By Delta Yu Yan, Junior Project Manager – Innovation & Entrepreneurship
In the winter of 2020, being stuck in an artist residency program at The Peace Hotel on the bund without studio visiting allowed, I knew it was time to jump out of this luxury place as well as my comfort zone to refresh my mind.
Swissnex in China offered me an unbelievably wild experience to work in Switzerland’s Science Consulate in China, while I have not had the chance to visit the country. Having a background in Arts, Design, and Social Science at large, this 5-month position of Junior Project Manager in the Innovation and Entrepreneurship team at Swissnex in China has brought me to a broader and more enriching scope of professional works and projects.
Upon arrival, I was soon fascinated by the diversity, inclusiveness, and potential of accomplishing individual-driven projects embedded in the blood of this vibrant team’s culture. My colleagues coming from a variety of academic and professional backgrounds were in charge of many exciting programs both online and offline and even cross-departmental.
My first hands-on small assignment was hosting China Agri-Food-Tech Bootcamp in March 2021. With the aim of introducing Swiss AgriTech and FoodTech startups to the China market, the Bootcamp involved a wide range of events and stakeholders, including virtual workshops, exclusive pitches, as well as market research reporting. Being a moderator was also a super challenging experience, leading me to take a small bit in the field of agricultural technology for the very first time and get familiar with those pioneering startups that we work closely in the future.
Later I had more opportunities to be involved and offer assistance in many other programs, such as Swiss Alumni China, Sino-Swiss Energy Innovation Forum and Swisstech Pitchinar 2021. One of the highlights was the Consumer Technology & Innovation Show at Shanghai New International Expo Centre in June. From pavilion design to construction site, from startup selection to award winners, from communication to negotiation, from Switzerland to China, from online to offline, this start-to-end process was overwhelming but extremely rewarding, teaching me to accomplish multiple tasks more creatively and independently.
Joining Swissnex in China was my best gap-year experience during this uncertain time in my life. I will always miss the family-like community vibe, as well as the edge-cutting programs engaged by my wonderful colleagues!
