Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for Internship Courses (APAI4766, STAT4766 and STAT4767)

1. Do I have to apply for leave of absence (concerning full-time internship offers)?
2. If my internship starts in July and ends in December, can I wait until August to apply for leave of absence for the period from September to December?
3. Can I email the internship course registration instead of paper form?
4. How do I know whether a particular job is eligible for the internship course?
5. I have not yet passed 24 credits of advanced courses in the Major curriculum, but I expect that I can fulfill this requirement after the current semester, can I register for the course now?
6. What is the definition of an advanced course?
7. For the 24 credits of advanced courses, can I take any four APAI3xxx/STAT3xxx courses to fulfill the requirement?
8. Are the credits in the internship course counted towards the limit of 72 credits for each academic year?
9. Can I choose to enroll the internship course in specific semester?
10. Is it possible to accept multiple internship offers or sign two internship contracts for the same internship period before the start date of the internship? After I signed a contract, can I change my mind and not do the internship (eg, due to personal reasons)?
11. Is it possible to use the internship offered by CEDARS STEM Internship Scheme for the internship course? (https://www.cedars-cp.hku.hk/stem-internship
12. Can I withdraw the course registration if I later find that the job nature does not fit in the requirement?
13. Do I need to apply for No-Objection Letter (NOL) for internships?
14. If I have enquiries regarding my entry visa, who should I contact?
15. What is supporting letter?
16. If I am a final year student, can I take a summer internship, and enroll in the final summer semester?
17. If I am not eligible to enroll in APAI4766, STAT4766 or STAT4767 due to pre-requisite not met, can I still apply for leave of absence?
18. Can I still apply for leave of absence for my second internship given that if I have completed APAI4766/STAT4766/STAT4767 with my first internship?
19. Am I a prioritized candidate in the job application of the Department's internship system?
20. Are there any information provided by the Faculty regarding internship?

21. When should I submit the required documents (e.g. registration form, contract, progress report, employer's evaluation, written report)?
22. When would I receive confirmation after I make the internship course registration?
23. Why is my application only approved on a conditional basis in the email message?
24. Do I need to add the internship course (APAI4766, STAT4766 or STAT4767) in HKU Portal as if the usual course selection process?
25. When and how should I submit the written report?
26. Will the evaluation given by my supervisor affect my internship course?

27. If I am taking a leave of absence for my internship or if I will be on exchange (not study at HKU) right after the internship, when should I give the oral presentation for my internship course?
28. Which semester would my internship course be enrolled in?

29. What should be mentioned in my written report and oral presentation?
30. Would there be any audience in the oral presentation of APAI4766/STAT4766?
31. Would there be any audience in the oral presentation of STAT4767?
32. I know that the grade given to the internship course (APAI4766/STAT4766/STAT4767) is not on the common A+ to F basis and the course would not affect my (C)GPA. Will the internship course be either given a simple pass or fail grade?

33. In terms of salary, am I exempted from the statutory minimum wage ordinance? (BASc(AppliedAI), BSc and BSc (Actuarial Science) students)

 1. Do I have to apply for leave of absence (concerning full-time internship offers)?

If UG students receive full-time internship offers, they MUST apply for leave of absence to the Faculty of Science. Science students should submit leave of absence application together with a copy of employment contract via Science Online Application Submission System (OASS) (https://webapp.science.hku.hk/intranet/OnlineFormUG.html). If the contract and relevant documents are not ready yet, students should inform the Faculty about their intention of applying for leave at the earliest opportunity. Late applications may result in still having to pay the composition fees for the semester covered by the leave of absence period.

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 2. If my internship starts in July and ends in December, can I wait until August to apply for leave of absence for the period from September to December?

No, you must apply for leave of absence before the start date of your internship.

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 3. Can I email the internship course registration instead of paper form?

Yes you may send the registration form with all required documents by email from your HKU Portal email. Please follow the instructions on APAI4766, STAT4766 and STAT4767 registration form.

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 4. How do I know whether a particular job is eligible for the internship course?

As a general guideline, the job nature (not simply the job title or job description) should be related to your Major study. You should be able to explain in your written report and oral presentation how you can apply the knowledge you learned in your Major curriculum in the work. Job types which are too general (e.g. clerical work) or jobs which accept any students from any background (e.g. sales person or financial planner) should not be accepted. If you have any enquiries, you should give the job descriptions and more details to the course coordinator for consultation.

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 5. I have not yet passed 24 credits of advanced courses in the Major curriculum, but I expect that I can fulfill this requirement after the current semester, can I register for the course now?

