夜雨聆风Four AI Organizations in China That Are Recruiting International Students
June 14, 2026
By ChaiIntlStudentHub
A few days ago, one of our students came by the office with a question.
Not about visas.
Not about scholarships.
Not even about finding a part-time job.
He wanted to know whether Chinese AI companies ever recruit international interns.
We actually looked at each other for a second before answering.
A couple of years ago, that wasn't a question we heard very often.
Back then, when students asked us about internships, the conversation usually went in a pretty familiar direction. Maybe a trading company. Maybe a cross-border e-commerce business. Occasionally a startup if somebody happened to know somebody.
Recently, though, AI keeps popping up.
Not only from computer science students, either.
One business major wanted to understand how AI products are marketed overseas. Another student studying media said she was more interested in explaining technology than building it. An engineering student told us he didn't care where he interned, as long as he could spend a few months around people working on interesting problems.
The more these conversations happened, the more we realized the landscape was changing.
During the 2026 World Intelligence Industry Expo, organizers released a report saying that China had more than 6,000 AI-related companies by the end of 2025, with the core AI industry growing beyond RMB 1.2 trillion.
Big numbers are easy to forget.
What probably matters more is that some of these organizations are beginning to open their internship channels to international students.
So we spent some time looking through the latest information and picked out four names that we thought were worth sharing.
Some of them you'll probably recognize immediately.
One or two you may never have heard of.
Company 1:
Zhipu AI (Z.AI)
We had a little debate about whether to include Zhipu AI.
Not because it isn't important. Quite the opposite.
The issue was that outside China's AI community, many international students simply don't know the name yet. If you ask around campus, people are much more likely to mention Huawei or Xiaomi.
But among people following large language models inside China, Zhipu comes up again and again.
The company grew out of research carried out by the Knowledge Engineering Group (KEG) at Tsinghua University. Over the past few years, it has gradually built capabilities across large-model development, from underlying algorithms to training frameworks and related infrastructure.
We probably don't need to tell computer science students what LLMs are. They already know.
But if you've been seeing words like "foundation models" or "AI infrastructure" everywhere and wondering what people actually do in those companies all day, Zhipu is one of the places that gives you a fairly good picture of what that world looks like.
Who Can Apply?
Enrolled international undergraduate, master's, and doctoral students at Chinese universities.
Internship Areas
I. Large Language Model (LLM) Algorithms
II. Java Development
III. Training & Inference Infrastructure (Infra)
IV. Industry Application Algorithms
How to Apply
Tap the image below for details.
Company 2:
Huawei Technologies
This one probably doesn't need much introduction.
In fact, we've met quite a few students who knew about Huawei before they knew very much about China itself. No matter where students come from, there is usually somebody in the class who has used a Huawei phone or at least seen the brand.
The company has been around since 1987 and now operates in more than 170 countries and regions. With around 195,000 employees worldwide, it has grown into one of the biggest names in information and communications technology.
The reason it ended up on this list wasn't because it needs more publicity. It obviously doesn't.
What we noticed was that Huawei has been putting more emphasis on AI internships. The latest recruitment information mentions opportunities related to AI infrastructure, model development, AI applications, and security, and applications are accepted throughout the year.
We also know that for a lot of international students, simply getting to the interview stage with a company like Huawei would already be an interesting experience.
Who Can Apply?
Enrolled international undergraduate, master's, and doctoral students at Chinese universities.
Internship Areas
I. AI Infrastructure (AI Infra)
II. AI Applications
III. AI Model Development
IV. AI Security & Privacy
How to Apply
Tap the image below for details.
Company 3:Jiutian AI
(China Mobile AI Research Institute)
This was probably the biggest surprise for us.
To be honest, if someone had asked us about Jiutian AI three or four years ago, we probably wouldn't have had much to say. It's not the sort of company that shows up in everyday conversations.
After spending some time looking into it, though, we thought it definitely belonged on this list.
Jiutian AI was developed from China Mobile's original AI research team and now works across several different areas, including algorithms, software development, AI engineering, and product design. Its self-developed Jiutian Large Model was selected as one of the "Top Ten Landmark Achievements by Central State-Owned Enterprises in 2024."
We almost skipped over this company because we weren't sure how many people would click on a name they had never heard before.
Then one of our colleagues said something pretty simple: sometimes those are exactly the companies worth paying attention to.
If you're curious about what AI work looks like outside the handful of brands everybody already knows, Jiutian AI might surprise you.
Who Can Apply?
Graduating or currently enrolled international doctoral students. Outstanding master's students at Chinese universities may also be considered.
Internship Areas
I. Algorithm Development
II. AI Development
III. Software Development
IV. Product Design
How to Apply
Tap the image below for details.
Company 4:
Shanghai AI Laboratory
The last organization on this list is a little different.
Strictly speaking, Shanghai AI Laboratory isn't the sort of place most people imagine when they hear the word "company." It feels much closer to a large research community, where different teams work on long-term AI projects together.
The projects themselves cover a pretty wide range, from foundation models and embodied intelligence to AI for Science and AI safety.
We know some students prefer the pace of big companies. Others would happily spend an entire summer talking with researchers and reading papers. If you happen to be the second type, this one is probably worth opening the QR code for.
Who Can Apply?
Enrolled international undergraduate, master's, and doctoral students at Chinese universities.
Internship Areas
I. Large Language Models
II. Embodied Intelligence
III. Collective/Swarm Intelligence
IV. AI for Science
How to Apply
Tap the image below for details.
A Quick Word From Us
When we were putting this list together, someone in the office joked that maybe only five people would actually read all the way to the end.
Maybe that's true.
Maybe most readers will just save the article and tell themselves they'll look at it later.
But if you're still here, perhaps AI internships are something you've been thinking about already.
We can't tell you whether any of these applications will work out. Every year, some students get offers, some don't, and most of them end up taking a path they didn't plan for in the beginning anyway.
One of our graduates once said that the most useful internship he ever had wasn't the one that looked best on his CV. It was the one that helped him understand what kind of work he didn't want to do.
We've remembered that comment for a long time.
So if one of the names on this list makes you a little curious, maybe that's enough reason to click, read a bit more, and see where it goes.
After all, that's how quite a few unexpected stories begin.
Content Source:
This information was originally published by the China Scholarship Council (CSC) Alumni WeChat official account (ID: gh_afaa09c3e5f3). Some images were generated using AI tools and later edited by the CSC Alumni editorial team. To view the original Chinese version, tap “Read More” at the bottom left of this WeChat page.
English adaptation and content preparation by ChaiIntlStudentHub. Sharing is welcome with proper credit to CSC Alumni and ChaiIntlStudentHub. For other uses, contact us first.
Author Bio:
ChaiIntlStudentHub is a small team of international admissions and student support professionals who have spent more than 17 years working inside Chinese universities.
We help international students navigate admissions, visas, campus life, and career planning, while sharing practical, experience-based advice for studying and living in China.
Over the years, we’ve worked closely with students from different countries, academic backgrounds, and life experiences. Our work focuses on helping international students better understand how Chinese universities actually operate — both inside and outside the classroom.
We also care deeply about reducing communication gaps and promoting mutual understanding on Chinese campuses, especially at a time when studying abroad can feel increasingly complicated and uncertain.
Our experience combines day-to-day student support with long-term work in international admissions, immigration policy, global mobility, and cross-cultural transition. Through this platform, we hope to help international students not only succeed academically, but also build meaningful career pathways connected to China and the wider world.
Disclaimer:
This official account, ChaiIntlStudentHub, is an independently operated platform. The content and opinions expressed here are solely those of the authors and do not represent any government agencies, universities, or other organizations.
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