Overview

The US-ASEAN Business Council is the premier advocacy organization for U.S. corporations operating within the dynamic Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), serving as the leading voice of the U.S. private sector in promoting mutually beneficial trade and investment relationships between the United States and Southeast Asia. The Council is the only U.S.-based organization recognized in the ASEAN charter as a supporting organization of ASEAN. The Council's members include more than 175 of the most successful and innovative corporations in the world, including Apple, Boeing, Citi, The Coca-Cola Company, Google, and Microsoft. Combined, these 175+ companies generate over $7 trillion in revenue and employ more than 13 million people worldwide.

Cradled between China, India and Australia, ASEAN is the third-largest economy in the Indo-Pacific and the fifth largest in the world with a GDP of $2.8 trillion and a population of 650 million. As a critical hub for global trade, more than $3.4 trillion in global trade transits through ASEAN each year. In 2019, ASEAN became the 4th largest goods export market for the U.S. after Canada, Mexico, and China, reaching over $105 billion in exports in goods and services. It has also attracted more U.S. investment than any other destination in the whole of Indo-Pacific, receiving almost $329 billion in investment, more than the United States has directed to China, India, Japan, and South Korea combined.

Internship Duties and Learning Outcomes

The Council’s Internship Program aims to provide hands-on experience in the field of U.S. – ASEAN business relations. Throughout the internship, students will collaborate directly with country and industry teams, undertaking strategic communications work, including social media management, podcast interviews, branding toolkit updates, and various other tasks in support of our members.

Communications and Public Affairs Internship Duties:

The Communications and Public Affairs Intern will assist the Communications and Public Affairs team by increasing the organization’s brand visibility and media engagement. Specific responsibilities will include:

• Curate daily briefing materials, highlighting major news updates in Southeast Asia

• Create engaging and brand-aligned content to promote Council activities, including press releases, monthly newsletters, and social media posts.

• Work cross-functionally with internal teams to ensure cohesive messaging and brand voice across different platforms.

• Assist with U.S. government and congressional engagement activities.

• Assist with planning and execution of high level in-person interviews for the Council’s monthly podcast The Bottom Line with USABC.

• Provide logistical support to closed door events (e.g., social media drafting, photography, and note-taking).

• Option to attend ASEAN-related briefings at institutions around D.C.

Unpaid Internship

Small transportation stipend (Washington, D.C. public transportation) (optional)

Qualifications

The Council is looking for highly motivated candidates who are undergraduates, recent graduates or graduate students with a strong demonstrable interest in Southeast Asia or trade policy. We are seeking individuals with strong written and organizational skills, as well as well-honed research abilities.

• Customer service experience and excellent research skills

• Proficiency in Microsoft 365 and LinkedIn

• Exposure to Canva and video editing software is preferred

• Attention to detail and self-motivated

• Ability to work a minimum of 3-4 days per week (approximately 24 hours per week)

• Ability to work legally in the United States (i.e., U.S. citizen, U.S. Permanent Resident, CPT/OPT authorization, or Qualifying Asylee/Refugee)

• Based in the U.S. for the duration of the internship

• Must intern on a hybrid basis

Application Procedures, Deadlines and Internship Periods

To apply to the Council’s internship program, please submit a resume, two brief writing samples (no more than two pages each) and a cover letter. The cover letter should include information about your availability and a brief description of your academic and professional goals.

Rolling Deadline

Any questions should also be addressed to internships@usasean.org.