If you’re thinking of completing a remote internship, it’s always best to hear from like-minded peers who have already had the opportunity to experience a remote internship firsthand.

Sharukaa Uthayasekaran, a Pagoda Projects alumni, is from the UK and has just completed a remote internship as a research and development intern with our host company CL2B, based in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. 

It’s a pleasure to see young professionals being provided with a programme that goes beyond work experience and allows people to network, understand a new culture, share experiences, and gain expert knowledge.

About the internship

My internship experience at CL2B, a Circular Economy consulting firm in Southeast Asia, Vietnam was a great opportunity to understand the daily process of how targeted services were provided for each individual client and the various projects that were undertaken. I applied for this internship with the support of the Pagoda team as they acknowledged that with a particular interest in Material sciences, I would be able to benefit from interning at a consulting firm with a key focus on environmental impact measurement and evaluating material perspectives.

My tasks

CL2B have provided me with the unique opportunity of being part of a consulting firm where I worked on a plastic recycling project even though my studies of Chemistry had only provided me with a basic knowledge of environmental and material science. My tasks were predominantly based on conducting research for the firm on specific recycling methods and looking at the technologies currently available in Europe and expanding it to the market in Asia, particularly Vietnam. The study focussed on analysing potential key challenges faced by NGOs with regards to Chemical recycling and finding a circular solution to this issue. Through regular meetings with members of the team, I gained insight into how technical, economical and legal cases were processed and what projects were then implemented to further develop an existing problem.

Final feedback

This remote internship was an enriching experience and the skills I have developed through this placement, such as communicating on various platforms as well as both independent and collaborative work across different time zones, have been invaluable and will certainly influence my future professional career. Additionally, the programme organised by the Pagoda team in conjunction with my internship was beneficial as it provided opportunities for networking and meeting people, both professional and old alumni, who had interesting experiences to share.

Sharukaa Uthayasekaran, Cardiff University