Photo Gallery - BridgeUSA-FUSIA’s J-1 Internships

August 15, 2011 – Last weekend (Aug 13 & 14), CCIP students participated in the annual Dragon Boat Festival held at the Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Flushing, Queens in New York City.

The weather on Saturday at the event was wonderful. Students were able to fully enjoy everything the festival had to offer. Sunday's weather was much less pleasant. However, when Sunday's teams were asked if they wanted to stay home, they insisted on attending, regardless of the rain.

CCIP students fielded teams of paddlers and pitted themselves against professional racers each day of the festival. While they raced competitively, the students did not pull out a victory. However, the weekend was still a resounding success for all of the student-racers and student-volunteers, as well as the CCIP program as a whole. The entire weekend was a great experience for them and offered many team-building opportunities.

"We really are all in the same boat and have done a great job! We overcame the challenges of the bad weather and the experienced competitors and successfully showed the passion and the team spirit of a bunch of Asian students. I was deeply touched by their courage and determination. We are really proud of our 17 dragon boat team members," said Terence Chen (Team manager) of the Chinese University of Hong Kong and Ronald Lai (Team Captain) of the University of Hong Kong.

Other CCIP participants volunteered at the event, working at the VIP tents. Some of the students attracted quite a crowd, teaching and painting with children at the festival. The most popular design was Dragon Boats painted on to fans handed out to attendees.

The festival brought out some important people, such as Assemblywoman Grace Meng, who is also a host company in CCIP, Councilman Daniel J. Halloran Ⅲ, Councilman James Gennaro, New York State Senator Toby Ann Stavisky, etc.

Councilman Gennaro enjoyed the custom t-shirts CCIP students were wearing and was lucky enough to go home with one of his own. Councilman Gennaro and Assemblywoman Meng were kind enough to pose for a photo with the students, as did State Senator Toby Stavisky, who sent also congratulated CCIP students on another successful year with a formal letter to CCIP students.

CCIP would like to thank all of the students who participated throughout the weekend for their dedication. Your hard work and time were very much appreciated and the day could not have been as fun or successful without you:

Volunteers: Ryan Cheuk Ming Cheung, Sam Lou Kuok, Hoi Ying Mak, Yiou Zhu

Manager: Ke Chen

Captain and Co-Captains: Chuk Man Lai, Yun Shi, Kai Yan

Paddlers: Pindan Hao, Jingyuan Liu, Siu Wang Chong, Dan Hu, Hanzhang Yin, Fengjun Zhang, Kai Song, Amy Li, King Wai Shing, Chiu Chun Li, Ho Yan Chu, To Cheong Mok, Ruiyang Tang, Mingzhe Li

Wed, Aug 17, 2011 - Yesterday (Aug 16), the Cross-Cultural Internship Program (CCIP) held its 2011 Appreciation and Closing Ceremony at New York City Surrogate's Court. The ceremony began at 5pm with all of the student-interns looking sharp, and giving guests a big dose of international goodwill with welcoming smiles.

The guests in attendance included Manhattan Borough President Scott M. Stringer, a representative from NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg's office, representatives from NYS Assemblywoman Meng's office, NYS Assemblyman Lancman's office, Senator Gillibrand's office, Comptroller Liu's office, NYC Councilman Mark Weprin's office, as well as representatives from host companies, past and present, community leaders, business people, and members of the press.

With great honor, Manhattan Borough President Scott M. Stringer declared August 16, 2011 "Cross-Cultural Internship Day" in Manhattan. He spoke highly of CCIP and stated that the program has provided an excellent platform for cultural exchange and brings an undeniably positive energy to the whole City of New York.

Other guest speakers included Herman Chan, Director of Careers and Placement from the University of Hong Kong; Fred Teng, Chairman of the Hong Kong Association of New York; Andrew Leung, Executive Vice President of YU & Associates, Inc.; and Marc Haken, CCIP advisor and Chair of the Youth, Education and Library Committee of Community Board 8. Each credited CCIP with having a meaningful effect on the cultural exchange between Asia and America.

