateral relations by promoting international internships for young people from both countries.
“AHK Greater China has been a reliable partner, efficiently matching our trainees with Chinese companies,” said Mr. Oberbeck, who is now coordinating more interns to China.
In July 2018, then Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and German Chancellor Angela Merkel witnessed the signing of the Joint Declaration of Intent on the Youth Interns Exchange Programme between China and Germany. CGYIEP was officially launched in October 2019, after the signing of the Implementation Plan.
Both China and Germany has official authorities leading the Program: International Cooperation Department, Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, People’s Republic of China and Asian Affairs Department, Federal Foreign Office, the Federal Republic of Germany. AHK Greater China is the only authorized implementing organization for German students to issue confirmation letters.
AHK Greater China supports companies that are recruiting German interns through this program, while also helping German interns who wish to intern in China in finding suitable positions.
German nationals who are between 18 and 35 years old and currently studying or recently graduated are eligible. This program delivers career-aligned internships matching students’ academic focus, enabling them to apply classroom theory to real-world challenges while building industry-specific skills. By immersing in a foreign workplace, they’ll sharpen language abilities, deepen cultural fluency, and forge professional connections, all critical assets for global career advancement.
For host companies, the German interns’ practical training from the dual system module that requires both academic and real work proved valuable. “Our students are well-trained and know how to work in companies—this is their advantage compared to university students, they’re mature and have experience in working in teams,” Mr. Oberbeck notes.
For Chinese companies with business relationship to Germany especially, the German interns bring more knowledge about Germany.
The lasting impact from language skills to career bridges
In Germany, internships in China are typically managed by companies with local affiliates or production facilities. However, Hanse-School fills a gap for trainees at companies lacking Chinese operations, guiding them through the complexities of securing placements from identifying host companies to navigating logistical challenges.
The interns from Hanse-School were selected through a process requiring strong academic performance, interest in China, and approval from their German employers, as the students are working with companies in Germany as part of the dual system programs. They spent three to four weeks in China.
In addition to working at the companies, two interns participated in an educational event at Guizhou College of Electronic Science and Technology in Guiyang, assisted with event coordination and knowledge exchange between German vocational training models and Chinese technical education frameworks.
After completing the internship, Lars Böge returned to Germany and found a job with a German company that has a plant in Beijing, and he’s in charge of certain products in China with his personal impact of developing his own network in Germany and China.
The school offers Chinese lessons, and the interns studied the language for about one and half years before coming to China.
“They can’t speak fluently, but could chit chat and get an idea of the Chinese language and culture,” Oberbeck says of their Mandarin skills. “They also need to pass a preparatory program about typical differences between German and Chinese people too,” he adds.
For German students considering internships in China, Mr. Oberbeck notes that the unique experience is unforgettable.
“You start to think outside of the box, and reflect yourself, you even can learn more about your home country when you have been abroad, and you’ll come back to Germany from China as a different person with widened horizon,” he said.