Students Case Studies
Clement Law, Hong Kong
Name: Clement Law
University: Warwick University
Subject studied: Physics
Country of Placement: Hong Kong
Placement dates: 05/07/2010 to 13/08/2010
What is your background?
I am a British (Manchester) born Chinese citizen, conversant in Cantonese and studying for my undergraduate physics masters at Warwick University.
What attracted you to your current traineeship?
The opportunity to work in a real laboratory environment and contribute to the work of the researchers around me. Further, I did not find the chance to do research at my university during the summer term appealing, i.e. I wanted a change of environment.
What kind of work are you doing?
Broadly speaking, I worked on optimising the various stages involved in fabricating semiconductor devices (such as transistors and diodes).
This involved work in a clean room and independent research using journals and library resources.
How has your knowledge and skills changed as a result of this placement?
My university does not provide undergraduates with the opportunity to work in clean rooms, so I gained some very advantageous skills - such as dealing with hazardous materials - in this respect for later research work. I also further developed my ability to review scientific literature and combine it into a professional report.
What do you feel you have brought to your placement?
I feel I approached this placement with a professional mind set and met the objectives set before me. I feel that I was a minimal burden to the technical staff. To this end, I finished the placement with some real usable results that the department will use in further research.
What do you think about the IAESTE social programme?
The social programme is pretty inclusive and covered outings and clubbing/pubbing events. A few weeks in, the exchange students themselves took on the imitative to plan events so it is important to stay in touch with them. Face book was used a lot. The communication and support was complete and adequate. If there were problems, the local IAESTE team was always responsive and quick.
What is your accommodation like?
The accommodation was excellent and well provisioned. Swimming pool, gym, piano room, snooker and pool room, karaoke room, study room, I.T. room - all were free and easily bookable. It was a change to share a room but it meant that I could make friends more easily.
Would you recommend IAESTE to other students?
Unreservedly
What would you say to a UK company to convince them to take on a trainee?
I would tell the company that an IAESTE trainee will bring a different mind set, and a new refreshing angle to their work. That they will probably enrich their work place with stories and experiences from their own culture and provide a friendlier work environment.
How have you benefited from the experience professionally/personally?
This placement has helped me decide on my career path after university and equipped me with a wider skill set for research. I further experience, now, of adapting to a new environment and the difficulties in presents.
