Product Engineering Internship in Shanghai, China - CRCC Asia July 30, 2026

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

I worked at an international early-stage startup building a companion robot. The English-speaking environment was perfect, and I loved the mentorship I got — my manager invested a lot of time in my growth, showing me around Shanghai and its tech scene. The work itself was fun and not overly demanding. The one thing I'd have wanted was a more experienced mentor specifically within my own field, since I was the only one on the team working in it. Outside of that, I learned a huge amount across other fields too.

On-site administration of your program

CRCC Asia handled everything! I didn't have to do any of the administration myself, and that was the biggest benefit of the program for me. The whole thing was stress-free, especially not being familiar with the local processes and language. Visa, accommodation, healthcare, employment contracts, app setup, mobile phone; all of it was sorted for me.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Housing was spacious and mostly clean; I lived with five people, which was adequate for the space. The best part was the location: close to the metro, food, a convenience store, pharmacy, and supermarket, with about a 15-minute walk to the nearest metro station. Some things did break during my stay, but issues were mostly resolved quickly, and housing support was available almost 24/7. My only wish was that the kitchen was better furnished and the interior a bit more modern, but overall I was very satisfied with my own bedroom.

The food scene was excellent! It is really good and super accessible. Delivery through Meituan was fast, and the service was great overall. I loved China's online ordering system in general; there are tons of discounts you can stack to bring prices down even further, and the food itself is already so cheap compared to back home. My top tip: get a local phone number as soon as you can; it opens up way more apps and discounts, so you can really make the most of it. Honestly, the food is what I miss the most.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Social culture was great! It is not too different from home (NZ), and I integrated quickly, though being Chinese myself probably helped with that. Nothing felt drastically different, aside from how fast technology adoption is and how much quicker everyday things move, such as traffic, pace of people, that kind of thing.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Yes, I had a bit of a healthcare experience — I caught a cold that lingered longer than usual, and CRCC Asia's support recommended I go to the hospital. They stayed on top of it the whole way, checking in regularly to see how I was doing. The hospital itself was easily accessible, and CRCC Asia handled all the logistics of getting me there. I just had to show up. I can't give a detailed comparison to healthcare back home since my case was pretty minor and CRCC Asia handled the coordination, but the process itself was smooth and low-stress, nothing I had to figure out on my own. Nothing major stood out as a prevalent health issue in Shanghai. My main recommendation is to get whatever vaccines are recommended for the program before you go, and stick to basic hygiene precautions, such as wash your hands, avoid tap water. Shanghai itself is a clean city overall, so it's really just those small precautions that matter.

Shanghai felt very safe overall; there's constant surveillance throughout the city, and I never ran into any unsafe moments during my time there. I'd highly recommend it as a host city. My main safety advice for future students is just the standard stuff: stay responsible, keep your wits about you, and you should be fine.

If I was on scholarship, I would definitely do it again. The people, work experience and country was incredible! I have nothing negative to say.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

It was very easy; China is incredibly cheap, fast and affordable. Everything you need is easily a walk away.

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

CRCC Asia provided subsidies for language courses, and hosted language learning workshops during the program.

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• Apartment

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• Americans
• International Students

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• Americans
• International Students

• The support during the entire program.
• The food.
• The country's culture.

• The accommodation.
• The maturity of the company.
• More events/workshops.

The Networker