Princeton In Asia

What Princeton In Asia does

Princeton in Asia (PiA) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit fellowship organization founded in 1898 and affiliated with Princeton University in Princeton, New Jersey. It recruits recent college graduates from US institutions and places them in year-long (renewable) immersive work fellowships at host organizations across 16 countries and regions in Asia, spanning education, public health, economic development, environmental sustainability, arts and culture, STEM, and peace and justice. For the 2025-26 fellowship year, PiA deployed over 60 Fellows and Interns to hosts in Cambodia, China, Hong Kong SAR, Indonesia, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Macao SAR, Mongolia, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Thailand, and Vietnam. The program also includes summer internships for Princeton undergraduates and the Carrie Gordon Tribute Grant (up to $10,000) for alumni-led public service projects in Asia.

PiA delivers its services without a proprietary technology product; the operating stack consists of an online application system, Zoom-based information sessions and interviews, a 360alumni community platform, and standard communications tooling. Pre-departure orientation is mandatory for Fellows and includes DEI training, cultural competency, and a 120-hour TEFL certification for teaching placements. PiA subsidizes insurance premiums, International SOS membership, visa costs, and travel grants, and charges neither application nor placement fees to participants.

The revenue model is donation-driven. PiA is funded primarily by individual donors, alumni contributions, annual giving campaigns, planned/legacy gifts (wills, retirement plans, life insurance, charitable trusts), and stock/securities donations. The organization is staffed by approximately 8-10 full-time employees and is governed by a Board of Trustees. With a 3,400+ alumni network and 400+ host organization partners across 30+ countries and regions, PiA has operated continuously for over 125 years under its current name (previously Princeton-in-Peking and the Princeton-Yenching Foundation).

Name

Princeton In Asia

Legal name

Princeton in Asia, Inc.

Website

https://princetoninasia.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1898

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Princeton in Asia is a 501(c)(3) non-profit fellowship organization, founded in 1898, that places recent US college graduates in year-long immersive work placements at over 400 host organizations across 16 Asian countries, funded primarily through donations and alumni support.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International Fellowship and Cultural Exchange Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Provider-Run International Internship Programs (Multi-Country/Multi-Industry) (EDAIAFAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Third-Party Short-Term Academic Program Providers (Multi-Discipline) (EDAIAIAB)

Keywords

• International fellowship programs
• Cross-cultural exchange services
• Work-based learning abroad
• Educational nonprofit services
• Asia cultural exchange

Headquarters

HQ city

Princeton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: PiA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that relies primarily on donations from individuals, alumni, and supporters. Annual giving campaigns, stock/securities donations, wire transfers, and tribute gifts are accepted.
2. Planned Giving: Legacy gifts through wills, retirement plans, life insurance policies, and charitable trusts allow supporters to make estate-planned gifts.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Princeton in Asia (PiA) operates immersive year-long work fellowships, summer internships, and alumni public-service grants that place US recent graduates and Princeton undergraduates at host organizations across 16 Asian countries. The program is free for participants and covers comprehensive support including TEFL certification, pre-departure orientation, insurance, visa sponsorship, and emergency assistance.

Product overview

Princeton In Asia (PiA) offers a portfolio of immersive fellowship and internship programs facilitating cross-cultural exchange between the United States and Asia. The core offerings include year-long Fellowships for recent graduates at host organizations across 16+ Asian countries, Summer Internships for Princeton undergraduates, and the Carrie Gordon Tribute Grant supporting alumni public service projects. These programs are supported by orientation training, TEFL certification, webinars, office hours, and a digital archive. PiA does not offer a software product but rather delivers program services to participants.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fellowships Program One-year (renewable) immersive work fellowships for recent US college graduates placed at host organizations across 16 Asian countries, covering diverse focus areas including education, public health, economic development, environmental sustainability, arts and culture, STEM, sports, and peace and justice.
• Summer Internships Program Summer internship opportunities for Princeton undergraduates at host organizations across Asia, providing immersive international work experience in locations such as KIMEP University in Kazakhstan, UNITAR in Japan, and Jishou University in China.
• Carrie Gordon Tribute Grant (Carriebright Alumni Grant)

