Commerce student Vaishnavi Behara is drawn to the mathematical side of business – feeling at home with dollars and numbers. But an internship with a global marketing company in China has broadened her thinking and given her a more holistic understanding of how business works.

Vaishnavi travelled to China with the support of the New Colombo Plan and took part in an internship with PHD Worldwide in Shanghai. Along with three other students from The University of Melbourne, she developed a framework and methodology to measure the brand equity of various products on Chinese e-commerce site Alibaba.

Brand equity is traditionally measured offline, but Vaishnavi says: "We came up with a way to measure how products were performing through various online platforms. Focusing on brand equity made me think more deeply about the value of the consumer's perspective and I came away with a new appreciation for how closely this relates to business success."

Vaishnavi learned some essential cultural knowledge before her trip, such as the importance of body language in Chinese business communications. "From the appropriate level of eye contact to the volume of speech in business meetings, it was very beneficial to understand how the Chinese business environment differs from Australia," she says.

The mobility experience has also enhanced Vaishnavi's career opportunities. "Working internationally has given me many examples to draw on regarding problem solving, teamwork and dealing with ambiguities," she says. "On a personal level, I developed in maturity and learned to cope with situations that were outside my comfort zone."

Having grown up in India, Vaishnavi has close ties to South East Asia and plans to return for post-graduate study. "I would like to expand my career horizons and possibly study an MBA in the region. I am definitely interested in working in South East Asia in the future."