As long as the requirement is fulfilled before the start of your internship, your registration would be accepted. This is why only a conditional approval is given to certain students for their registration.

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 6. What is the definition of an advanced course?

For science courses, an advanced course should have a number prefix starting with 3, 4 or 7, such as APAI3xxx, MATH3xxx or STAT3xxx.

For non-science courses, please check with the corresponding course offering department such as COMPxxxx, GEOGxxxx and PSYCxxxx.

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 7. For the 24 credits of advanced courses, can I take any four APAI3xxx/STAT3xxx courses to fulfill the requirement?

For students in BASc(AppliedAI) programme, you should pass at least 4 advanced courses including COMP3340 Applied Deep Learning, MATH3904 Introduction to Optimization, STAT3612 Statistical Machine Learning, and any advanced course in the selected concentration before the commencement of the internship.

For students in BSc(ActuarSc) programme and BSc programmes (Majors in Decision Analytics, Risk Management and Statistics), the 24 credits (four 6-credit courses) must be in the core disciplinary or core elective course list of that Major.

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 8. Are the credits in the internship course counted towards the limit of 72 credits for each academic year?

Yes, so if you plan to register courses (including internship courses) which amount to more than 72 credits, you need to apply for course overloading during the application period set by the Faculty, e.g. (semester 1) add-drop period in August and (semester 2) within 3 working days after announcement of semester 1 examination results. Therefore, please prepare your study plan well in advance.

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 9. Can I choose to enroll the internship course in specific semester?

No, the determination of enrollment semester for the internship course is based on the mechanism agreed with the Faculty.

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 10. Is it possible to accept multiple internship offers or sign two internship contracts for the same internship period before the start date of the internship? After I signed a contract, can I change my mind and not do the internship (eg, due to personal reasons)?

No, it is not recommended to accept multiple internship offers or sign two internship contracts for the same internship period before the start date of the internship. Doing so may violate the terms of the contracts and negatively impact your reputation, as well as the reputation of the department and the university. It is advisable to consult with your internship coordinator and/or career adviser before accepting multiple internship offers or signing two contracts for the same internship period to ensure that you are not in violation of any agreements.

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 11. Is it possible to use the internship offered by CEDARS STEM Internship Scheme for the internship course? (https://www.cedars-cp.hku.hk/stem-internship)

Please consult the Department at ugenq@hku.hk for further information.

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 12. Can I withdraw the course registration if I later find that the job nature does not fit in the requirement?

No in general, especially when your registration has already been given to the Faculty. In this situation, it is likely that the course would be ended up with a fail grade.

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 13. Do I need to apply for No-Objection Letter (NOL) for internships?

This is a document for students holding visa only.

According to the Immigration Department (ImmD) of the HKSAR Government, non-local students of full-time locally accredited programmes at degree level or above whose study period is not less than one academic year may take up internships subject to the following conditions: (Note 1)

• The internship(s) should be study/curriculum-related and be arranged or endorsed by the institutions they are studying in; and
• The total duration of the internship(s) is up to one year, or one-third of the normal duration of the relevant full-time academic programme, whichever is shorter.

In order to undertake internships regardless of full-time or part-time nature, students (holding visa) should possess an applicable No-Objection Letter (NOL) from ImmD. NOL (Note 2) will spell out explicitly the types and conditions of employment which can be undertaken by individual students.

Non-local students, including Mainland students and students with nationalities other than Chinese should first submit an application for leave of absence to the Faculty of Science via the Science Online Application Submission System (OASS) (https://webapp.science.hku.hk/intranet/OnlineFormUG.html) with the proof/contract of the internship offer.

Once the application is approved,

Full-time internship: a leave of absence confirmation letter/email will be issued by the Faculty Office, then request for the NOL (with the confirmation letter/email and internship contract).

Part-time internship: a supporting letter/email will be issued by the Faculty Office, then request for the NOL (with the confirmation letter/email and internship contract).

• Students in BASc(AppliedAI) and BSc(ActuarSc) programme should request for the NOL at the General Office of the Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science (Room 303, 3/F, Run Run Shaw Building) during office hour.
• Mainland students OR Non-local students with nationalities other than Chinese OR Chinese nationals with residency overseas in BSc programmes (e.g. Majors in Decision Analytics, Risk Management and Statistics) or research postgraduate (RPG) students, should request for the NOL from ImmD directly.

For enquiries, please refer to Admissions Office, Registry’s website:-
Mainland students: https://www.studentvisa.hku.hk/mainland-internship-approval.
Macao / Taiwan students: https://www.studentvisa.hku.hk/copy-of-internship-approval.
Non-local students: https://www.studentvisa.hku.hk/copy-of-internship-approval-1.

