I am an incoming U3 Honours student at Â鶹AV studying Urban Systems Geography and Cognitive Science, and I had the opportunity to intern remotely this summer as a technical project analyst with in Taiwan. My interests lie at the intersection of socially impactful technology and sustainable urban infrastructure, and upon finishing my undergraduate studies, I hope to pursue a career in the technology industry before returning to school for graduate studies. As someone who enjoys working in small teams where each member has great impact on the final product, I have a particular interest in the technology start-up industry. EnBW AP, which is a subsidiary of Energie Baden-Württemberg AG (one of the largest energy supply companies in Germany and Europe), fits this profile perfectly because of its small but dynamic and interdisciplinary team working on offshore wind development and sustainable infrastructure like solar energy and hydropower specifically in Taiwan. The company’s entrepreneurial spirit is evident from their roster of innovative projects, and I enjoyed working with my EnBW colleagues while gaining a more global appreciation for the work happening in Taiwan.
The opportunity to work with EnBW AP came from being one of 20 participants from six countries in the . This program, whose topics this year were artificial intelligence and green technology, involved a six-week lab or corporate internship, featured speaker series and networking events, and language and cultural experiences. I applied to this program seeking a practical research or internship position that aligned closely with my interests and would provide valuable experience working in a fast-paced, innovative Taiwanese company. Under the seasoned supervision and guidance of EnBW AP’s Technical Director, Dr. Nian-Tzu (Horace) Wu, and Senior Project Coordinator, Alex Tsai, I was able to fulfill both goals while also participating in career-focused experiences and a dynamic language and cultural environment. Myself being ethnically Taiwanese, I was very excited at the prospect of spending an extended period of time living in a country that I have such a cultural and familial link to. While this internship ended up occurring remotely, I was still able to participate in the online language and cultural experiences they planned, as well as explore the differences in offshore wind farm practices between Taiwan and the USA through the internship’s research and report-writing aspects. This internship also allowed me to explore the interdisciplinary and multifaceted topic of green technology from a more technical perspective, which differed from the social science lens I often use to look at sustainability and renewable energy in my undergraduate studies. Diversifying my understanding of this topic helped me expand my scope of knowledge on this issue and consider a wider range of solutions.
On a daily basis, my internship involved researching and writing weekly 10 to 15-page reports on various aspects of offshore wind farm (OWF) project development. Each week focused on a different topic, such as the technical challenges associated with OWF construction in Taiwan or the renewable energy developments, policies, and challenges in Taiwan, the US, and parts of the EU. I usually started each week gathering resources on that week’s topic and outlining the structure of my report, then spent the next few days reading and taking notes on the sources I had gathered. I spent the end of the week synthesizing my research into a report and creating flow charts or diagrams to visualize any data I found. I also met with my supervisors once a week by video conference to go over my work for that week and discuss any issues or questions I had. The highlights of each week were definitely those meetings, as it allowed me to discuss what I had learned with industry professionals and gain insight from their advice and experiences. One particularly memorable meeting involved a live video tour of their office, which was brand new and featured an open concept design to support their collaborative office dynamic. Highlights of the GTI Program as a whole were the opening and closing ceremonies, the latter of which involved presentations from every participant detailing what they had learned and accomplished in the six weeks that we had been working. For both ceremonies, we had been instructed to include our country of origin in our video meeting name, so logging in and seeing the various countries represented in this truly global yet virtual program was incredibly exciting.
One of the biggest adjustments during this internship was figuring out how to navigate remote work, especially since my supervisors were 12 hours ahead in a different time zone. With the exception of our weekly meetings, most of our communication occurred via email, but I was very lucky that they were very responsive and helpful both in writing and during our video meetings. Another unforeseen challenge was obtaining copies of books and journals that were available only in physical libraries, which remained closed throughout my internship. Luckily, the Interlibrary Loan service and extensive Â鶹AV Library databases had more than enough online resources for my needs. Lastly, to keep myself on track while working since I was not surrounded by colleagues in a traditional office setting, I used the Pomodoro technique to maintain focus and to remember to take breaks and move around every so often.
I did not receive academic credit for this internship, but I am extremely honored to be the recipient of the Dr. Andre King Wi Tan Externship Award. I would like to thank Dr. Tan for his generous support and commitment to supporting students like myself during our summer internship experiences. Receiving this award allowed me to participate in a remote internship that complemented my interests in sustainable urban systems and project management, and given the particular uncertainties that students faced this summer when many internship positions were cancelled last minute, I was especially grateful to receive this award and still have the opportunity to work remotely with EnBW AP. I gained a better understanding of the relationship between OWF technology, regulations, and economic and environmental factors while collaborating with a dynamic and interdisciplinary team, and I will certainly bring the knowledge and skills I obtained to future graduate studies and employment.
