Pan-Asian Careers Initiative: Asian Career Forum

Students interested in leaving the UK and searching for job opportunities in Asia after having completed their degree are warmly invited to this year’s Asia Career Forum, which will be held on 13 November at 6:30 pm in Parliament Hall.

The event is organised by the Pan-Asian Careers Initiative (PACI), a student-led non-profit organisation founded by St Andrews alumnus Yong Ong. With yearly events aiming to promote career opportunities in Asia, they aim to empower the extensive international networks established by student communities in the UK (especially in Scotland). This includes frequent collaboration with various sectors in the careers scheme, raising awareness about the various challenges and opportunities in Asia.

“Everyone is welcome,” PACI president Sissi Xia said. “PACI prepares students for the differences you may not expect when moving to Asia, both in terms of lifestyle and culture. This is obviously very broad, there are numerous similarities and differences to face varying by country, and we work hard on branching out to as many regions of the continent as possible.”

“We have six speakers lined up for the event, coming from countries such as Japan, Indonesia, and China. One of them used to work at J.P. Morgan, another in real estate, a third in consulting – we try to invite representatives from as many sectors as possible to meet the wide range of student interests we’ve encountered at the university. In the course of our studies, we realise that each individual student has their own story and network to share. The initiative acts as a platform where we can share collective knowledge and insight concerning work opportunities in Asia.

Ms Xia continued by detailing the mission PACI has set out to accomplish.

“We regularly reach out to corporations, university units and civic organisations and explore the extensive international networks established and managed by the UK’s universities and colleges. This provides a basis for students to be able to utilise them effectively, and promotes engagement with and empowerment of the Asian student community. In general, we act as a sort of sounding board for the Careers Centre and other related think tanks.”

Attendance is free, and Ms Xia encourages everyone to participate – including those with interests in the wide-ranging cultural aspects of the continent.