Commenting on students sourcing their own work attachments in the US, Huo Yasi, Deputy Director of SMU’s Institute of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, estimates that the number of students who have successfully self-sourced their own internships doubled between May 2023 and August 2026. Ms Huo said her department does not track numbers, but has observed a surge in inquiries around self-sourcing. She noted that there are students who know exactly what they want out of their internships and students who want to explore their options, adding that having the autonomy to choose is critical. Ms Huo added that SMU sees an average of around four US internship placements annually, but the number ebbs and flows depending on prevailing entry requirements to the US.
BSc (Information Systems) student Jayce Lye landed his first self-sourced internship at Maihem, a Y Combinator-backed software company headquartered in San Francisco in August 2024. Jayce shared that the effort was driven by a desire to work at the forefront of AI security and safety, and to do so in the US, where much of the work in this field originates. His six-month internship at Maihem gave him the opportunity to learn, design and develop AI software alongside talented individuals in a team of five from all over the world – albeit remotely from Singapore.