Seeing Economics in action, all the way in Shanghai

31 Mar Seeing Economics in action, all the way in Shanghai

Imagine being an Economics major and having the opportunity to intern in one of the most influential financial centers in the world. @Yuki Huang, a student at @Princeton University, actually got to live that reality.

Yuki, an Economics major, chose to intern in Shanghai

When @Yuki Huang chose to major in Economics, she knew she wanted to understand how the world works. Not just in theory, but in motion.

“[I’m] driven by creating impact from insights,” her LinkedIn bio states.

Last summer, that curiosity brought her to Shanghai, the economic heart of China and one of the most dynamic cities in the global economy. There, she interned at @RsA Asia, a leading tax advisory firm that works with international businesses across Asia.

Every intern needs a souvenir photo with their host company’s logo!

For many students, studying economics means learning about growth rates, trade, markets, and global trends in a classroom. But for Yuki, Shanghai became the classroom.

Learning in the middle of it all

There’s something different about studying an economy, and then standing inside one of its most powerful cities.

Shanghai moves fast. It’s ambitious, global, and constantly evolving. For a student interested in business and economic systems, it’s an incredible place to observe how ideas turn into action.

“I thought Absolute Internship did a great job preparing me [for my internship abroad].”

All of this happened in a city that sits at the center of China’s economic energy. For a young professional, that’s not simply impressive. It’s transformative!

Growth beyond the resume

What makes this experience even more meaningful isn’t just the firm or the city. It’s who Yuki is.

Beyond her Economics major, Yuki has a deep connection to Chinese language and culture. She speaks Mandarin and participates in associations related to Chinese culture. Choosing Shanghai as her internship destination aligned perfectly with her major, but her interest in China is also deeply personal.

Spending the summer in Shanghai allowed her to immerse herself in the language, culture, and daily rhythms of the city in a completely new way.

“The weekend trips have been a highlight of my experience here,” Yuki commented. “It has been great being able to travel to new cities and explore.

There’s a difference between studying a culture and living in it.

Ordering food in Mandarin, navigating the subway system, observing how business communication shifts across languages, all of these moments build confidence and perspective in ways that don’t show up in a transcript.

For Yuki, Shanghai wasn’t just a professional opportunity but a chance to deepen her connection to a culture she’s long cared about.

In a world where careers increasingly span countries, industries, and cultures, having early exposure to multinational environments builds adaptability and awareness. It pushes you to think bigger than your immediate surroundings.

And sometimes, all it takes is saying yes to an opportunity in a new place.

Yuki’s summer is a reminder that growth often happens when you place yourself in environments that stretch you, geographically, culturally, and intellectually. You don’t have to have everything figured out before you take a leap. What you need is curiosity.

If you speak another language, use it. If you have cultural roots you want to explore, lean into them. If there’s an opportunity in a city that feels bigger than you, consider taking it.

The world is more connected than ever, so the earlier you step into that reality, the more confident and capable you become.

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