Overseas Start-up Technology Entrepreneur Programme (STEP) Student Testimonials

Driving Impact Through Healthcare Innovation During my STEP internship at the Melbourne Brain Centre, I had the opportunity to work with the Young Stroke Service (YSS), a pilot program designed to support young stroke survivors. This experience allowed me to contribute to meaningful healthcare projects while developing valuable professional and personal skills.

It was a rewarding experience that strengthened my communication, research, and collaboration skills while providing practical workplace experience. It provided valuable insights into healthcare innovation, accessibility, and patient-centered care while contributing significantly to my personal, academic, and professional growth. I am grateful for the opportunity to be part of such a meaningful service.

Exploring Innovation Beyond Technology in a Start-up Environment STEP gave me a deeper understanding of how innovation works in a practical and business environment. Working in a start-up environment exposed me to the need for flexibility, initiative, and continuous problem-solving. I learned that innovation is not only about developing new technologies, but also about finding practical ways to use existing technologies to improve workflows and create value.

Overall, STEP strengthened my skills in Python, web scraping, NLP, data analysis, and visualisation, while also improving my communication, teamwork, adaptability, problem-solving abilities, and developing my entrepreneurial mindset. More importantly, it gave me greater confidence in applying my academic knowledge to unfamiliar problems and taught me to approach technology with curiosity and an open mindset.

Building Industry-Ready Skills Through STEP STEP enabled me to bridge theoretical computer science concepts with practical industry applications, while simultaneously developing essential professional soft skills. Operating within an Agile software development framework, I utilized Azure DevOps on a daily basis to track project progress, manage sprint backlogs, and maintain an organized development workflow. This structured environment helped me understand how modern technical teams organize, prioritize, and execute complex software tasks efficiently.

The internship offered a comprehensive learning experience. Combining Agile practices and Azure DevOps with active daily team communication taught me how technical projects operate in practice, while hands-on work in Python, AI, and data engineering strengthened my technical versatility and problem-solving skills.

STEP Journey of Learning, Adaptation, and Discovery My STEP internship in Australia has been much more than a professional work experience. It has given me the opportunity to explore a new working environment, understand the Australian education system, experience different cultures, and learn more about myself.

Visiting different educational settings, including ELCs, primary and secondary schools, colleges and libraries, was another memorable part of my experience. Observing workshops allowed me to understand the Australian education environment more deeply while learning about cultures including Aboriginal, Mexican, Italian and Japanese cultures.

STEP taught me that growth comes not only from achieving professional goals, but also from being willing to communicate, adapt, explore, and learn from unfamiliar experiences.

STEP Beyond Ideas: Transforming Entrepreneurship Through Innovation This 12-week internship gave me a more comprehensive understanding of entrepreneurship, event operations, and organizational management, and changed my perspective on entrepreneurship by observing many outstanding projects. Also, I developed a more realistic understanding of small and medium-sized enterprises. One of the most valuable experiences was identifying the limitations of traditional Excel-based workflows and developing a more systematic management approach.

Looking back, STEP allowed me to see both the innovative side and the operational side of entrepreneurship, transforming my understanding of entrepreneurship by connecting innovation with disciplined execution. This experience strengthened my understanding of product development, workflow design, and organizational management, and will influence how I approach future projects in entrepreneurship and professional development.

Exploring AI-Driven Innovation My STEP internship was a meaningful journey that allowed me to explore the practical application of AI in education and industry while gaining valuable technical knowledge and project experience. Working in innovation-driven projects and start-up environments broadened my understanding of entrepreneurship and technological development; I also learned that innovation is not only about creating advanced technologies, but also about identifying practical problems and developing solutions that generate value.

STEP helped me grow into a more solution-oriented learner. It strengthened my structured thinking, AI-assisted problem-solving, communication skills, and understanding of technology-driven innovation.

Making Innovation Accessible Through Entrepreneurship STEP was an unforgettable experience that taught me far beyond the classroom. Working at a fast-growing start-up opened my eyes to what entrepreneurship truly means. The company's mission is to make rehabilitation technology affordable for everyone, reducing costs from millions to thousands of Yuan. I now understand that great innovation is about making technology accessible and practical to real people.

STEP has contributed greatly to my growth as an engineer and as a person. I gained practical skills in design and prototyping, developed a resilient mindset, and built confidence in solving real-world problems. More importantly, this internship has shaped my career goals. I am deeply grateful for this life-changing opportunity.

Quantum Computing Deep-Tech Experience During my internship at a quantum computing start-up, I gained insights that bridged theory and engineering. My mentor’s guidance fostered a methodical problem-solving approach, persistence through challenges. This mentorship was a key aspect of my learning process, as it provided me with practical advice that helped refine my skills in circuit design and troubleshooting.

Venturing into Quantum Computing and Personal Growth While three months was too short to fully grasp all aspects of quantum computing, it was enough for me to get a glimpse of the company and myself. My supervisor impressed me with his work ethic, intelligence, self-discipline, kindness, and humility. Through his guidance in coding, ion-trapped quantum formulas, and data modeling, I not only gained practical knowledge beyond what school offered but also became aware of my limitations in workplace dynamics and efficient communication - things I had never noticed before.

