Internships

We actively recruit for in-person internship positions throughout the year!  Internship opportunities last 3-4 months. You must be able to work a min of 300 hours (15-30 hours per week across 3-4 months).  

Apply Here: 

Asia Society Northern California In-Person Internships

At Asia Society Northern California, we take pride in nurturing up-and-coming international relations scholars, policy buffs, problem solvers, and creative minds. Through our hands‐on internship program, students have the unique opportunity to work alongside our dynamic team to develop and market global programs that help educate the public about critical issues facing the United States, Asia, and the world.

Class of Summer 2024 (In Person and Virtual)

Class of Spring 2024 (In Person & Virtual)

Class of Fall 2023 (In-person and virtual)

Class of Summer 2023 (In-person and virtual)

Class of Fall/Winter 2022-2023 (In-person and virtual)

Class of Summer 2022 (In-Person)

Class of Summer 2022 (Virtual)

Class of Spring 2022 (Virtual)

Class of Winter 2022 (Virtual)

Class of Fall 2021 (Virtual)

Class of Spring/Summer 2021 (Virtual)

Class of Fall 2020 (Virtual)

Class of Summer 2020 (Virtual)

Class of Fall 2019

Class of Spring 2019

What our Interns are saying:

I am honored to have been an intern at Asia Society Northern California. Although I worked remotely, I still felt the team's warmth and friendliness. As a social media intern, I designed posts, managed Asia Society's INS and Twitter accounts, and planned out the Social Media Calendar, which helped me grow using various software. I also think it was especially meaningful to help in all the events Asia Society does. You can hear all kinds of in-depth discussions about the U.S. and China relationship and current international events. I hope to meet and work with the team in person in the near future! Thank you Asia society for this valuable internship opportunity!
- Celina Xu, Fall 2021, Winter 2022

Where do I even begin? My sixteen months at Asia Society Northern California (ASNC) have gone by in a flash! I had originally intended for my 2020 summer internship to only last till that August, but couldn't help changing my mind as soon as I met the team. Even over Zoom, the vibrance of the staff and other interns was infectious, and I couldn't wait to dig in and explore all that ASNC had to offer. Little did I realize that this experience would far exceed anything I'd ever imagined getting out of a completely remote internship. Aside from cool (and I mean once-in-a-lifetime kind of cool) speakers and event content, ASNC offers its interns an impressive scope of learning opportunities, from marketing to development to research to programming. Without a doubt, the interdisciplinary nature of this training will continue to benefit me, regardless of what line of work I pursue in the future. But the most unforgettable takeaway is how much ASNC cares about the progress and well-being of its interns. Even with their limited bandwidth, ASNC's full-time staff go the extra mile to implement feedback from interns and ensure that we all feel seen and heard. I can't overstate my gratitude for everyone's support and mentorship on my ASNC journey, and while my time as an intern is quickly coming to a close, I look forward to starting the next chapter as an alum. 
- Kisara Moore, Summer 2020, Fall 2020, Winter 2020, Spring 2021, and Summer 2021 Intern 

When I planned my summer with Asia Society Northern California (ASNC), I was expecting some morning dim-sum as a reward for surviving the rush hour on Bay Bridge. Well, things changed when COVID hit the west coast. Like many other interns, I sealed myself in an apartment and hoped things don't proceed too rough. Thankfully, among those who were impacted, I was fortunate because of the rewarding, enriching experience I had during this unique internship. Over the past four months, I participated in a wide range of insightful programs, collaborated with a group of experts, and challenged to research many new fields that I could not imagine before. Any of these cannot be achieved without our professional, supportive, and fun people at ASNC. I am deeply honored to navigate through this important period of my life with this legendary team. Thank you for having me, and let's always keep in touch.
- Marshall Li, Summer 2020 and Fall 2020 Virtual Intern

This summer, I expected to be in Hokkaido, immersing myself in the local culture and people of Hakodate, eating cheap onigiri every day for lunch, and strengthening my language skills. But of course, when COVID-19 threw those plans to the wind, I was lucky enough to land at Asia Society Northern California (ASNC) for an internship experience full of interesting work, personal and professional development, and a summer of learning and fun, despite being completely virtual. From witnessing the inner workings of a nonprofit (even sitting in on board meetings and staff retreats), to attending virtual events spanning from the U.S. Ambassador to China to a local Bay Area meditation teacher, to gaining exposure to a variety of tasks and skills like video editing, Salesforce, and simple financial analysis — this summer holds many takeaways, but perhaps the strongest is the amount of ownership I have over my main project, social media marketing. From the initial strategizing and drafting a marketing plan, to its daily implementation and content creation, to analyzing engagement metrics and writing guidelines for future continuation, I have poured myself into every step, making both the work and the outcome that much more personally rewarding. Although I wish I could work alongside everyone on Washington Street, I am beyond grateful for this opportunity to both learn from and contribute to ASNC and its global mission, right from my living room. 
- Stacy Shimanuki, Summer 2020 Virtual Intern

