Open sesame: China’s Alibaba to let students in Hong Kong intern at its exclusive Hangzhou HQ for up to a year

Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba has provided further details on its internship programme that promises students in Hong Kong the chance to work at its headquarters in Hangzhou, in east China’s Zhejiang province, for up to a year.

As part of the Alibaba Hong Kong Entrepreneurs Fund, students at local universities can apply for internships in engineering, website design, product development and human resources that are designed to give them a taste of e-commerce and the Chinese market.

“Through this internship programme, Hong Kong students will have the chance to learn the latest industrial practices in e-commerce, mobile payment, cloud computing and cross-border logistics in China by working at Alibaba Group or companies in the Alibaba ecosystem,” said Cindy Chow, chief executive director of the fund.

The internships, which are expected to start in early June, run for six months but can be extended to double this. Students will be able to work in either Hangzhou or Alibaba’s office in Guangzhou, in southern Guangdong province.

Applications are open to students in the third or fourth year of their degree courses as well as those studying masters programmes or at tertiary education institutes in Hong Kong.

During the internship, the fund will provide a living and housing allowance alongside mentoring.