Why ImmerQi, Our Programs, Meet the Team, Our Office, Health & Safety, History

Why ImmerQi?

ImmerQi is a family-owned and operated business that was established in 1992. Headquartered in Beijing, we are leaders in China when it comes to creating tailored education and cultural exchange programs for participants around the world.

Our programs in China include:

Teaching

• Teach & Travel China Program
• 6-Month Work Visa Teaching Program

Professional Internship

• China Internship Program
• China Hospitality Program
• China Entrepreneur Program

Study Abroad

• Tsinghua Semester Abroad Program

Au Pair

• Au Pair China Program

Volunteer

• Volunteer China Program 

What makes ImmerQi different

• Family owned and run

We have built our business based on family values of trust and solidarity. We take pride in caring for all our staff and program participants like they are our own family.

• China Experts

We live and breathe all things China. 100% of our operations are run from inside China, so we know how to get things done. We have 20+ years of experience running programs in China and have welcomed over 4,000 participants in that time. With staff in Beijing and Shanghai, as well as partnerships within more than 10 provinces, we really have seen it all!

• International Team

All ImmerQi programs are delivered by our friendly international team who reside in China (link to Our Team), we are made up of passionate people from over 10 different nationalities – China, Malaysia, U.S., U.K., Australia, New Zealand, Poland, France, Russia, Singapore, and Korea! Our mix of local and international staff ensures we are qualified to deal with any problem. Most of our local team members have been with us between 5 and 15 years, and many of our foreign staff are former program participants themselves. We believe this makes us uniquely qualified to help all of our participants achieve their China goals.

• Affordable

We offer some of the most affordable programs in China with the highest level of in country support and inclusions. How can we do this? We are headquartered in China so that you can directly access our programs and benefit from our network. We are on the ground constantly meeting with our network to provide you the best possible opportunities and pass those operational savings onto you. 

• Award Winning

We have been the recipients of numerous awards recognising our work in International Education, Cultural Exchange and Social Responsibility. Winners of the 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2015 ASEAN Outstanding Business Award in education and cultural immersion.

• Giving Back

ImmerQi actively supports several locally run non-government organisations (NGOs) and grassroots organisations. We do this through donations, contributing our own time, and offering participants plenty of ways they can get involved. We believe in promoting sustainable travel and the chance for participants to give back to their local community – this can be through volunteering on weekends, fundraising, or simply spreading the word about a particular cause.

• Participant safety

We take the health and safety of all our participants very seriously. Our dedicated program coordinators are on call 24/7 to help participants resolve issues from lost property, to illness, to anything else that might come up. We have comprehensive student safety and response measures in place to handle any incident. We also operate a strict pollution policy and provide advice and tools to participants when necessary.

Read more about our health and safety procedures here.

• Equal opportunity

We seek to make our programs accessible to as many people as possible because we believe everyone should have the opportunity to experience China! We have experience accommodating participants with impairments or disabilities and can arrange suitable placements or accommodation in such cases. We also seek to make our programs more financially accessible by partnering with a number of scholarship providers.

Our partners

We partner with leading institutions around the world to provide their students quality experiences in China. Some of our featured partners include:

Partner logos: Kings College, SUNY New Paltz, Cattolica, RIT, Drexel, Georgia Tech, LaTrobe, Coastal Carolina

Our core values 

1. Provide amazing support

We ensure that all our participants feel well-supported to ensure they have the best possible experience in China.

2. Create unique and innovative programs

Our longest running program, Teach and Travel China, was the first of its kind in the country! We continue to try to create new experiences to meet the evolving demands of both China and the professional world.

3. Be professional always

We endeavour to always act with the utmost level of professionalism and to always keep an understanding and open mind.

4. Provide meaningful experiences

We want our programs to add real value to the lives and CVs of our participants! For this reason, we only work with people and organisations that inspire us. We also try to understand participants’ individual goals and tailor their experience accordingly.

5. Build a positive team and family spirit

We aim to build strong relationships inside and outside the office. In fact, our social lives mainly involve attending events with other staff members and program participants (and lots of food!). We genuinely enjoy working as a team and believe it makes us even better at our jobs!