The event was about showing appreciation to all of those who support CCIP. The following individuals and community organizations were honored at the event:

- NYPD Community Affairs Bureau that gave two special sessions on safety in NYC
- Mr. William Nelson for his assistance and the Flushing YMCA for accommodating CCIP's students
- Mr. Fred Fu for helping CCIP connect with the community and for suggesting the baseball game at Citi Field
- The Charles B. Wang Community Center, which went above and beyond the call of duty in caring for CCIP students
- Morgan Jones, Queens Director, NYC Mayor's Cultural Affairs Office for supporting the program since the beginning
- Meghan McCormick Snell for her assistance and Congressman Gary Ackerman for allowing CCIP to visit his office and for introducing the students to American government structure
- Joanna Foo, Agency Marketing Director of MetLife, Metropolis Financial Group, for sharing her experience with students
- The hospitality and goodwill of the members of The CUHK Alumni Association of Greater New York, as well as members of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (Eastern USA) Association
- Hilary J. Nemchik, Director of Special Events, Manhattan Borough President Scott M. Stringer's Office, as well as Rebecca Seale, Activities Coordinator, Department of Citywide Administrative Services and her colleagues for their assistance in acquiring event the venue
- The Flushing Main Street branch of TD Bank for helping CCIP students open checking accounts

The MCs of the ceremony were Ronald Lai and Yan Li Mak from the University of Hong Kong (HKU). Melody Ho, another HKU student, gave a thank you speech to summarize the program and express students' appreciation to all of their host companies. The event included a performance led by Mike Yiou and Anson Suen, along with Amy, Vassillissa, Raymond and Rosa. The group performed the song, "Da Hood Takes Me Under." The performance was put together by Mike and Anson in just two weeks to show their love of New York City and appreciation for obtaining global professional experience.

Some guests were not able to attend, but sent congratulatory letters, citations, and proclamations to CCIP. This included New York City Council Member Toby Ann Stavisky, New York City Council Member Margaret S. Chin and New York City Council Member Peter Koo.

The closing ceremony attracted the attention of the media. Many members of the press attended the event.

"CCIP was very helpful. My internship experience with FUSIA has changed me a lot. I will never forget these seven weeks living in New York," said Terence Chen from the Chinese University of Hong Kong, who was interviewed by a reporter from Sing Tao Newspaper last night.

August 15, 2011 – Last weekend (Aug 13 & 14), CCIP students participated in the annual Dragon Boat Festival held at the Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Flushing, Queens in New York City.

The weather on Saturday at the event was wonderful. Students were able to fully enjoy everything the festival had to offer. Sunday's weather was much less pleasant. However, when Sunday's teams were asked if they wanted to stay home, they insisted on attending, regardless of the rain.

CCIP students fielded teams of paddlers and pitted themselves against professional racers each day of the festival. While they raced competitively, the students did not pull out a victory. However, the weekend was still a resounding success for all of the student-racers and student-volunteers, as well as the CCIP program as a whole. The entire weekend was a great experience for them and offered many team-building opportunities.

"We really are all in the same boat and have done a great job! We overcame the challenges of the bad weather and the experienced competitors and successfully showed the passion and the team spirit of a bunch of Asian students. I was deeply touched by their courage and determination. We are really proud of our 17 dragon boat team members," said Terence Chen (Team manager) of the Chinese University of Hong Kong and Ronald Lai (Team Captain) of the University of Hong Kong.

Other CCIP participants volunteered at the event, working at the VIP tents. Some of the students attracted quite a crowd, teaching and painting with children at the festival. The most popular design was Dragon Boats painted on to fans handed out to attendees.

The festival brought out some important people, such as Assemblywoman Grace Meng, who is also a host company in CCIP, Councilman Daniel J. Halloran Ⅲ, Councilman James Gennaro, New York State Senator Toby Ann Stavisky, etc.

Councilman Gennaro enjoyed the custom t-shirts CCIP students were wearing and was lucky enough to go home with one of his own. Councilman Gennaro and Assemblywoman Meng were kind enough to pose for a photo with the students, as did State Senator Toby Stavisky, who sent also congratulated CCIP students on another successful year with a formal letter to CCIP students.

CCIP would like to thank all of the students who participated throughout the weekend for their dedication. Your hard work and time were very much appreciated and the day could not have been as fun or successful without you:

Volunteers: Ryan Cheuk Ming Cheung, Sam Lou Kuok, Hoi Ying Mak, Yiou Zhu

Manager: Ke Chen

Captain and Co-Captains: Chuk Man Lai, Yun Shi, Kai Yan

Paddlers: Pindan Hao, Jingyuan Liu, Siu Wang Chong, Dan Hu, Hanzhang Yin, Fengjun Zhang, Kai Song, Amy Li, King Wai Shing, Chiu Chun Li, Ho Yan Chu, To Cheong Mok, Ruiyang Tang, Mingzhe Li

On Wednesday, 6th of July, 67 CCIP Session A students gathered at the basketball courts in the Flushing YMCA for the Session A Closing Ceremony cum Basketball Tournament. There were 3 segments to the event: Firstly the tournament semi-finals, followed by the Certificate Presentation Ceremony, and finally the grand finals of the tournament.

