My first time independently producing multilingual content;

My first time helping prepare materials for an international conference;

My first experience working with an international science and technology organization;

My first time taking part in a science and technology exhibition;

My first time serving as a host for an international event;

My first time experiencing traditional culture in Hangzhou…

Over the past month, four young people from Malaysia, Indonesia, Cambodia, and China have joined the Asia Simulation Federation as interns, marking many “firsts” of their own.

There is no fixed internship schedule here. Their classroom is an international conference in progress, a science and technology news story, a project document, an exhibition, and one real international exchange after another.

Under the guidance of Professor Weng Jingnong, Secretary-General of the Asia Simulation Federation, former Dean of the International School and former Director of the International Cooperation Department at Beihang University, and Professor Gong Weixi, Chief Strategist of the Asia Simulation Federation and former inaugural Director of the Global Investment and Technology Promotion Office and Institutional Partnerships Division of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, the ASIASIM Secretariat has developed practical training around its ongoing work. Through real projects, the young interns learn by doing, improve through practice, and grow with each experience.

After a month, they are no longer simply “observers” of the work of an international science and technology organization. They are now actively taking part in it.

Lin Zu’er, a Malaysian graduate student at Xiamen University

Beyond Simulation, Into the World

For me, my internship at the Asia Simulation Federation has been a journey of breaking old boundaries, reshaping my perspective, and growing along the way. When I first arrived, my understanding of simulation technology and international science and technology organizations was quite limited. As the internship progressed, I gradually discovered that the value of simulation technology lies not only in replicating reality, but also in helping people identify problems in advance and drive innovation in a more efficient and safer way.

At the Asia Simulation Federation, our different cultural backgrounds did not create distance. Instead, they gave me a stronger sense of how open and connected scientific and technological exchange can be. The friendly working environment, along with relaxed and enjoyable team activities, also helped me become more confident in expressing myself. Looking back, growth is not simply about how much work I completed. More importantly, it is about learning how to think and communicate through training, guidance, and thoughtful feedback along the way.

We started with the small world of simulation, yet it opened our eyes to a world far broader than before and gave me more possibilities to imagine for my future. I am grateful to the Asia Simulation Federation for giving us the opportunity to learn, gain practical experience, and grow, and to the teachers for their guidance and understanding throughout the journey. For me, this experience has left me with more than the lessons of an internship. It has given me a new way to observe the world, understand technology, and connect with others.

Li Qingyi

An Indonesian graduate student at Northwestern Polytechnical University

Bridging the language gap,

experiencing the human side of scientific and technological exchange

During my internship at the Asia Simulation Federation (ASIASIM), I gained valuable experience not only through my day-to-day work, but also through working closely with others. When I first started my internship, my main responsibility was translating ASIASIM news, conference notices, and other related materials into English. I also received training in formatting and publishing articles on WeChat, learning how to prepare and publish news on the organization’s official WeChat account. This gave me the opportunity to directly contribute to ASIASIM’s communications and outreach efforts. In addition to translation, I also took part in various projects, including preparing materials, designing magazines, and assisting with different events.

I also participated in training sessions and team-building activities, which helped me become familiar with the working environment and learn how to communicate and collaborate more effectively with my colleagues. I also had the opportunity to host the closing ceremony of the Beihang-NESCOM (National Engineering and Scientific Commission of Pakistan) Advanced Training Program on Reliability Engineering in English. This allowed me to take a more active role in the organization’s activities while improving my communication and public speaking skills. In addition, I helped new students from my home country who needed guidance, giving me an opportunity to support other students. Overall, this internship allowed me to apply my skills to real projects, take on a variety of tasks, and gain practical experience that would have been difficult to acquire through study alone.

Chen Jianhua

A Cambodian graduate student at Huazhong University of Science and Technology

The Beginning of a Journey Built on Trust

On my first day at ASIASIM, a warm welcome meeting helped ease much of the nervousness I felt as a newcomer. The teachers introduced the organization’s work one by one and patiently asked about our interests and expectations. Being taken seriously in this way helped me quickly feel that I belonged. During the month, in addition to my daily work such as translation and formatting, the team also organized various exchange and team-building activities. We went together to the Taoxi Grand Theater in Yuhang, Hangzhou, to watch the Yue opera The Hairpin Story, and they also celebrated my birthday with me. The relaxed yet professional working environment allowed me to feel a strong sense of belonging even during busy days.

What left the deepest impression on me was learning how to use “Xiumi” for content formatting. As a Chinese-language tool designed specifically for formatting WeChat articles, its dense Chinese menus were confusing at first. But my colleagues were always patient, teaching me step by step how to adjust layouts and insert images. When the first bilingual article I completed independently was successfully published, I felt a sense of accomplishment that I still remember clearly. Beyond that, translating between Chinese and English also gave me my first real understanding of how much more complex language can be in a professional context than in everyday communication. It requires constant research, asking questions, and careful revision.

During this month, ASIASIM gave me more than practical work skills. It also gave me an internship experience built on trust and support. I am grateful to the teachers and colleagues for their thoughtful guidance, and I look forward to bringing what I have gained here to a broader stage in the future.

Zhao Wuwei

A Chinese graduate student at the University of Rome

Learning through practice,

growing through collaboration

During my internship at ASIASIM, I worked on editing WeChat articles, preparing course and training materials, organizing conference documents, creating promotional designs, and drafting project application materials. Working on such a wide range of tasks gradually shifted my focus from simply completing assignments to thinking about how to communicate information more accurately and clearly. While preparing course presentations and training materials, I learned how to organize complex information, identify key points, and turn technical content into clear and easy-to-understand materials. By writing and revising WeChat articles, I developed a more concrete understanding of topic planning, content structure, and language use, and learned to communicate information from the reader’s perspective. Preparing conference materials and promotional content also strengthened my skills in visual presentation, attention to detail, and cross-language communication.

In addition, supporting exhibitions, conducting research on media outreach, and working on project applications showed me that successfully completing a task requires more than individual effort. It also depends on thorough preparation, teamwork, and timely communication. The teachers at ASIASIM provided detailed guidance based on actual work, helping me identify problems and gain experience through repeated revisions and improvements. Over time, I also developed a more careful and proactive approach to my work. This internship not only broadened my perspective and strengthened my abilities in content creation, communication, collaboration, and project execution, but also gave me a deeper understanding of how to take responsibility and contribute to progress within a team.