LER is continuing in our attempts to engage overseas employers and alumni while opening up opportunities for our international students.
In March, LER Assistant Director for Career and Student Services Jason Boys attended the Global University Career Development Conference (GUCDC) in Shanghai and Suzhou, China. The objective of the conference was to provide insight into the Chinese job market while simultaneously creating real connections between career service professionals and Chinese employers. The conference offered site visits to several global and regional companies, conference presentations by Chinese recruiters, and the opportunity to workshop strategies for international career services with representatives from universities around the world. Following the conference, LER hosted a reception for 15 alumni and current students at the Shanghai Renaissance Hotel.
LER has also been working to strengthen our relationship with the University of Illinois China Office in Shanghai. Associate Dean Nell Madigan served on the search committee for the office’s newest staff member, and Jason has become a primary contact for that team through his service with the University’s Career Service Council. In the summer of 2017, the China Office selected an incoming LER student as an intern to help coordinate their annual career fairs in Beijing and Shanghai. Currently, Jason is working the China office and colleagues here on campus to create processes to cultivate new relationships with employers overseas. Through this work, we look forward to becoming more-familiar with the Chinese job market and to establishing pipelines that connect returning LER graduates and Chinese employers.
These efforts have shown an increase in contact between international companies and LER students. In the past year, several Chinese companies have recruited LER students. These companies include Hisense, Huawei, Bytedance, Unilever, and more. We have also seen an increase in “one-off” opportunities provided by our overseas alumni as we strengthen those connections.
While on campus, international students continue to receive advanced support from LER faculty and staff. We are sensitive to the unique challenges they face and strive to alleviate them when we can. Our International Peer Advisor holds regular office hours to provide guidance and support for international students, and also works with LER staff to plan social events that bring everyone together including sports outings and international potluck dinners. During orientation this fall, incoming international students attended the first-ever LER International Orientation Breakfast where they were able to network with and gain insight in to the program, university, and the Champaign-Urbana area from returning LER students.