This week at my internship, I had the chance to participate in Power BI training–something I had been looking forward to since I first heard how we would incorporate data analytics into internal audit. The training mainly focused on how Power BI can be used in audit engagements, and it was amazing to see how efficiently we could sort and visualize using interactive dashboards. I am excited to keep learning and exploring this tool and hopefully apply it to upcoming projects.
On Wednesday, I attended a Bucknell alumni event, which turned out to be one of the highlights of the trip. I had the opportunity to connect with a diverse group of Bucknell alums living and working in Singapore. Hearing about their journeys post-graduation and the different paths they took was inspiring. I also had the honor of speaking briefly about my own story growing up as an international student and the experiences I’ve had so far in the Bucknell in Asia Pacific program. It was a meaningful moment that reminded me of the strength and support of the Bucknell community halfway across the world.
After a full week of work, we took a group trip to Bintan Island for the long weekend. The resort was a perfect escape, and we spent most of our time relaxing by the pool and swimming in the emerald green waters. What I loved most about Bintan was how calm and peaceful it felt. For three days, we just enjoyed the slower pace of island life, and it was refreshing to be in a completely different environment from the fast-paced work environment we are in most of the time in Singapore.
Today, I began my second on-site audit, this time with a petrochemical company based out of Shenzhen. I sat in on interviews with HR and IT personnel, which were all conducted in Chinese. As someone who spent some time in China, I found it both familiar and interesting to use my language skills in a professional setting. What stood out during these interviews was how integrated the HR and IT departments were in terms of maintaining internal controls. Anything from data privacy policies to new employee onboarding procedures, the layers of checks and balances showed how complex each audit can be, depending on the industry and the size of the company.