The purpose of the Certificate Presentation Ceremony was to recognize students for their commendable achievements in the 7-week internship and to encourage students to continue working hard in their future endeavors. The Closing Ceremony was also completed with the inaugural CCIP Basketball Tournament, which brought joy to the occasion and fostered team spirit among the students.

The semi-final of the tournament kicked off at 9.45pm, with 4 teams competing, namely Tropic Thunder, Basketball Team, Hong Kong Team, and Prince of Basketball.

Tropic Thunder consisted of students from Singapore while the other 3 teams were made up of students from Hong Kong, and each team had a mix of guys and girls. In the semi-finals, Tropic Thunder was matched up against Hong Kong team, while Basketball Team played against Prince of Basketball. During the exciting and absorbing matches, students were cheering wildly at the sidelines and spurring their team on. After an intense semi-final round, Hong Kong Team and Basketball Team emerged victorious in their respective matches.

The Certificate Presentation Ceremony began shortly after the semi finals. In her opening address, Elizabeth Kay, founder of CCIP, said, “Thank you everyone for your hard work and effort, I am truly proud and happy for each and every one of you. I hope everyone will continue to work hard and strive for a brilliant future ahead you.”

Ms. Kay, together with co-founder Joseph Smith, then proceeded to present the certificates and letters of recommendation to the students, followed by the presentation of the Star Award to students who have performed exceptionally during the program. The STAR Program is designed to recognize students who have, through every step of the program, made extraordinary efforts to contribute to the growth of CCIP
program's vision and values, as well as made tremendous gains throughout their internship experiences, and they serve as role models to their peers.

Muyun Jia from University of Hong Kong commented, “I am very happy and surprised to receive the Star Award. I have always lived my life responsibly and have always treated every task and everyone I meet sincerely and seriously. Thank you CCIP for your faith in me, I will continue to work hard and be serious in everything I do.”

At the end of the Certification Presentation Ceremony, students gathered for a group photo before quickly commencing with the intense Grand Final match between Hong Kong Team and Basketball Team. It was a nail-biting affair indeed as players played with their hearts out on court and supporters cheered at the top of their lungs. In the end, Hong Kong team emerged victorious as the champions of the tournament, beating Basketball Team with a score of 40:25.

Shun Yau Siu from Basketball Team said, “My teammates have been practicing tirelessly after work every day for tonight’s tournament. My teammate Jeremy even insisted on playing tonight despite injuring his ankle during practice. I feel that our team spirit won the match for us tonight and I am very proud of my team. This tournament is very meaningful as it helped us build stronger bonds between teammates and also allowed us to interact with other CCIP students.”

The ending of the tournament marked the conclusion of the 2011 Session A CCIP Closing Ceremony. However many students remained behind to chat with Ms. Kay and thank her and CCIP for the valuable internship opportunity, to share their experiences during the internship, as well as to discuss their plans for the future with her.

On the following day, Ms. Kay treated the Star Award recipients as well as the champions of the
basketball tournament to a sumptuous meal at Applebee’s. In total, 30 students attended Ms. Kay’s dinner party, which took place with an exuberant and merry mood. The students had a great time chatting, taking pictures and exchanging contacts, and when dinner ended, they waved goodbye to each other with a reluctant heart.

Author’s Remarks:

At this point I would like to give special thanks to the Program Founder for CCIP, Ms Elizabeth Kay, for providing such an excellent platform for all CCIP students to express themselves, improve themselves and strive for greater excellence.

Students often mention that these 7 weeks were tough and grueling, but the one with the toughest job was our Program Founder Elizabeth Kay, for she has been constantly working overtime and concerning herself with the students since the start of the program.

Throughout the course of the internship, I often notice Kay skipping dinner to rush down to the Flushing YMCA to interact with students and help solve their problems. She also puts in her best effort to get to know each and every student, and even at home, she would be thinking of ways to improve the program instead of resting.

Hence on behalf of all CCIP students, I would like to extend my deepest gratitude to Kay and hope that she would stop overworking herself and take care of her body. Thank you EK!

Yesterday (June 23, 2011), 20 CCIP students visited Morgan Stanley located on Fifth Avenue, Manhattan. Founded in New York City in 1935, Morgan Stanley is one of the world's foremost financial institutions and a leader in the global integration of financial services.