• Students should also apply to the Faculty for a leave of absence confirmation letter/email (full-time internship) or supporting letter (part-time internship) before applying NOL.

Please note that application for NOL may take up to 4-6 weeks.

Please also note that students do not require NOL during the period of 1 June to 31 August. An approval letter for Student Visa/Entry Permit of your first entry has stated there is no limit in relation to work hours and location regarding the employment during the summer months. “Summer months” here are taken to mean the period from 1 June to 31 August, both dates inclusive. (If you have lost the original copy, please re-apply from the Hong Kong Immigration Department (ImmD).)

Note 1: In case of information discrepancy, ImmD’s version shall prevail.

Note 2: NOL has a time restriction, e.g. usually for one academic year. Please refer to the exact academic year/period stipulated on the letter. Renewal of NOL is needed should the validity of your NOL expire and you wish to undertake an internship during your study.

IMPORTANT:
Students have the ultimate responsibility to ensure that that the duration of the cumulative internship does not exceed one academic year, or one-third of the normal duration of the relevant full-time academic programme, whichever is shorter.

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 14. If I have enquiries regarding my entry visa, who should I contact?

Students can contact Admission Office for further instruction. Please visit Admission Office’s website at https://www.studentvisa.hku.hk/

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 15. What is supporting letter?

For full-time internship, if your application for leave of absence is approved by the Faculty and the Department, the Faculty will issue an approval letter to supporting you to take a particular internship.

For part-time internship, if you need the support letter to apply for NOL, please bring along your contract and HKU timetable to the Faculty to apply for the supporting letter. Please note that the working time of your internship should not clash with your course schedule.

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 16. If I am a final year student, can I take a summer internship, and enroll in the final summer semester?

Summer internship in the final year is strongly NOT encouraged, the application needs special approval from the Faculty. If the application is not accepted, your graduation will be affected and delayed.

Final year students are normally not allowed to enroll in any courses in the summer semester. Any final year students who have left the required courses to the summer or later semesters may not be able to graduate in that summer.

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 17. If I am not eligible to enroll in APAI4766, STAT4766 or STAT4767 due to pre-requisite not met, can I still apply for leave of absence?

Yes, although some students are not eligible to enroll in APAI4766, STAT4766 or STAT4767, they are still eligible to apply for leave of absence for undertaking the internship.

If you want to fulfil the capstone requirement without doing an internship, you can consider enrolling in APAI3799 Directed studies in Applied AI or APAI4798 Applied AI project.

If you want to fulfil the capstone requirement without doing an internship, you can consider enrolling in STAT3799 Directed studies in statistics, STAT4710 Capstone experience for statistics undergraduates or STAT4799 Statistics project.
(Note: STAT4766 is mutually exclusive with STAT4710.)

If you want to fulfil the capstone requirement without doing an internship, you can consider enrolling in STAT4711 Capstone experience for actuarial science undergraduates or STAT4798 Statistics and actuarial science project.
(Note: STAT4767 is mutually exclusive with STAT4711.)

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 18. Can I still apply for leave of absence for my second internship given that if I have completed APAI4766/STAT4766/STAT4767 with my first internship?

If you are approved to take leave of absence, then you can take the second internship. However, if students already enrolled APAI4766/STAT4766/STAT4767 previously, then the second internship will not affect the previously enrolled internship course, whilst students can take the second internship for your own experience. At the same time, the Department would like to understand the progress and feedback of your internship for the improvement of the internship programme, students have to submit 1) Registration Form, 2) Progress Report 1st and 2nd and 3) invite employer to complete Employer's Evaluation Form during the second internship.

The required documents is one of the learning process throughout the internship. The documents provided a chance for student to reflect your strengths, weaknesses and the difficulties in the internship. Hence, the improvement in the future for your career. It is also important for Department to follow up with students' internships.

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 19. Am I a prioritized candidate in the job application of the Department's internship system?

Students who have participated in the CAP activities (e.g. PPP workshops) would be given a higher priority in Department's nomination to employers. On the other hand, students who have been blacklisted in CAP activities would be given a lower priority.

Students should also be reminded that the Department will also keep record of the compulsory attendance of actuarial science year 1 students for their seniors' oral presentation of STAT4767.

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 20. Are there any information provided by the Faculty regarding internship?

 21. When should I submit the required documents (e.g. registration form, contract, progress report, employer's evaluation, written report)?

