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During a three-week internship at Free Malaysia Today, undergraduate students had the chance to publish stories and videos on important issues

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Undergraduate students from City St George’s made a lasting impression this summer during a three-week internship at Free Malaysia Today (FMT), one of Malaysia’s leading bilingual news sites.

During their placements as part of the Global Leadership Award, six students worked as journalists in a busy newsroom and earned bylines on published articles.

Students tackle global issues with hard-hitting journalism

Two students, Adina Ahmed (BSc International Politics) and Manahil Rahman (Law LLB), used the opportunity to share their perspectives on the ongoing war in the Middle East, penning a powerful opinion piece. The topic hit close to home for Adina, who has a friend living in Iran. While she said she was initially sceptical about writing such a personal piece, the experience proved meaningful.

Students got an inside look at the FMT office

“I’m really happy I pushed myself out of my comfort zone. It was emotional but I was able to do something for my friend in Iran even though I felt helpless. It was one of the most heartfelt pieces I’ve ever written.”

For Manahil, the experience was a memorable way to share her achievements with her family.  “The day my article was published, I sent it to my parents and they shared it in our family group chat."

Seeing my work published made me feel heard and appreciated. We were not only working at this company as interns to sit around and do nothing, we were making an impact and growing as people.

International politics student Anastasiya Yushchenko, who is originally from Ukraine, said the internship offered her the chance to explore the question of neutrality regarding the war in Ukraine. While working on the story, Anastasiya arranged an in-person interview with Denys Mykhailiuk, Ukraine’s acting ambassador to Malaysia which was filmed by FMT camera crew.

“I wanted to share with Malaysian people that neutrality is not always the option and journalism gave me that opportunity. To speak to people, influence them and get my voice heard."

Anastasiya’s peers explored other topics of interest to them. Emily Aheto (BA History and Politics) wrote an opinion piece on social media’s impact on politics and the rise of the ‘influencer politician’. Mariana Tabares-Jaramillo (BSc International Business) drew on her Colombian heritage to cover a story that celebrated salsa dancing in Kuala Lumpur and Greta Bagdonaite (BSc International Politics) wrote about the Kuala Gandah Elephant Sanctuary and the alleged mistreatment of its animals.

Experiencing Malaysia beyond the newsroom

When they were away from their desks, students immersed themselves in Malaysia’s vibrant and diverse culture. “Something I didn’t expect was how multicultural Malaysia was. Seeing this in practice and trying delicious new food was really interesting,” said Emily.

Students got to immerse themselves in Malaysian culture during their internships

For Greta, the whole experience taught her the importance of taking chances:

My biggest takeaway is to always say ‘yes’. Even if you are uncertain about something and it is out of your comfort zone, don’t be afraid to say ‘yes.’ Don’t reject the opportunity because you never know what you are going to get out of it.

Global Leadership Award

The internship was offered through City St George’s Global Leadership Award programme, which gives students the chance to participate in a funded international experience over the summer. The programme is designed to help students develop workplace and leadership skills and gain cultural insights by engaging with global organisations and communities.

This year, 68 students participated in Global Leadership placements across Malaysia, India, Vietnam, Canada, and Barbados, with trips ranging from one to 12 weeks in length. Travel and accommodation were fully funded for selected participants. More broadly, City St George’s has supported over 300 students this year in undertaking international activities through the Turing Scheme.

Global skills and lasting impact

Tom Challen, Global Opportunities Manager at City St George’s, said these international opportunities offer students so much more than just the chance to travel.

City St George’s provides international opportunities for our students that helps them grow personally, professionally and academically. Students become global citizens, ready to take on real-world challenges and to step outside their comfort zones. Seeing our students thrive in the FMT newsroom and produce impactful journalism is a great example of this.

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