The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST)

Basic Information

Name Neel Bhavesh Rambhia
Curriculum: Electrical Engineering B.Tech
Year of Study: 3rd
Company/University of Internship: The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST)
Year of Internship : ‘24 Summers
Mode of Internship : Offline
Duration of Internship: May to July ‘24
How did you get this internship offer? Cold Mailing/ Apping

Getting into the Internship:

What specific domain or field did you target to get an internship in?

Quantum Photonics and Quantum Engineering

Can you elaborate on your interview and the type of questions which were asked?

I had cold mailed one of the professors of ECE, HKUST. He showed interest in my profile and thus arranged for an online meet with me. There was no selection process or rigid interview as such. In the meet the professor and 2 of his PhD students talked about the work going on in their lab. They asked me about my knowledge in the subject and few questions here and there (which ofcourse I answered decently). In the end of the meet, the professor was very much willing to host me for Summer and the application process started soon after.

Were there any significant roadblocks or challenges that you encountered during the internship application and selection process? If so, how did you navigate or overcome them?

I first intended to apply to universities through dedicated Univ Programs but realised that most of them in Electrical Engineering and Quantum Engineering were only open for pre final and final year students. Additionally, some of them didn’t even give funding and accommodation (which was clearly mentioned on their websites). Hence, I was solely dependent on apping. Many professors whom I cold mailed did not reply as such. Few of them who did, gave a negative response. Thus, the success rate seems low. Additionally, one professor from another university first agreed to host me and had a meet with me but ghosted me soon. I was lucky enough to realise it in time and started apping again. Since I was determined to go for a University Internship in Summer, I didn’t lose hope and kept on apping. And finally got the acceptance from HKUST.

How did you handle any rejections that you faced (If any) during the internship application process?

I had got shortlisted for TUB through the PT Cell. Most of the seniors and friends told me that I would get through easily but mysteriously I got rejected in it. I was disheartened at that time. However, I now feel fortunate about it since the field they offered did not align with my interest. That was the point after which I started apping seriously. Another setback I faced (which I mentioned earlier) was being ghosted by another professor after the online meet. That too left me disappointed but I took it as a motivation that my application is strong enough to grab attention of professors and hence I didn’t lose hope and kept on applying to professors.

During the internship:

What was your specific profile or project topic during the internship?

My internship was divided into 3 parts. In the first two weeks, I studied about the Hang Ou Mandel effect and assembled the apparatus for the same. In the next 4 weeks I had to work on Ring Resonators. They are used to amplify or de amplify the intensity of photons by resonance/ destructive interference. I had to read papers on them and simulate structures as per the dimension my mentor gave me. I had to record all data for the same and display it’s efficiency. My last two weeks dealt with data analysis. The Professor proposed an idea to the lab group about curve fitting resonance data using Voigt Profiles. I had to research about the same and demonstrate its effectiveness using my own data which I had collected earlier.

How would you describe your overall experience as an intern?

It was a great experience for me. I am very happy to get an internship in the domain of my interest and the work there was simply amazing. This was my first time going abroad and I had to manage everything on my own be it food, accommodation and even the work there. This university might not be as famous as the Ivy League colleges but I am intrigued by the opportunities it offers. The professor was very chill and we had a big nice chat one day about him and his past. He was very friendly and wanted me to take as many experiences as I can from this internship.

Could you provide insights into the organizational culture of the company/university and what your peers were like?

All my lab mates were very helpful and friendly with me. Even the professor is very chill and calm. We used to have weekly meets on Saturdays and then the professor would take us for lunch. He also gave 2-3 treats for any big achievements of the lab group or welcoming of new interns. A small issue that I faced was that my mentors were not very much comfortable with English and I had to use Google Translate for the same. Apart from that, everything was great. However, one thing to note is that they were very serious about deadlines and quality of work. It pushed me as well to work hard there. They are strict about the timings as well. We had to report to the lab by 10.30 am which was a little head ache for a night owl like me. But in the end I managed it.

Were there any networking opportunities or professional connections that you established during the internship?

The lab hosted another intern from Canada during the same time as my internship. Being UGs, we bonded very well and infact I explored most of Hong Kong with her. I met quite a few people from India (including IITD alumni who were doing PhD/ PostDoc there and 2 IITD interns working under a prof. from CSE) and from neighbouring countries (you know which countries I am talking about :)). All of them were very friendly and helpful. My dorm neighbours were Postgrads from Mainland China and were very approachable for any kind of help. I was lucky enough to go there during the time when their semester was still on going and thus made a lot of new friends among UGs and PGs. I would also like to mention that IITs (especially Bombay and Delhi) are quite famous there especially among people from the Indian Subcontinent.

After the internship:

Yes for sure! The University has a lot many things to offer and the professor (atleast the one under whom I worked) was very willing to collaborate. I would like to mention that the field I worked under required a bit of rigour in terms of the subject matter to be known and the literature review. Apart from that the work I did was very interesting and based on real life industry projects. I would recommend people to pursue their field of interests rather than going for any university based on its ranking or so.

Any other insights which you want to provide people aspiring to pursue university internships or research in general?

One thing I would say in case of apping is that do not lose hope. If you are serious enough, you will surely get accepted at your place of interest. But you need to keep on trying. Also, you need to take efforts from your side as well in knowing about the professor, going through his/ her lab group’s research work, etc. It the prof. finds you serious enough, he / she won’t hesitate to host you.