The submission deadline of each required document will be shown in the bulk email notification. Late or no submission of any required documents without prior approval from the Department will result in a fail grade for the course. This rule will be implemented strictly from now on. Therefore if you have problems in submitting any documents on time, you are required to inform us in advance.

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 22. When would I receive confirmation after I make the internship course registration?

In about two weeks' time, you will receive an email notification of either a conditional approval or a rejection of your application.

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 23. Why is my application only approved on a conditional basis in the email message?

There are different reasons, depending on each student's case. This is possible that some pre-requisites can only be met later, for example, a student may be still waiting for the exam results to be released in order to meet the enrollment pre-requisites including but not restricted to the passing of 24 credits of advanced level disciplinary core/elective courses in the Decision Analytics/Risk Management/Statistics majors before the start of the internship.

(For Actuarial Science students, passing STAT3901 is also required.)

(For Applied Artificial Intelligence students, passing COMP3340, MATH3904 and STAT3612 are also required.)

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 24. Do I need to add the internship course (APAI4766, STAT4766 or STAT4767) in HKU Portal as if the usual course selection process?

No, if you are approved to take the internship course, you will be enrolled to the course manually by the Faculty / Department.

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 25. When and how should I submit the written report?

The submission timeline for required documents will be indicated in the conditional confirmation email. You have to follow this timeline strictly. For the written report, students are required to submit one printed hard copy to the Department AND one soft copy via Moodle Turnitin of your enrolled academic year and semester.

The Moodle Turnitin system will be ready about two weeks before the oral presentation. You are allowed to resubmit the written report before due in Moodle Turnitin.

Moreover, submission with the similarity index above 15% may be considered as plagiarism after eliminating falsifying factors (e.g. formatting, references, appendices, etc.)

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 26. Will the evaluation given by my supervisor affect my internship course?

Yes, although your supervisor's evaluation on you does not directly contribute to the score (which in turn to be a grade) of your internship written report or presentation, if our examiners find your work performance was far from standard you may fail the course due to the unsatisfactory performance during the internship.

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 27. If I am taking a leave of absence for my internship or if I will be on exchange (not study at HKU) right after the internship, when should I give the oral presentation for my internship course?

You should normally give the oral presentation the next semester you study at HKU, but this is also subject to other arrangements. Please refer to the latest email notification for your presentation schedule.

If you are going to take two internships consecutively in semester 1 and semester 2, you are not allowed to take any courses in that academic year (including summer semester). In this case, your actual enrollment and oral presentation will be conducted in semester 1 of the next academic year.

If you will go on exchange after the internship, enrollment of the internship course will then be postponed to the semester in which you resume study at HKU (semester 1, 2 or summer).

Note that the above is for reference only. The actual semester of enrollment (hence the date of oral presentation) will be subject to the Faculty's approval

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 28. Which semester would my internship course be enrolled in?

(For APAI4766) The internship course will be enrolled in the semester you give the oral presentation (1st semester, 2nd semester, or summer semester), NOT necessarily the semester you do the internship.

Actual enrollment will be slightly different for full-time and part-time internship. Please refer to the table below.

(For STAT4766) The internship course will be enrolled in the semester you give the oral presentation (1st semester, 2nd semester, or summer semester), NOT necessarily the semester you do the internship.

Actual enrollment will be slightly different for full-time and part-time internship. Please refer to the table below.

(for STAT4767) Note: The Faculty has the ultimate decision on the enrollment upon any special situations.

The oral presentation may be different from your actual enrollment because oral presentation will only be conducted in semester 1 or 2 for STAT4767, while the actual enrollment will be in semester 1, 2 or summer.

Please also note that actuarial science year 1 students have to attend the compulsory session for oral presentation for STAT4767.

Typical cases for regarding the enrollment for STAT4766 STAT4766 Statistics internship Only for BSc majoring in Decision Analytics/Risk Management/Statistics
	Type of internship	Internship taken in	Actual enrollment	Oral presentation	Tentative oral presentation date	Remarks
1	Full time	Semester 1(September to December)	Semester 2	Semester 2	Around mid-April to mid-May, normally in revision week
2	Part time	Semester 1 (September to December)	Semester 1	Semester 1	Around mid-November to mid-December, normally in revision week
3	Full time	Semester 2 (January to May)	Summer semester	Summer semester	Within August, normally mid-August to late August
4	Part time	Semester 2 (January to May)	Semester 2	Semester 2	Around mid-April to mid-May, normally in revision week
5	Full time	Summer semester (June to August)	Summer semester	Summer semester	Within August, normally mid-August to late August
6	Part time	Summer semester (June to August)	Summer semester	Summer semester	Within August, normally mid-August to late August
7	Full time	Semester 1 & 2 (September to June)	Semester 1 in next academic year	Semester 1 in next academic year	Around mid-November to mid-December, normally in revision week	Leave of absence for both semesters, no enrollment for this academic year, including summer semester.
Student MUST apply for Leave of Absence for full-time internship. Part time internship should not clash with your timetable in semester 1, 2 or summer semester. If a student will go on exchange after the internship, enrollment of the internship course will then be postponed to the semester in which the student resumes study in HKU (semester 1, 2 or summer). This is for reference only. In case of any dispute, Faculty's decision shall be final.