Working as an intern at Asia Society Northern California (ASNC) from November 2019 to April 2020, I participated in Asia 21 Young Leaders Summit, Board Meetings, The Future of the U.S.-China Conference, Reporting on China with David Barboza, Roundtable with Jamal Abdi, 2020 Asia Game Changer West Awards (Virtual) Gala and more. I was able to ask questions to many influential people in foreign policy, business, and the arts while I was supporting program development. I participated in all of the team meetings to develop programs and I learned how to successfully plan and develop programs. I was mostly in charge of designing marketing materials for Asia Society's global programs. In addition, I had an opportunity to help research for the AI Initiative. Above all, I feel lucky that I had worked with wonderful team members at ASNC. They helped me to adapt successfully and I learned a great deal of communication skills from them. Even though I have returned to South Korea, I strongly believe we will meet again in the near future. Thank you Asia Society!
- Jongwon Lee, Fall 2019 and Spring 2020 Intern

It's fortunate that I could be an intern of Asia Society California (ASNC) so quickly after I graduated in Australia. ASNC is a warm family where you can not only learn how to work as a team in the non-profit field, but also grow to be a better person. Furthermore, the experience of assisting events like the Board Meeting and the Future of the U.S. and China Conference, and the engagement of research on the artificial intelligence initiative have benefit me a lot. I appreciate this great opportunity and I would like to express my sincere gratitude to everyone at ASNC, without their kind guidance I cannot learn that much. I will miss the wonderful time here! Thank you Asia Society! 
- Yingzhe Zhao, Spring 2020 Intern

I have learned a lot during my time here at Asia Society Northern California. I was able to assist in many steps of event planning, as well as to learn from all departments in the organization. That helped me gain office experience, to be part of great events, and to meet amazing people. Here at ASNC, they welcomed me and were always willing to help with any doubts and projects. One of the things that I appreciated the most was the friendly environment that enabled me and everyone to reach out to one another. The skills that I developed during this internship - like how to manage website contents, tools such as Salesforce, and events planning - will be of great value for the next step of my career.
- Miriam Ahn, Fall 2019 Intern

It's been a rewarding four months as a Program and Development Intern at Asia Society Northern California (ASNC). I really appreciate everyone’s willingness and confidence to let me explore all of the departments within the organization. I was able to attend board meetings, organize fundraising events, collaborate with staff on foreign policy, write website content, and more. ASNC really allowed me to see how a nonprofit works from the ground up and I have gained skills in campaign research, writing social media content, and event planning. I can confidently say I wouldn’t have grown and learned as much as I have these past four months without everyone’s guidance. I’ll especially miss our Monday brainstorming sessions—they made coming into work after a weekend that much more enjoyable! And I’m so grateful for the experience of events - especially the Groundbreaker Roundtable with Huawei, The Hon. Kevin Rudd's speech on the U.S.-China Trade War, and the 2019 Asia 21 Young Leaders Summit.
- Xiaoyuan Liu, Fall 2019 Intern
 

Becoming an intern for the Asia Society was a bit unexpected for me-I had heard of the opportunity from a friend who had done it, and hurried to apply quickly before the deadline. The Asia Society surpassed all my narrow preconceptions and has been tremendously eye-opening: I have attended acrimonious conferences on Chinese IP infringement, abstract art exhibitions featuring leading young Asian artists, and film screenings done by innovative Asian-American directors. Moreover, it has allowed me to refine my research skills and learn new technical ones to help the Society in its mission to build greater ties between Asia and the US. Now I am even more motivated to travel to places like Singapore, Sri Lanka, and Bhutan! 
- Geraint Hughes, Spring 2019 Intern
 

In the blink of an eye, I had been with the Asia Society for nearly three months. During this internship, I not only acquired knowledge of U.S.-Asia policy and business, but also made excellent friends. I've learned many skills that I did not have before including data entry, program management, and development skills.  For me, working at Asia Society was not only an internship, but also an opportunity for me to learn and grow. This internship helped me complete the transition from student to employee in the context of American culture.
- Jiamei Guo, Spring 2019 Intern
 

Interning at Asia Society provided me with an opportunity to delve deeper into my area of interest, Sustainability, while at the same time broadening my understanding of the culture and current affairs in Asia on the whole. Through working in the office, I gained insight as to how to conduct research, organize meetings, plan events, and record and analyze data. Asia Society hosts speakers who are experts or leading pioneers in their respective fields. Volunteering at these talks is a great learning and networking experience. 
- Summer 2018 Intern
 

Volunteers

Learn about our Volunteer Opportunities. Click to sign up! Join us for complimentary access to our events. 

For instructions on how to apply for any of the above internship and volunteer opportunities, please read each announcement.

Only candidates considered for an interview will be contacted. If you submit your resume by email, please regard it as having been received unless your email is bounced back. No phone calls, please.

Thank you for your interest in and support of Asia Society!