Since its establishment, the Galileo Galilei Italian Institute has been welcoming trainees with an interest in pursuing an international career focused on relationships with China. A traineeship period at GGII represents an opportunity to gain a unique, full-immersion working experience while living in China: the chance to study the Chinese language effectively, as well as to acquire a deep knowledge of the Chinese society, economy and working environment. The majority of the former GGII trainees – 16 people in total over nine years – have successfully pursued their professional pathways, some through a doctoral programme or a “China-oriented” research scholarship, others moving into private companies or institutions dealing with China-Europe relations. The GGII welcomes two or three trainees at a time, from a minimum of one semester to a whole academic year.