The visit was scheduled to begin at 3:30pm, but the students were already eagerly waiting at the lobby much earlier than the scheduled time. They were then joined by Mr. Raymond Yeung, a Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) Alumni Committee member, who has helped organize the visit.

The students were greeted by Mr. Jason Yeung, Managing Director of Morgan Stanley. Upon exchanging for the visitor’s passes, the students were then brought up to the 5th floor, where they gathered in the meeting room. After thanking everyone for visiting Morgan Stanley and giving a brief introduction to the company, Mr. Jason Yeung then divided the students into two groups, with one group proceeding to visit the trading floor first.

The first group of students was exceptionally excited as they made their way to the trading floor. This was the highlight of the visit as most financial institutions are off-limits to the public and it would be the first time that the students visit a Trading Floor, where the traders will complete the buying and selling of assets. The students observed several investment traders as they faced multiple computer screens and worked swiftly on their keyboards. One of the traders then brought the students through the interfaces, explaining that each of the screens are crucial to their work as they give different types of information, such as market prices, overall market outlook etc.

The groups then changed over, and the students who have visited the trading floor took the opportunity to speak to Mr. Jason Yeung and his colleagues, who have arrived at the meeting room. Asking pertinent questions such as those regarding the financial climate in New York, the students were able to hear firsthand from the experts on how the US economy is faring as well as the potential changes ahead.

The tour was followed by a panel, where Mr. Jason Yeung and his colleagues shared their insights on working in Morgan Stanley. The participants were transfixed as the speakers introduced themselves and the work they do, while also touching on issues such as career progression and the challenges faced while working in a high-stress environment such as Morgan Stanley's. Urging the participants to stay competitive as it is an important trait for an individual to succeed in the financial world, Mr. Jason Yeung assured everyone that it is not compulsory for a person to hold a Business degree to be able to work in an investment bank. He stressed that as long as the individual possess strong character and the qualities required, it would be sufficient for him or her to carve a niche in the financial field.

After which, Mr. Jason Yeung opened the floor for questions. The students, who have been listening attentively, then took turns asking questions to quell their curiosity. While many questions were fielded, the more pertinent ones were regarding the selection criteria that companies have in place when screening job applicants as well as the way the team maintain work-life balance while having to work long hours due to the nature of their work.

"I have always been curious about how life will be like working in big financial firms. After the visit, I have seen for myself that they are just regular people who are working in a field that they are really passionate about. I hope that I will be able to find a job in the future that I can look forward to working in every morning I wake up, just like these gentlemen", said Tracy Miao Huiting, a student from Lingnan University.

"The Morgan Stanley visit provided me an in-depth understanding about the job duties for the different departments. I was particularly impressed by the speech from the legal department representative as it inspired me to develop a career as an in-house lawyer with a global corporation such as Morgan Stanley after I qualify as a solicitor back in Hong Kong", said Marvin Luk Ho Lun, a student from the University of Hong Kong.

Special thanks to Mr. Raymond Yeung for organizing the visit as well as Mr. Jason Yeung and his team for the wonderful sharing session.

Eleven (11) CCIP students had a sumptuous dinner yesterday with Ms. Joanna Foo, an agency director of MetLife, a global financial service corporation in the US. Congregating at “Deung Chon Shabu & Noodle,” a highly-rated restaurant, the students had an engaging discussion with Joanna while tucking into Korean delicacies such as Shabu Shabu and spicy hot-pot.

Graduating from The National University of Singapore (NUS), Joanna was a lawyer in Singapore before joining the diplomatic service, where her tour-of-duty was in Malaysia. Joanna then came to the United States for her MBA after a short stint at the United Nations, where she subsequently took up a job in MetLife and built up very strong connections both in NY and Singapore over the years. Hence, FUSIA has invited her to meet its CCIP students so that she can share her wealth of experience on a personal level.

The event kicked off with a brief introduction to the speaker, where Joanna then thanked EK for organizing the dinner as well as the 11 students for making the trip down. She then shared that she was glad we made the decision to do our internship abroad in New York as exposure and experience is very crucial in a person's professional development. Hence, the CCIP was a good chance to expose oneself internationally and will encourage the students to adopt a global mindset before entering their future workplace.

Ms. Joanna then continued by saying that while it is beneficial for students to gain international work experience, students should not maintain the mindset that working in the U.S. is always better. She shared with the participants that US companies are starting to place more emphasis on the Asian markets due to their great potential and hence advised us to gain more working experience first by working in Asian corporations before deciding where you want to build a career on. She also stressed to us the importance of taking risks, which she describes as essential to achieve great results. Warning us that having the constant fear of making mistakes will eventually be counterproductive, she advised us that we should do everything that we feel like doing at this stage of our lives and that it’s only through taking risks that we can achieve exceptional results.

