“Seize this unique opportunity! The combination of funding, school and internship creates an experience that is incredibly unique.” This is the best advice to other CBS students from Nick Shamlou, who was one of the first to take the opportunity to apply for an internship in Indonesia.
He hasn’t been alone. Not many days ago, 23-year-old Emil Larsen, who has taken his fifth semester in Indonesia this autumn, flew home to Denmark.
He found his way to Indonesia thanks to a collaboration between the Otto Mønsted Foundation, ØK-Fonden and CBS, which since 2023 has made it possible for CBS students to receive financial and practical support for an internship in that part of the world. The financial support amounts to DKK 15,000 from the Otto Mønsted Foundation and DKK 10,000 from the ØK Foundation for each applicant.

Apply before 31 December for a stay in autumn 2025
After a morning ride through Jakarta on the back of a scooter taxi, Emil met his colleagues at Hill & Associates Indonesia every day.
Here, the working day began with researching the most important financial, economic and political trends and news in Indonesia in preparation for the day’s team meeting to discuss the daily risk report on the Indonesian market. For the rest of the day, Emil worked on creating a risk brief or analysis for a specific market segment or area where a client had investments or stakeholders. The dialogue also extended to the company’s partner in Hong Kong, who gave him insights into the markets in Hong Kong, Taiwan and China.
Read the article: Internship provides stepping stone to Indonesian tiger economy
More opportunities at hand
All internships begin with a school stay at CBS’ partner university, Gadjah Mada University Yogyakarta, before the students continue with an internship in a company.
Emil has no doubt that his stay has meant a lot to him personally and professionally.
“Being “on my own” and having to create my own network will benefit my way of meeting new people in the future. For me, it was interesting to be able to work full-time in a company and get an overview of what I find exciting to work with, and it has been great to work exclusively in English. I hope that, overall, it means that I stand out a little favourably from others in a job search.”

Insight into a large market
All partners in the project want to strengthen the internationalisation of Danish business and help young students to act internationally. In this context, the programme targeted Indonesia with its 276 million inhabitants is relevant as a bridge builder.
“Today, I can assist Danish companies about the potential and barriers in the Indonesian market. I have met and heard presentations from important business people and politicians and gained insight into the bureaucracy that can exist in the country and in the areas where they seek co-operation and sparring,” says Emil.
Nick Shamlou has also gained valuable insight into a country with great complexity, but also great opportunities for Danish companies.
Professionally, Nick’s internship at the Danish Chamber of Commerce in Jakarta has given him skills that he now uses in his job at UN Global Compact Network Denmark, a network focused on responsibility and sustainability in the private sector.
“For many companies, EU legislation such as CSRD (Corporate Sustainability Directive) and CSDDD (Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive) is a new challenge. Here, my experience from the Chamber of Commerce, among other things, has enabled me to identify how to equip companies to understand and adapt to legislation like these.”

See what the Chamber of Commerce has to say about the programme