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Julia Zhao, pictured, from Switzerland, is an intern at the Embassy of Switzerland to LuxembourgPhoto: Julia Zhao 

Delano profiles some of the interns to find out more.

The first in our “Meet the interns” series features Julia Zhao, 23, from Switzerland, who worked as an intern at the Embassy of Switzerland to Luxembourg.

Jess Bauldry: Why did you apply for this internship?

Julia Zhao: I would consider myself as a curious person with many interests. Since I’ve graduated in Business and Economics and have a keen interest in politics and different cultures, this academic internship combines perfectly those topics in my opinion. Also, I enjoy living abroad and I was particularly curious about the grand duchy of Luxembourg as it’s similar in many ways to Switzerland, the country where I come from. Both are small, multicultural and wealthy nations in the heart of Europe and share similar values from my point of view. Yet, in one respect they are different from each other: their attitude and approach to the European Union. Those facts aroused my interest to learn more about Luxembourg, one of the founding members of the European Union.

How does this one compare with previous internships?

My previous internship differs a lot from my current one. While I was a digital conception trainee in a communication agency, my field of work covered topics such as content marketing and UX. Here in Luxembourg at the embassy of Switzerland, my work deals primarily
 with political and economic affairs, but I also get assigned to cultural and administrative tasks.

Photo: Julia Zhao

What kind of tasks do you do in this internship?

I really enjoy the diversity of my tasks here. I research about many interesting topics such as space mining, environment or banking and finance. Furthermore, I’ve gained insight into diplomatic work.

What do you like most about the experience and what are you learning from it?


Not only is the exchange with other interns from other embassies and governmental institutions such as the European Court of Justice a truly valuable experience for me, but also I like the fact that you can meet people with all kinds of cultural backgrounds in Luxembourg. What I really appreciate about my work here is further the possibility to attend conferences, seminars and lectures about interesting subjects such as data security, humanitarian work or legal theories.

Last but not least, I was able to learn a lot about the cultural scene of Luxembourg and Switzerland since I could go to many art exhibitions, vernissages and other cultural events. For instance, I was at an Urban Dance Festival in Luxembourg, where the embassy supported a dance team from Switzerland.

Are you an intern or do you know of an intern doing an unusual placement or internship? Let Delano know by emailing [email protected]