After which, dinner was served. Over a three-course hotpot meal comprising of a variety of meat and vegetables, noodles and finally hotpot rice, Joanna mingled with the CCIP students who were spread about 3 tables. The students were extremely engaged as she shared useful career tips, interesting insights on the working conditions in New York as well as good recommendations on where to visit after office hours. The session ended at about 8pm.

“I had the chance to speak briefly with Ms Joanna during the Kickoff BBQ 2 weeks ago, and I was already intrigued by our short discussion then! I am glad that I was able to attend the dinner as I have been looking forward to it ever since, and it was very beneficial as she gave us great recommendations and advice with regards to living and working in New York,” said Alston Wong Jun Ngai, a student from The National University of Singapore.

“It was great hearing from Joanna about her experience so far in New York. While we might have experienced for ourselves the difference between Asian and American cultures during the internship, it was refreshing to hear from the point of view of an Asian who has been working here for a long period of time. It sets my mind thinking on how I can improve myself into a professional with a global mindset,” said Ng Chun Yee, a student from the City University of Hong Kong.

Special thanks to Ms Joanna Foo for taking time off her busy schedule to converse with the CCIP students and share her valuable insights.

Yesterday (Thursday, June 9, 2011), Mr. Morgan A. Jones, Queens Borough Director at the Mayor’s Community Affairs Unit (CAU), gave an engaging and inspiring bilingual presentation to 18 of our Session A students in the Activity Room at the Flushing YMCA.

Titled "Welcome to New York City, Your City", the presentation began with a self introduction by Mr. Jones, Born and raised in Brooklyn, Mr. Jones majored in Chinese Language and Culture in College, and attended grad school at The Johns Hopkins - Nanjing University Center for Chinese and American Studies, SAIS in China. In total, he had lived and worked in China for six years and only moved back to the US two years ago after getting married there.

Mr. Morgan Jones was very candid and humorous during his presentation, and this delighted the students at the session. They were also pleasantly surprised when Mr. Jones went on to do a presentation about New York City where he shared about its history, important facts, and even introduced Mayor Michael Bloomberg as well as Queens Borough President Helen Marshall. As our students are currently staying in Queens Borough, Mr. Jones also did a short presentation on the area for our benefit, explaining that Queens is the second most populated borough in New York City while having the largest land mass. He also highlighted that Queens has one of the most diverse populations with Asians making up 22% of it. Mr. Jones then shared useful tips and information with our students, ranging from recommended websites to visit for more information as well as a list of interesting activities to do in Queens. He then concluded by giving his contact information to the students present, stating that they are more than welcome to contact him if they need any advice with regards to living and working in New York City.

Meijiao Tang, who is from Lingnan University, was very impressed with Mr. Jones's colorful, multilingual background. Brimming with questions about NYC, she was also the most active during the Q&A section. "I really enjoyed Mr. Jones’s engaging presentation and I am very glad that I could speak to him in person. I now realize the importance of Mandarin as a means of communication when working with the communities in New York, especially in Queens where there are so many Mandarin-speaking residents. I hope there would more sessions like this for CCIP students in the future."

Yongchao Chen from The Chinese University of Hong Kong added "Through the presentation, I understand that effective communication is essential for solving problems, especially when it comes to doing community work. The presentation also made me realize that being able to express one’s position and opinions fully is what defines true democracy and freedom.”

Special thanks to Mr. Morgan Jones for his informative and eye-opening presentation as well as the students who took part in the session. Students may obtain a copy of the presentation slides by visiting http://www.facebook.com/theccip.

FUSIA Communications hosted a Kickoff BBQ reception at the Flushing YMCA today (Friday, June 3) from 6pm to 9pm to celebrate the launch of the 2011 Cross Cultural Internship Program (CCIP). Entitled “Saying Hello to New York City”, the event’s primary aim was to introduce the group of interns, who will be the next global generation, to the New York City community.

This is the first time that a Kickoff BBQ Session has been organized since the establishment of CCIP in 2008. While the arrival of CCIP students in New York for the past few years had been unceremonious, this new initiative was pushed through for the 2011 batch to give current students an opportunity to interact with the community. As such, in addition to the interns and CCIP staff, representatives from the host companies where the students are interning at, the CUHK Alumni Association of Greater New York (CUHKAAGNY) as well as the New York Police Department (NYPD) were also present at the event.

