Palau Visitor Authority-Taiwan Representative Office

Benedict Hartono, a second-year economics student, decided to intern at the Palau Visitors Authority Taiwan Office through the #NTUInternationalMentorshipProgram to gain a deeper understanding of Oceania, which is close to his hometown in Indonesia, and to increase his work experience in government sectors.

During his internship, Benedict was mainly responsible for marketing tasks, including participating in travel exhibitions to help Taiwanese clients better understand Palau’s tourism industry. Additionally, Benedict conducted market research, selected suitable Taiwanese Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs), and invited them to Palau to promote tourism. Notably, Benedict’s mentor, Alex Lei, the Director of the Palau Office, is also in charge of the Hawaii State Government Office. Therefore, Benedict also had exposure to various visa-related tasks for Hawaii. Benedict mentioned that his greatest takeaway from the Palau Office was learning to stay adaptable. Since he had to handle tasks from the perspectives of two different offices simultaneously, it was crucial to remain flexible and switch roles when needed to navigate the work effectively.

Reflecting on his interactions with his mentor Alex Lei, Benedict shared that Alex encouraged him to explore different environments, drawing from his own experience of attending college in Hawaii. Through this internship at the Palau Office, Benedict not only gained insights of marketing work but also trained himself to be adaptable while working across two different departments, which provided invaluable experiences that he couldn’t have gained elsewhere. Benedict concluded his internship experience with this statement: “We won’t know about the future unless we create by our own.” He sincerely advised other students interested in the IMP to stay creative, embrace challenges, and create their own future. 

????For more information on the NTU IMP, please go to https://oiainternship.ntu.edu.tw/
????Palau Visitor Authority-Taiwan Representative Office: https://oiainternship.ntu.edu.tw/sector/view/CF5AfEaBb575