Internships in international organizations are highly valued for the development of global competency. Drawing on the combination of the United Nations Competencies for the Future and the onion competency model as a theoretical framework, this study examines the global competency of Chinese university students by conducting in-depth qualitative interviews with 44 interns stationed at international organizations. The thematic analysis reveals that the global competency of Chinese interns in international organizations is characterized as multifaceted, which characterized by high level of professionalism, underdeveloped communication competencies, practical competency gaps and creativity deficiency from a knowledge and skills perspective. In terms of roles and attitudes, Chinese interns tend to view the internship as international civil servants and display a growth mindset. Regarding motivations and personality, they exhibit a high degree of intercultural disposition and demonstrate a combination of cosmopolitan identity and patriotism. Strategic implications are discussed regarding how Chinese universities cultivate students’ global competency, particularly as an adaptive response to the shifting complexities of a globalized and multi-polar world.
Tian et al. (Wed,) studied this question.