The session provided a good forum where students had the opportunity to interact with members of the community and this enabled both parties to learn more about each other’s cultures while sharing their personal experiences. This greatly benefited the students as they were able to build up networks within the community while learning to strike a balance between hard and soft skills. Moreover, students had the rare chance to interact with executives from other host companies and this helped them have a better understanding of other industries in general as well.

In addition, representatives from CUHKAAGNY were also present at the event in a bid to collect donations for “Xiao Bian Dan”, which is dedicated to address educational needs for poverty-stricken areas in China. Having been active in New York for the past few years, the fund aims to amass more donations as $40 is already sufficient to help a rural student in China attend school for a year. All donations made to “Xiao Bian Dan” were then given in entirety to the beneficiaries.

“It was a pleasure meeting the students at the session. They provided great company as they were engaging and very enthusiastic to find out more about living and working in New York. The thing that delighted me the most was that several students talked to me to find out more about “Xiao Bian Dan”. It was really heartwarming to see these young adults showing so much compassion and willingness to help the less fortunate.” said Mr. Raymond Yeung, an Executive Committee Member of CUHKAAGNY.

Safety is of utmost importance to any student in a foreign country. Hence FUSIA Communications organized a sharing session for CCIP Session A students with the Officers of the New York Police Department (NYPD), 109 precinct.

The session was held at the indoor basketball courts in the Flushing YMCA at around 8.00pm. Students were seated and listened attentively as Detective John Flaherty, Sergeant Ray Morales, Officer Keith O’ Donnell and Officer Suk Too shared tips on personal safety when carrying valuable items, when taking the subway, when coming back late in New York and when crossing the roads.

Detective Flaherty, who did most of the sharing, started off by explaining that New York City is a relatively safe city but that doesn’t mean that students would not encounter criminals. He explained that many foreign students are unfamiliar with the area and become easy targets for criminals, hence it is important that students be aware of their surroundings and not have “tunnel vision”.

The officers also gave students advice on protecting themselves, such as going out in groups, not carrying excessively valuable items on them, and being aware of strangers who approach them. Detective Flaherty used real life examples to demonstrate how pickpockets and conmen operate and also taught students how to react to such situations.

“I found the NYPD session to be very helpful as I now know how to handle strangers who approach us. I will definitely be more aware of my surroundings now and take better care of my personal belongings, “ said Alan Yeung Chun Hoi, a student from University of Hong Kong.

“ The Officers were really friendly and taught us a lot about how to keep ourselves safe such as discarding our drink if it has been left unattended in the clubs, and also to look out for oncoming cars as the traffic system is different from my country,” said Rachel Wong Wai Sze from Lingnan University.

To conclude the session, Sergeant Morales stressed that despite their stern appearance, the officers of the NYPD are very friendly and approachable people and would be more than willing to help anybody who approaches them. He also mentioned that students should not hesitate to report any incidents or missing items by calling 911 or talking to any officer.

“After the session, I realized that even though New York City is quite safe, we should not take safety for granted and we must always keep a lookout for our own safety. However I feel assured that the NYPD has professional officers whom we can always approach and they would always do their best to protect us”, said Sean Goh Shao Hern from National University of Singapore.

Special thanks to the officers from the NYPD for conducting the informative session and sharing valuable tips with our students.

18 CCIP Session A students attended the celebratory reception for Hong Kong’s Wine Boom, which was organized by the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office at the Asia Society.

The event kicked off at 5:30pm and ticketholders were invited to a reception at the building’s lobby where a wide assortment of cheese and crackers were offered to guests. To celebrate the wine boom in style, guests were also given free flow of red and white wine, featuring American wines from California, Oregon, and Washington.
CCIP students then took the opportunity to network with their peers, who were present at the event. Besides that, many students also took the initiative to engage in discussion with businessmen and wine experts to learn more about wine and the Hong Kong market.

"I had a great time mingling around with my peers from the program. I enjoyed talking to them and learnt more about their background as well as their preferences in wine. I hope there would be more networking sessions like this in the future for us to get to know each other better", said Kok Hong Bin, a student from the National University of Singapore.

"I took the opportunity to approach Sommelier Jeff Andrews, who gave me a detailed explanation on the different types of wine, including Riesling and Gewurztraminer. He also advised me to choose bubbled wine whenever I have no idea which wine to match with the food. As I have always been keen to learn more about wine, I am glad that I was able to attend this event and it has indeed been a great eye opener", said Henry Cheng Hiu Wai, a student from The Chinese University of Hong Kong.