STEP Journey in Data Analytics STEP equipped me with diverse skills and advanced my professional growth. The internship has not only bolstered my confidence and expanded my technical repertoire but has also ignited a fervour for data analytics and operational optimization. Overcoming challenges strengthened my resilience and determination, which will continue to shape my future in data analysis.

Integrating Technology, Finance, and Innovation Beyond my daily internship work, visits to a robotics exhibition, an autonomous-driving showroom, and Xiaomi’s Yizhuang plant allowed me to see the abstract concept of “smart manufacturing” from the classroom come to life. These tours served as live case studies, giving me an intuitive understanding of how technology, finance, and industry interact within an integrated ecosystem, while further fuelling my passion for the new-energy mobility sector.

STEP Into Global Horizons STEP has given me the ability to work in widely diverse fields, broadened my career horizons, and gained insights into firm management. The internship deepened my understanding of the challenges involved in managing a firm. The extra-curricular activities also provided a well-rounded experience.

Gaining a Global Perspective on Innovation and Business STEP was a transformative experience that bridged my academic background in Computational Finance with practical operational and market research challenges in the deep-tech sector. Beyond technical skill development, STEP enriched my professional outlook through its structured activities. Attending the Cambridge Entrepreneurial Workshop, Google office and industry guest lectures gave me a broader perspective on how scientific breakthroughs are commercialized.

Furthermore, living and working in the UK was a truly life-changing journey that redefined my perspective. Stepping into a vibrant new culture challenged me to expand my horizons, adapt to fresh ways of living, and embrace every moment with an open mind. Along the way, I was fortunate to meet incredible people and form lasting friendships that made a foreign place feel like home.

From Ideas to Impact: Redefining Innovation and Entrepreneurship STEP redefined innovation and entrepreneurship for me and provided valuable knowledge that will benefit me in the future. Through workshops and courses on the gaming industry, entrepreneurship, innovation, marketing, pitching, and business, I gained insights into game production and successfully completed my first video game.

Before the internship, I thought entrepreneurship was only about new technology, but after the internship, I am sure that I can tell you more about entrepreneurship; it’s not only about being creative and innovative, but also about transforming your creative and innovative ideas into a real product and a real business. The thinking, debugging, communication, and presentation skills, as well as logical mindset I developed, will permanently elevate both my academic journey and future career.

Innovation in Motion: Lessons from My STEP Experience STEP helped shape my perspective on innovation and entrepreneurship by showing me how mission-driven ideas can move forward through real execution, cross-functional teamwork, and rapid problem-solving. Professionally, I strengthened practical skills in planning, content creation, coordination, and documentation. Personally, I gained confidence, learned to adapt quickly in a fast-paced environment, and left with a clear sense that this was one of the best decisions I’ve made in my life.

I learned a lot, grew a lot, and felt supported by the CityUHK team as well. Most of all, I truly cherish the friendships I made with the other STEP students. An amazing opportunity I will always be grateful for.

Thriving in UK’s Start-up Ecosystem This summer brought experiences I never expected to have. Coming into this role as a marketing intern, I learned far more than standard marketing principles. Instead, I discovered how to network with incredibly talented industry professionals, gained foundational knowledge in finance and design, and truly immersed myself in the fast-paced London start-up ecosystem. I am genuinely amazed and deeply honoured to have been part of the tight-knit NODI family. Words cannot fully describe how incredible it feels to work in London in my early 20s, an opportunity that previously felt completely out of reach.

STEP has been an amazing experience and life-changing for me. Learning the start-up ecosystem and being the company's "CMO" for 3 months is most definitely a summer I will cherish.

From Reporting to Effective Investor Pitching Presenting at a networking event at Google allowed me to share a mid-term report with both my supervisor and an investor, inspiring me to develop a one-page pitch, and changed my understanding of how to communicate with investors and show a compelling narrative about the opportunity.

Taking the Leap with STEP: A Start-up Mindset One of the biggest lessons came from my supervisor. He taught me to use our own materials to create depth and encouraged a “fail fast” mindset, as it is the style of start-ups, and they are not afraid to fail. This completely changed my mindset. Also, working with colleagues from Italy, Finland, and the UK opened my eyes to different working styles and perspectives.

Inspiring Encounters with Founders and Entrepreneurs STEP gave me experiences I never expected. Our supervisor took us to several networking events, where I met incredible founders and entrepreneurs. Hearing their stories, their struggles, their wins, their advice, was truly inspiring. Also, visiting Google’s London headquarters was a surreal experience, and seeing how a global tech giant operates gave me a new perspective on what is possible.

From Lab to Market: My Graphene Internship Journey As a student passionate about the intersection of materials engineering and commercialization, this experience not only introduced me to cutting-edge graphene technologies but also allowed me to witness first-hand how scientific research transitions from the laboratory to the marketplace.

Building Cross-Cultural Competence with STEP This internship enhanced my ability to work across cultures, communicate complex information effectively, and deliver practical solutions under constraints. It also provided valuable insights into applying media and communication across diverse fields, shaping my future career direction.