 

Typical cases for regarding the enrollment for STAT4767 STAT4767 Actuarial science internship Only for BSc(Actuarial Science) students
	Type of internship	Internship taken in	Actual enrollment	Oral presentation	Tentative oral presentation date	Remarks
1	Full time	Semester 1 (July to December)	Semester 2	Semester 2	Around mid-September to November	Compulsory attendance for AS 1 students
2	Full time	Semester 2 (January to June)	Summer semester	Semester 1 in next academic year	Around mid-January to March	Compulsory attendance for AS 1 students
3	Full time	Semester 1 & 2 (September to June)	Semester 1 in next academic year	Semester 1 in next academic year	Around mid-September to November	Leave of absence for both semesters, no enrollment for this academic year, including summer semester) Compulsory attendance for AS 1 students
4	Full time	Semester 2 & 1 (January to December)	Semester 2 in next academic year	Semester 2 in next academic year	Around mid-January to March	Compulsory attendance for AS 1 students
Student MUST apply Leave of Absence for full-time internship. Part-time internship should not clash with your timetable in semester 1, 2 or summer semester. If a student will go on exchange after the internship, enrollment of the internship course will then be postponed to the semester in which the student resumes study in HKU (semester 1, 2 or summer). This is for reference only. In case of any dispute, Faculty's decision shall be final.

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 29. What should be mentioned in my written report and oral presentation?

Please refer to the general guideline below for the written report. For the oral presentation, you should give similar content and possibly with your own presentation style.

Guidelines on written report:
APAI4766
STAT4766
STAT4767

For those students who have taken two internships consecutively before the oral presentation, you are required to submit all documents (e.g progress report, employer's evaluation form, student feedback form, etc) for BOTH internships, while you can focus on one internship (or both internships) in your oral presentation and written report.

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 30. Would there be any audience in the oral presentation of APAI4766/STAT4766?

Besides examiner(s), your peers are welcome to sit in your oral presentation session, although they are not required to do so.

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 31. Would there be any audience in the oral presentation of STAT4767?

Besides examiner(s), all Actuarial Science Year 1 students are required to attend certain number of session of internship presentation in each semester. We want our freshmen to have an idea of different job natures of actuarial work in an early stage in their study, so that they can note any important issues regarding their own preparation for their future internships. As a result, you should be a role model for your junior classmates. They should be able to learn a lot from your presentation on actuarial internship experience.

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 32. I know that the grade given to the internship course (APAI4766/STAT4766/STAT4767) is not on the common A+ to F basis and the course would not affect my (C)GPA. Will the internship course be either given a simple pass or fail grade?

No, if the performance of the written report and oral presentation are excellent, it is possible for you to get a grade of pass with distinction which will be shown on your transcript. The weighting of the assessment is:

Assessment of this course is on a Pass or Fail basis (Students demonstrating excellent performance would be awarded a grade of Distinction). Besides the three required forms - Progress Report Form, Employer's Evaluation Form and Student Feedback Form. Students will be assessed by the following criteria: content and skills of presentation content and skills (30%), participation in oral presentation (10%), content and organization written report (60%).

If you have taken two internships consecutively before the oral presentation, you are required to submit all documents (e.g. progress report, employer's evaluation form, student feedback form, etc.) for BOTH internships, while you can focus to one internship (or both internships) in your oral presentation and written report.

1. 1500-word written report on their internship experience;
2. oral presentation; and
3. participation in the Q&A session.*

*Students should participate actively and ask at least 2 questions (in total) in other presenters' Q&A session.

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 33. In terms of salary, am I exempted from the statutory minimum wage ordinance? (BASc(AppliedAI), BSc and BSc (Actuarial Science) students)

Specified student interns and work experience students who are exempted from the statutory minimum wage ordinance are required to complete form for confirmation of “student intern” or “work experience student” status under the Minimum Wage Ordinance for the employers. For details, please refer to the Labour Department website (https://www.labour.gov.hk/eng/public/content2_smw.htm)

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