The main event kicked off at 6:30pm when Mr. Donald Tong Chi-Keung, the Hong Kong Commissioner for Economic and Trade Affairs U.S.A, gave his speech. As Commissioner, Mr. Tong directs the HKSAR Government's efforts in promoting US- Hong Kong economic and trade relations.

Mr. Tong began his speech by thanking everyone for coming to the event before highlighting the wine boom by sharing that Hong Kong is the third largest destination for US wine and that those exports grew nearly five-fold from 2008 to 2010 after Hong Kong abolished all duties on wine. The commissioner also stressed Hong Kong's commitment to wine by highlighting programs to certify wine storage facilities that meet certain standards and to cut down on counterfeit wines.

"Mr. Tong’s speech was very engaging and informative. I have to say that while I have stayed in Hong Kong all my life, I was not aware of the booming wine market in Hong Kong. This has given me a greater insight about Hong Kong’s wine market and made me more knowledgeable about Hong Kong’s import economy", said Ivy Ho Chui Shan, a student from The University of Hong Kong.

Towards the end of the event, Sommelier Jeff Andrews took to the podium, where he proceeded to suggest some wines that would pair well with Asian food (specifically stressing that Cabernet should be avoided), as well as share his insights on the wine preferences among Asians. The event then ended at 7:30pm.

Special thanks to Mr. Fred Teng, Chief Executive Officer of NewsChina and Chairman of Hong Kong Association of New York, for inviting the CCIP students to the event.

Chinese version pending for translation - Over 80 Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) alumni, friends and their families gathered for an annual gala to celebrate the Lunar New Year. The event took place in a Chatham Square restaurant in Manhattan's Chinatown on Friday, March 18, 2011.

Alumni and friends welcomed Professor Jack Cheng, Post-Vice-Chancellor of CUHK, who made a brief stop in New York to thank the alumni for their ongoing support of the university. Professor Cheng also shared an update on the university's latest developments, such as campus expansion, growth in the number of colleges and students, collaboration with other distinguished universities, academic honor bestowed, etc.

Elizabeth Kay, Founder of the Cross-Cultural Internship Program (CCIP) and President of FUSIA Communications, attended the event as a special guest. She gave a warm welcome to alumni and families and a brief introduction on CCIP.

"Although I am not a alumna of CUHK, I am proud to be here on this momentous occasion. I am equally proud to host CUHK students and give them the opportunity to obtain cultural and practical experiences in New York City, " said Kay.

Kay continued, "The association is a group of successful professionals with a plethora of life experiences who have come together purely out of goodwill. The members are dedicated to friendships, camaraderie, and giving back to society. They have been through a lot and have fought for their piece of the American dream just like other immigrants. I am really looking forward to their meeting with the CCIP interns to share their experiences this summer."

At the event, Raymond Yeung, an executive committee member of the association, and one of its core members announced the official launch of "CUHK Alumni in the East Coast of USA (中大人在美東)," a alumni publication containing 70 success stories written by the university's alumni (and current students) living on the US East Coast.

"With the combined effort and dedication from all of us over a period of more than one and half years," Yeung said, "our second alumni publication is finally coming to a successful completion! There is no better way to celebrate our achievement than with our special guests tonight!"

Yeung added, "Underneath this jubilant moment, we are fully aware that this is only the beginning of what we have set out to achieve. Our ultimate goal is to share our experience and to sell as many copies as possible so that more revenue will be generated to fund the "Little Bamboo" operations. Knowing more under-privileged children living in poor and remote villages in Mainland China benefited by our effort and having the opportunity to go to school and learn will be very gratifying to all of us! "

For more information about the association, please contact Raymond Yeung at 201-788-2145 or email him at choyeung@yahoo.com. Click to obtain for a brief introduction of the association.

As The Cross-Cultural Internship Program (CCIP) Window 3 application came to an end on Feb 25, we received positive feedback from the students.

"I should say the process is really cumbersome and it is the most difficult application I have ever encountered" said Sam Lou Kuok, a student of the Chinese University of Hong Kong. "Nevertheless, I have learnt to be more discreet, circumspect and to know more peers who have been very helpful. It was a very unforgettable experience! "

Due to the large amount of applicants, the schedule was tightly arranged during Window 3 application. Skype sessions, where applicants could discuss their applications directly with Elizabeth Kay (EK), the founder and head of CCIP, therefore played an important role during the application process. Skype has also been used for interviews, facilitating the process within the short timeframe.

