The Taiwan Research Hub presents
Internships in progress - Organisational and participant perspective: Experiences from the Kew and NTU Collaboration.
With Dr Richard Gianfrancesco, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Mu-Chen Liu, MIBTP DTP PhD student,University of Birmingham and Ssu-Han Chi
Assistant, National Taiwan University Herbarium
Tuesday 24 February 2026
Talk 12-2pm, lunch Included, Room A100, Law and Social Sciences Building, University Park
In Person event only register at https://forms.office.com/e/M1ZXkYGjwk
Talk abstract
Finding an internship is hard enough, but you then have to make the most of it – navigate a new workplace, learn what you can, develop new skills and help to deliver the project’s aim – and all within just a few short weeks.
The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, supports hundreds of students each year, many of whom come to Kew to gain valuable work experience through various placement and internship schemes. While for the students, these opportunities are a window into life in a thriving biodiversity institute, for Kew, offering these placements helps to deliver its mission to train the next generation of biodiversity experts, as well as gaining valuable support to deliver its research.
Through a unique Overseas Internship Program developed by National Taiwan University (NTU), RBG Kew welcomes UG and PG students from NTU to Kew for a 12-week summer placement every year. In today’s session, Richard Gianfrancesco (who developed and runs the programme at Kew) as well as two past placement students, Jenny Liu and Ssu Han Chiu, will highlight how to best find and apply for a placement, and make the most of it once you have arrived. Jenny and Ssu Han will also explain what motivated them to return from Taiwan back to the UK
About the Speakers
Dr Richard Gianfrancesco
After gaining his PhD in plant ecology from the University of Sheffield, Dr Richard Gianfrancesco has held various positions, all related to plants and horticulture. This includes roles in environmental consultancy, publishing, manufacturing and research and development. He’s also worked in a number organisation types including government, charity and commercial. Richard has worked at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew for eight years and is currently responsible for science-based learning and education. Much of his work focuses on Kew’s role in training the next generation of experts who are able to tackle the dual crises of biodiversity loss and climate change.
Mu-Chen ‘Jenny’ Liu
Mu-Chen ‘Jenny’ Liu is an MIBTP DTP PhD student based at the University of Birmingham, researching photosynthesis physiology and modelling. She graduated from the Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture at National Taiwan University (NTU) with an MSc and a BSc in Agriculture. During her master's, she participated in the NTU Overseas Internship Program at Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, which opened a new door in plant conservation and science communication for her. As someone chasing the sunlight from Taipei to Birmingham, and transitioning from horticulture to plant science, she hopes to become a bridge between disciplines and across places.
Ssu-Han ‘Evelyn’ Chiu
Ssu-Han ‘Evelyn’ Chiu is currently an assistant at the NTU herbarium, organising collections and storage. She graduated from the Institute of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at National Taiwan University (NTU). Her research interests include public engagement on botanical education, ethnobotany, herbarium management, and taxonomy. She participated in the 2024 NTU Overseas Internship Programme at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Inspired by her internship experience, she is now holding a Youth Mobility Scheme visa and hopes to have another chance to broaden her possibilities
Chaired by Dr Chun-yi Lee, Taiwan Research Hub