Quantifiable outcome

• 97% of PiA Alumni reported that their PiA fellowship helped build soft skills such as increased empathy, open-mindedness, humility, flexibility, and resilience.
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Atlas CorpscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Atlas Corps is an international non-profit that connects leading social change organizations with experienced professionals for yearlong fellowships. PiA is hosting its first Atlas Corps Fellow to assist with program team work, comprehensive evaluations, and relationship cultivation with host organizations in Southeast Asia.
• The Konterra GroupcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerThe Konterra Group helps PiA Fellows and staff leverage strengths and build resilience while adapting to unfamiliar cultures. They train Fellows and staff to manage stress and work through challenges in high-stress environments.
• Global Equity ForwardcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic consulting practice dedicated to creating an equitable and inclusive global community. Dr. Mya Fisher provides key trainings during orientation around living one's identity, building cross-cultural understanding, and supportive cohort dynamics. Also conducted DEI training for the Board of Trustees.
• Program in East Asian Studies at Princeton UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUmbrella organization for East Asian studies at Princeton University spanning multiple departments. Provides support for PiA Fellows studying East Asian languages and fellowships for candidates from historically minoritized backgrounds.
• Art ReachminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPhiladelphia-based organization dedicated to expanding accessible opportunities in the arts, particularly for people with disabilities and low-income communities. Conducted Cultural Accessibility training for PiA staff in 2021.
• Diversity AbroadminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization dedicated to ensuring young people from marginalized backgrounds have equitable access to international education opportunities. Provided two-part DEI and Antiracism training series for PiA staff and Board in 2021.
• Nonprofit HRminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerHuman resources and talent acquisition consulting firm that works exclusively with mission-driven organizations. Collaborated with PiA to develop the Process for Reporting and Investigating Alleged Incidents of Harassment, Bullying and Discrimination.
• Princeton UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrinceton in Asia is an independent non-profit affiliated with and located at Princeton University. The organization operates from the Louis A. Simpson International Building on campus. Service Focus program supports summer internship at UNITAR.
• Host Organizations (400+)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOver 400 host organizations across Asia including universities, NGOs, businesses, and cultural institutions. These organizations provide paid fellowship positions, mentorship, and professional development for PiA Fellows. Focus areas include education, public health, economic development, environmental sustainability, arts and culture, and more.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• World Learning (School for International Training): World Learning operates the School for International Training (SIT) and a portfolio of international exchange and experiential education programs. Comparable to PiA in providing immersive, professionally oriented international programming for U.S. graduates, though at a much larger scale and with tuition-funded offerings.
• IREX: IREX is an international nonprofit that runs a portfolio of fellowship and exchange programs for students and professionals across multiple regions and industries. Comparable to PiA in mission (cross-cultural exchange) but with broader geographic and programmatic scope.
• Fulbright Program: The U.S. government's flagship international exchange program places American students, scholars, and professionals abroad for academic, teaching, and research work. While far larger and government-funded, Fulbright overlaps directly with PiA's US-to-Asia fellowship mission and competes for the same applicant pool of graduating seniors.

Direct peers

• AIESEC: AIESEC is a global youth-run nonprofit that facilitates international internships and cross-cultural exchange for students and recent graduates across 100+ countries. Overlaps with PiA on multi-country international internship placement, though AIESEC is student-led and operates at significantly larger global scale.
• Watson Fellowship: The Thomas J. Watson Fellowship provides recent graduates from select U.S. institutions with a year of independent exploration abroad. Competes directly with PiA for the same elite graduating-senior applicant pool and shares the year-long international immersion format, though funded as a personal grant rather than a work placement.
• Cultural Vistas: Cultural Vistas administers international exchange programs and fellowships including internships and professional exchanges across multiple countries. Shares PiA's nonprofit structure, international work-placement model, and target applicant base of U.S. students and recent graduates.
• Atlas Corps: Atlas Corps engages fellows in yearlong service placements at leading social change organizations worldwide. PiA lists Atlas Corps as an active strategic partner, and the two organizations share the same fellow-to-host-organization placement model and nonprofit operating structure.
• Princeton in Africa: Princeton in Africa runs year-long fellowships for recent graduates at host organizations across the African continent, mirroring PiA's model, structure, and Princeton-affiliated identity. It is the closest functional parallel to PiA in terms of program design, target applicant, and host relationship model.
• Princeton in Latin America: Princeton in Latin America (formerly Princeton in Latin America) places recent graduates in year-long service and work fellowships across Latin America. Direct structural parallel to PiA: same Princeton-roots affiliation, same fellowship model, same nonprofit funding model, just a different region.

Regional players

• JET Programme (Japan Exchange and Teaching Programme): Japan's flagship English-teaching assistant program places foreigners in Japanese schools, often overlapping with PiA's English-teaching fellowship roles in Japan. Comparable in work-placement design but geographically focused on Japan and run by a Japanese government-affiliated body.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/princetoninasiavideo
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/princetoninasia
• Facebookfacebook.com/princetoninasia

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Princeton In Asia