"This is my first time to have an interview online," said Ka Yee (Rosa) Lee, a student of the University of Hong Kong, "but it turned out my performance was much better than I thought."

Adeel Ahsan, another student of the University of Hong Kong added, "I seldom use Skype, but now I realize it's such a convenient tool. If I run a committee myself and need to recruit people from different places, Skype interview is definitely going to help me out!"

Newly introduced networking peer groups on Skype also made screening a whole new different experience to the applicants. Students helped each other with application materials and made instant feedback possible.

"I think this is a win-win strategy, the peer group helped me a lot in this application process. I have learned how to work hard and work smart, how to write a professional email, and how to communicate with others," commented Qiutao (Carol) Pan, a student of the Macau University of Science and Technology. "It is really a special experience for me to learn. I have changed the way I used to do things before. What is more, I would like to help the new students complete their application as much as I can."

More than 110 students have been accepted till now, while the rest are still waiting for their interview results.

The Extended Application started on Feb 28, 2011. Interested students are encouraged to visit the website www.theccip.org and read the instructions carefully before submitting the application materials by Mar 31, 2011.

Special thanks to Huiting (Tracy) Miao, Lingnan University; Ho Yan (Tiffany) Chu, Ka Yee (Rosa) Lee and Adeel Ahsan, The University of Hong Kong; Sam Lou Kuok, The Chinese University of Hong Kong; Qiutao
(Carol) Pan, Macau University of Science and Technology forcontributing to this press release.

There is only one week left for students to apply for this year's Cross Culture Internship Program (CCIP).

Asian university students who seek to gain both practical and cultural experiences are encouraged to submit applications by Feb 25, 2011. The following is a brief guide to enrolling in the program.

1. Register a user account with www.theccip.org
2. Login and read through the instructions
3. Complete and submit the application and resume online (do not click Confirm)
4. Click PDF to generate your application and resume in PDF format
5. Send your application, resume and other required materials ccip@fusia.net

CCIP stresses teamwork. Before submitting the application, students are encouraged to join a peer group and/or Skype session by contacting the program's representative via Skype (ID: fusia_18). They are also encouraged to send their documents to the program for comments before they officially submit their applications.

According to CCIP, as well as the applicants, the program's application process is long, tedious and time consuming. So far only 50 applicants have passed the interview out of the 130 applicants.

Over 100 students are still working hard to fine-tune their applications to meet the program's high standards and criteria.

"I was surprised to see the sheer number of documents needed, as well as the strict protocol we were supposed to follow. Undaunted, I practiced extra caution before submitting my application and was extremely taken aback to find out that I still received a list of errors to correct despite my conscientious effort. This is definitely the hardest application process I have ever encountered but looking back, I found it to be an extremely rewarding experience," said Kwek Pak Ming, a student attending National University of Singapore.

Ke (Terence) Chen, a student at the Chinese University of Hong Kong added, "I initially applied with two other friends who quit in the middle of the application process. It was stressful, but once I heard I got in yesterday, it was such a relief to be done. It was totally worth it, and I did learn a lot from the process."

CCIP is an internship program that takes place in New York City every summer in two seven-week sessions. The program is designed to strengthen the practical skills and global mindset of Asian university students, the next global generation, and bring positive influences to American firms hosting the interns.

For more information about CCIP, visit www.theccip.org.

Special thanks to Huiting (Tracy) Miao from the Lingnan University; Kwek Pak Ming from the National University of Singapore; Ke (Terence) Chen from the Chinese University of Hong Kong for contributing to this press release.

Download	Universities	Date/Time	Location
	National University of Singapore (NUS)	Jan 12 (W), 2011 2:30PM to 4:30PM	University Hall Auditorium, Level 2, Lee Kong Chian Wing, 21 Lower Kent Ridge Road
	The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK)	Jan 14 (F) 4:30PM to ~	LT2, Lady Shaw Building B>
	City University of Hong Kong (CityU)	Jan 17 (M) 2:30PM to 4:00PM	83 Tat Chee Avenue, CY303, 3/F, Cheng Yick Chi Building Students of other universities can join this session
	The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU)	Jan 18 (TU) 2:00PM to 5:00PM	Amenities Centre S-208
	Macau University of Science and Technology (MUST)	Jan 19 (W) 3:30PM to 5:30PM	Venue: Contact International Office
	Lingnan University	Jan 20 (TH) 4:30PM to 5:30PM	Only available to selected Lingnan students
	University of Hong Kong	Jan 21 (F) 1PM to 2:30PM	LG109, KK Leung Building Contact CEDARS for more

The Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival in NY