UM Experiential Learning in Eastern Asia is supported by a grant from the Freeman Foundation, of Honolulu, Hawaii, by the University of Mississippi Office of Global Engagement, and by the applicants’ respective schools to intern in an Eastern Asian country during summer 2018. Grantees will receive $7,500 to advance their career goals and gain professional experience by interning full-time for at least eight weeks.
Established in 1994 by the estate of AIG cofounder Mansfield Freeman, the mission of the Freeman Foundation is "to strengthen the bonds of friendship between this country and those of the Far East; to develop a greater appreciation of [East Asian] cultures in this country and a better understanding of American institutions in and purposes on the part of the peoples of East Asia, and to stimulate an exchange of ideas in economic and cultural fields which will help create mutual understanding” between the United States and Eastern Asia. Freeman grantees will advance this mission by gaining real-world work experience in the Eastern Asian country of their choice. In this way, applicants will bring Mississippi and the United States to their host countries and bring their host countries back to Mississippi and United States upon their return.
The program focuses on sending students to countries that are at the heart of the University of Mississippi's and the Croft Institute's long-standing engagement with Eastern Asia: China, Japan, and South Korea.
Internships in other parts of Eastern Asia can also be supported, and students are encouraged to explore all possibilities within the broader region.
Interested students may direct questions to:
For more information, and to speak to a committee member, please attend one of the following information sessions:
UM Experiential Learning in Eastern Asia funds internships, not study abroad programs. Grantees must intern full-time, at least 20 hours per week, for a minimum of eight weeks. Grantees are not permitted to take classes during the workday, such as language or cultural immersion classes, although they may take classes in their free time. The internship must provide a meaningful work experience and should contribute to the professional and personal growth of the intern. Ideally, that means that a significant portion of the internship will be devoted to a long-term project over the eight weeks.
The internships may be paid or unpaid—Grantees will receive the full $7,500 amount regardless. Grantees may secure their internship by tapping the Ole Miss alumni base and their personal networks, or may elect to use an internship provider.
| Organization | Industry |
|---|---|
| Global Youth Connect | Nonprofit Children and Youth |
| International Fund for China's Environment | Nonprofit Environment |
| Shanghai World Expo | International Trade and Development |
| Enovate China | Management Consulting |
| Millennium Challenge Corporation | International Trade and Development |
| Mars Company | Food Production |
| FedEx Corporation | Package/Freight Delivery |
| ABB | Electrical/Electronic Manufacturing |
| Kantar Media CIC | Market Research |
| PwC US | Accounting |
| AptarGroup, Inc. | Packaging and Containers |
| Sifang Art Museum | Nonprofit Art |
| Labbrand | Consulting Firm |
The application for UM Experiential Learning in Eastern Asia consists of the following components:
Applications will not be assessed until all components are submitted. Incomplete or late applications will not be reviewed.
Applications will be judged based on:
Each grantee will be awarded $7,500. The application committee will accept applications that exceed the $7,500 grant limit, and grant recipients will be responsible for the additional cost. The application committee will not assess financial need. Proposals with budgets below or above $7,500 are not more or less likely to succeed, so long as they are well-researched and feasible.
Students are strongly encouraged to contact Mr. William Mahoney (mahoney@olemiss.edu) to express their desire to apply and discuss the process.
Submit all completed materials in .pdf format via email to mahoney@olemiss.edu. You may submit the items as they are ready.
Please name the documents according to the following format:
FreemanApplicationFirstNameLastName
FreemanCertificationFirstNameLastName
FreemanRecommendationFirstNameLastName
FreemanBudgetFirstNameLastName
FreemanResumeFirstNameLastName
FreemanTranscriptFirstNameLastName
The application committee wants to reward students who take the initiative to secure an internship provider early on. Grants will be awarded on a rolling basis.
October 16, 2017: Application opens
March 23, 2018: Application deadline
April 18, 2018: Grantees notified of status
Applicants must agree to give back to the University during the semester after their return.
In fall 2018, each Freeman grantee will be required to submit a two-page reflection that details their professional and personal growth while interning abroad. Grantees must also submit photos and complete a survey about their experience. Grantees will be required to attend an information session about the University of Mississippi Eastern Asian Internship Program in which they speak about their experience and answer questions. Finally, grantees will be expected to write a thank-you letter to the Freeman Foundation.
From William Bumpas '14:
"I interned at Kantar Media CIC, a social media consulting firm, in Beijing from February to June 2015. Afterwards, I ended up coming on as a full time employee at the company's larger Shanghai office, where I worked until the following year. This was a really important transitional period for me, as I was looking to get into the world of digital media after previously not having any real background in that area.
It was a very challenging experience, not only because of the completely Chinese-speaking office setting—putting to test the language skills I'd acquired over the previous four years as a Chinese major—but also because I was expected in many ways to perform the same tasks as a local hire. I had to learn very quickly in order to keep up. Among other things, my Excel skills shot through the roof, because it was so much a part of the daily workflow, and I also got used to working in a fast-paced environment, with constant emails and phone calls with clients and other colleagues to coordinate our ongoing projects.
More important for me personally, I think, was simply the fact that this was all happening in a major city on the other side of the world. I got a really unique view into the China market, working with the local branches of big international companies like Nestle, Coca-Cola, and Dell to help them understand their brand image perception among Chinese consumers. This audience-focused perspective is something that I still carry with me today, and has been really important to me both personally and as I begin the next stage of my career."
