Internship in Comparative Literature and Cultural Studies
First Semester/Second Semester/Summer Semester | 6 Credits | Quota: 15 (each semester) | Dr. Fiona LAW
“Internship in Comparative Literature and Cultural Studies” (CLIT3019) is a 6-credit, capstone, experiential learning course for students who major in Comparative Literature. This internship course was founded in 2011 to offer Comparative Literature major students internship opportunities at host organizations in the fields of cultural criticism and publishing, film and media, NGOs and cultural curatorship.
Over the years, more than 20 local host organizations have been our internship partners. Since 2016, students can also choose to join the GloCal Projects, a project-based, community-oriented, cross-disciplinary credit-bearing overseas internship hosted by the Faculty of Social Sciences during the summer semester when students will have an inter-faculty learning experience with a community partner outside of Hong Kong. The concrete experiences in workplace and community environments complement classroom learning, creating room for students to apply their knowledge and skills to practical setting and engage in an active process of reflection, unlearning, and relearning. Besides bringing eye-opening experiences, internships have opened doors to some full-time job opportunities to students after graduation.
Course Description
This course aims at placing Comparative Literature majors in the working environments where their cultural knowledge, critical thinking, creativity, and their skills in writing, analysis, and cultural research acquired from advanced courses will find application and become enriched in the process of self-reflexive experiential learning. Students will also have hands on experience in learning and realizing how to integrate academic concepts with everyday circumstances through case-by-case basis, therefore rethinking the dynamics, complications, and significance of the learning objectives they have had throughout their education at Comparative Literature. Internship placement will be made only if the student passes an interview and acquires the approval of the prospective host organization. Internship placements may include but are not limited to the following areas:
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- Cultural criticism and publishing
- Film and media
- Cultural curatorship and management
- Cultural innovation/activism, non-government organizations
- Teaching and creative education
Note: This course is available for Comparative Literature majors only; students are recommended to take the course in the second semester of their third year, the summer semester of their third year (if it is offered) or the fourth year.
Prerequisite: A minimum cumulative GPA of 2.9 is normally required.
Assessment: 100% coursework.
Learning objectives
- To provide an opportunity for students to learn how academic training both informs, and is informed by practice.
- To provide an opportunity for students to further develop their critical thinking, problem-solving, research and writing skills; skills that we believe to be critical to academic success, personal growth, and career readiness.
- To provide an opportunity for students to develop interpersonal skills and leadership ability in an organization and/or industry related to their career aspirations.
Course Learning Outcomes
On completing the course, students will be able to:
- Learn how academic training both informs, and is informed by actual work-practice in the larger community and business world;
- Develop their critical thinking, problem-solving, research and writing skills; skills that we believe to be critical to academic success, personal growth, and career readiness
- Develop interpersonal skills and leadership ability in an organization and/or industry related to their career aspirations
Application procedure:
Interested students have to prepare a CV, a personal statement, and/or writing samples as references for both the department and the host organizations to consider. Applications will be screened and the applicants will be informed if interviews are to be arranged.
Please take the initiative to contact and send the above documents to the internship coordinator in the following periods respectively. Do not add the course by yourself. Only students with confirmed placements can get course approval.
First semester – mid-/late-August
Second semester – mid-/late-December
Summer semester – mid-/late-May
GloCal Projects in summer – stay tuned to email announcement in around March
This course is ONLY offered to Comparative Literature majors. Priority will be given to students in their final year studies, while those who are doing their second year are not recommended to take this course.
Student sharing
Amber Zhang Yimin, Asia Art Archive
“Hi, I’m Amber! I graduated from HKU this past June with majors in Comparative Literature and Music. Taking CLIT3019 in my final year contributed significantly to consolidating my knowledge and skills acquired in Complit courses. It provided a professional experience that not only complemented my academic trainings but also opened up new career possibilities for me.”
Katerina Au Ching Ki, Hong Kong International Photo Festival
“I feel so lucky to work in HKIPF (Hong Kong International Photo Festival). Having the chance to handle different tasks helped me learn quickly, especially during a pandemic. Everyone was busy, but they never ignored my questions and always offered to help. The experience gained had helped me a lot for preparing my career path.”
Nicolette Lee Tsz Ho, Hong Kong International Literary Festival
“The courses offered by the Department of Comparative Literature have guided me to explore different contexts and narratives, and this allows me to probe into cultural landscapes and cultural productions. The Capstone Experience course, which provided me with an invaluable opportunity to work as an intern at the Hong Kong International Literary Festival, helps me to understand art administration work.”
Sam Shek Ka Lok, MOViE MOViE
“Comp. Lit. is a like a big family to me. Lecturers and Tutors are very nice and knowledgeable. And they actually remember your name ☺️. I’ve learnt a lot from the internship program and Dr. Fiona Law is a very helpful supervisor. I am so grateful to her. I really like the Comp. Lit. department, but I hope HKU won’t crop me out of the alumni photo in the future lol”
Internship Photo Gallery