Our programs

• Teach & Travel China Program

ImmerQi’s longest running program, Teach and Travel China enables participants to take part in a two-week training course in China covering TEFL theory and practical teaching practice before putting their learning to the test through a 5-month practical placement in a Chinese school.

• 6-Month Work Visa Teaching Program

ImmerQi’s Work Visa Teaching Program is specifically designed for university graduates with no teaching or China experience. Graduates on this program can try out teaching during their 6-month placement at a Chinese school with full support and services from ImmerQi. Participants receive a working visa, accommodation, meals, a competitive salary, and the potential for a full-time job offer at the end of the program.

• China Internship Program

This program provides students with the opportunity to gain meaningful work experience in specific areas of interest. ImmerQi places participants in both Beijing and Shanghai in corporate, hospitality, and entrepreneurship internships. Placements are available in 18 industries, from fashion to engineering, to ensure participants find an internship that is the right fit for them

• Tsinghua Semester Abroad Program

ImmerQi offers students the chance to study academic courses taught in English and mandarin language for one semester at one of the world’s leading institutions, Tsinghua University. Students have access to direct enrolment at the university, receive an official Tsinghua academic transcript for home institution credit transfer and benefit from ImmerQi support throughout their time in China. This program includes ImmerQi’s ‘full-service package’ including accommodation, airport pickup, monthly events, and more to maximise students’ time in China.

• Au Pair China Program

As ImmerQi’s most affordable program, Au Pair China provides participants with the opportunity to truly immerse themselves in Chinese life and culture. Participants are placed in host families for 1 to 6 months and are primarily responsible for teaching English to the family’s children. No heavy housework is required of the au pair, plus room, board, and a monthly allowance are provided.

• Volunteer China Program

This program works with non-profit organisations seeking to address some of China’s societal problems. Volunteer projects available include an orphanage for blind and visually impaired children or a care centre for mentally handicapped adults.

Meet the ImmerQi team

We are proud of our dedicated and culturally diverse ImmerQi team, made up of 10 different nationalities who call China home!

Our mix of local and international staff ensures we are capable of dealing with any problem. Most of our local team members have been with us between 5 and 15 years and have vast international experience. Many of our foreign staff members are former program participants themselves and can directly relate to our program participants. We believe this makes us uniquely qualified to help all of our participants achieve their China goals.

We are looking forward to sharing our insights on this wonderful country with you and supporting you every step of the way.

Find us

Our headquarters are located in central Beijing in the fashionable art district, next to the Contemporary Today Art Museum.

We are:

• 5 minutes away from our main Beijing intern accommodation
• 5 minutes away from Beijing’s Central Business District
• 15 minutes away from Sanlitun, Beijing’s popular nightlife district

20 minutes away from Beijing’s beautiful hutong area.

Health & safety

ImmerQi has a comprehensive health and safety policy in place to ensure that all risks and incidents are effectively managed. Our staff are first aid trained and we organise frequent staff training events to ensure that the team remain up to date on all procedures.

Our risk and crisis management plan is designed to include:

• frequent risk assessments
• a red, amber, green incident grading system and corresponding response measures
• an online incident reporting and tracking system
• a monthly review of all incidents and how these were handled

History

ImmerQi was established in 1992 in Sydney Australia by Dato Joanne Wong.

At the time, the business was known as IES Global and was a leading recruiter and provider of pastoral support for Chinese students for inbound enrolments at Australian Education institutions.

In the early 2000’s, Joanne observed an increasingly growing interest in China as a destination, as well as growing demand for experiential learning programs. In 2005, the business was relocated to China, building upon its wide network of schools, company contacts, government and administration bureaus within the country. To this day, ImmerQi strives to further advance Joanne’s vision of delivering high quality cultural exchange opportunities in China.

Our work in China has been recognised by several awards:

• The ASEAN Outstanding Business Award from AFES in 2011, 2013 and 2014.
• Two awards for our Corporate Social Responsibility in the International Youth Education category at the JCI Socially Responsible Company Awards 2012
• Master Class in Socially Responsible Entrepreneur for ImmerQi founder Joanne Wong in 2013.
• Woman Entrepreneur of the Year at the Global Leadership Awards for ImmerQi founder Joanne Wong in 2014.
• Global Woman CEO of the Year at the Global Branding Awards for ImmerQi founder Joanne Wong in 2015.

Get involved

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