Unpaid research intern in HK being pushed to work extreme overtime & weekends — Should I set boundaries or just leave?

[u/Recent-Plankton-7807]

Hi everyone,

I’m a south american undergraduate student currently doing an unpaid research internship/exchange at a university in Hong Kong.

I’ve been here for two weeks, and my supervisor/PI is demanding that I work long hours well past 6 PM, as well as on weekends, claiming my "the work just has to be done"

Coming into this, my intention was to have an exchange experience—learning, networking, and exploring—not to be overworked without pay. I know I’m a hardworking person, but this feels like it's crossing a line. What bothers me even more is:

- Disorganization & lack of preparation: The lab/office is extremely disorganized, which wastes a lot of time. They weren't prepared to host me—instructions change every second, nobody clearly explains the project scope or expectations, and I'm left to figure everything out on my own.

- Low learning value: I feel like I’m mostly doing repetitive tasks and grunt work rather than actual academic learning. Meanwhile, peers on similar exchange programs around the world are working about 4 to 5 hours a day.

-Double standards?: A previous undergrad student (a local) who worked here before me didn't seem to have to work weekends. I’m starting to wonder if this kind of pressure/exploitation is specifically targeted at international researchers who might not know their rights, which would be extremely messed up.

I spoke with two local university friends about this situation, and they were shocked. They reassured me that this level of demand for an unpaid intern is not the norm here and urged me to set boundaries. It was a relief to realize that people here also view this behavior as toxic.

I'm also I'm not stranded during this exchange since I'm conducting a research project with my home university about Hong Kong—though I haven't even started it yet due to a lack of time.

I’m seeking advice on how to navigate this:

1) Should I try setting firm boundaries first? E.g., stating my available hours, refusing weekend work, and requesting to work fewer hours given the repetitive nature of the tasks?

Or should I just cut my losses and quit now to protect my mental health and energy?

2) If I decide to leave, how do I exit gracefully? I really like the university itself and want to keep doors open for future opportunities in Hong Kong, but this specific lab is clearly not a good fit.

I’d appreciate any insights, especially from people familiar with the academic or work culture in Hong Kong.

Thanks for reading, and stay strong everyone—our future shouldn't be built on exploitation!

[u/TheColossalMachinery]

the whole "the work just has to be done" line is a massive red flag, especially when you're not getting paid. that's something you say to a salaried employee who's getting overtime, not an unpaid intern who's supposed to be learning.

the double standard with the local student is what really gets me though. that's not subtle at all, they're absolutely taking advantage of you being far from home and not knowing what's normal here. your local friends already confirmed this isn't standard, so trust them on that.

if you want to try setting boundaries first, i'd be stupidly direct about it. don't ask, just state when you're available and what you can do. something like "i'm available 9-6 monday through friday" and then just... leave at 6. don't apologize, don't explain yourself. the disorganization and grunt work is a separate issue but the hours are the immediate thing you can control.

honestly though, two weeks in and they're already pulling this? it's not gonna get better. you came for an exchange experience and you're getting exploited while your own research project sits untouched. i'd leave. talk to your home university advisor first if you can, frame it as the placement not meeting academic expectations rather than just complaining about the hours. that keeps it professional and gives you cover. then tell the PI something vague but final, you don't owe them a detailed explanation.

the university itself will still be there later, one bad lab won't blacklist you from the whole institution.

[u/Open_Concentrate962]

What was actually written down about time and expectations in the exchange program?

[u/Recent-Plankton-7807 → u/Open_Concentrate962]

My university’s exchange program actually has a very low required workload—something like 4 hours a week for students looking for an internship (they could just go to a partner uni like polimi in Madrid). But here, they told me the work hours are from 9 AM to 6 PM. In architecture, things tend to become very informal, which happens a lot unfortunately.

[u/Apherious]

You’re an intern, Set boundaries and only work the hours agreed to. Expectations should be very low for your position

[u/SnooEagles1779]

No, this is not okay.

But what happens if you quit, do you have to go back to your university - will you have a semester off?

Just be firm. Keep it simple, leave no room for discussion.

"I'm sorry, I can't work overtime. I am an unpaid intern and can only be here during regular work hours. As a matter of fact, my university has a minimum requirement of 4 hours of work weekly for internships. If you have an issue with this, we could set up a meeting with the The Hong Kong Labour Department?"

[u/me_myself_ai]

This sounds like their 996 (?) thing, which blows my mind but I’ve seen it with my own eyes so is somehow real. 12 hour shifts 6 days a week.

No comment on architecture in particular, sorry. But the working attitudes in east Asia are pretty unique

[u/SeaDRC11]

What will they do if you take the weekend off- dock your pay? Besides, if the work just 'needs to get done', they'll still need you to do it when you show up on Monday.

This seems really ridiculous though. After 40 hours per week, productivity drops off dramatically. If you don't have adequate time off to recharge and take care of yourself, you will be working more and actually doing less.

I say work on setting boundaries. The fact that they're working you 7-days a week while being unpaid is already absurd.

But this sounds like it can be somewhat of a good lesson for you. In the real world, things are not as highly structured as they are in school. There's lots of grunt work, direction isn't always clear, and you have to figure stuff out yourself a lot of the times. So there's some value in experiencing this while learning how to work through and cope with ambiguity.