Over 500 Hong Kong Special Administrative Region university students attend a departure ceremony before going to their internships in various Chinese mainland cities on May 31, 2023. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)

About 1,000 Hong Kong university students are set to begin their summer internships on the Chinese mainland in a bid to deepen their understanding of the country's culture and latest developments.

The program, which began in 2011, is the largest and oldest internship program for Hong Kong students. It has placed about 5,000 young people in internships in Beijing, Shanghai, Chongqing, and Hangzhou, as well as several cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

Students who participated in the program said the internship program matches each student with a position based on their academic performance, major, and career aspirations

In a departure ceremony on Wednesday, Song Lai, deputy director-general of the Department of Youth Affairs of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, encouraged more young people from the city to visit mainland cities, experience its culture and life, make new friends, seek development opportunities, and realize their dreams.

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Over 500 participants of the program attended the ceremony.

Song revealed that the students this year will assume internships in government departments and private enterprises in Beijing, Shanghai, Chongqing, Hefei and Wuxi, as well as many GBA mainland cities.

Students who participated in the program said the internship program matches each student with a position based on their academic performance, major, and career aspirations.

They added that the most sought-after internship position is in innovative technology, while the Greater Bay Area has emerged as the most popular destination for many of the interns.

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The students praised the program for providing them with valuable industry experience, allowing them to apply their theoretical knowledge to real-world situations, and fostering a deeper understanding of the cultural and business practices on the mainland.