Program Overview

Southeast Asia Friendship Initiative (SFI) Course

General Information

The Southeast Asia Friendship Initiative (SFI) is a program designed for undergraduate students in residential units to read a credit-bearing course introducing them to a Southeast Asian country, complemented by a study trip to the targeted country with experiential learning in mind, focusing on the UN 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) theme and/or Innovation and Enterprise.

Course Details

• The SFI course is a 4-credit-bearing course with experiential learning components that includes an overseas study trip.
• The course consists of:
  • Lectures (3 x 2 hours)
  • Tutorials (2 x 2 hours)
  • Language Classes (5 x 2 hours)
  • Participants will be introduced to the country, covering relevant aspects in history, population, government, politics, and society, economy, and heritage.
  • Overseas study trip

Eligibility and Application

• All undergraduate students living in Eusoff Hall, enrolled in full-time undergraduate degree programs, i.e., local (Singapore citizen, Singapore Permanent Resident holder) and international students, who are paying tuition fees to NUS, can apply to read the SFI course only once during their candidature.
• This course is not applicable to non-graduate/exchange students.

Course Schedule

• The course will be conducted in Sem 2 AY2024/2025, with tentative dates from 17 to 26 May 2025 (after exam weeks).
• The overseas study trip will be held in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

Assessment and Grading

• The course will be assessed based on:
  • Academic assessment (50%): class participation, group project, post-trip group project, quizzes/test, and others.
  • Experiential learning assessment (50%): immersion visit assessment, which may include group presentations and individual reflections.
• The course is major-coded and credit-bearing, and students can read to full major or unrestricted elective (UE) requirement, and letter-graded on students' transcripts.
• Students may exercise the satisfactory/unsatisfactory (S/U) option with the understanding that they are Malay Studies/SEA major students, and on the assumption that they have yet to exercise the S/U option for up to 32 Units for courses.

Learning Outcomes

• Gain global and intercultural intelligence to appreciate the social and working norms in the specific Southeast Asian country.
• Deepen their knowledge of the key development goals SDG(s), or Innovation & Enterprise in the target country/countries.
• Learn about the significant local challenges to achieving specific SDGs, and what local solutions are being used by these communities.
• Understand the intricacies of collaborations between Singapore and the country against the larger socio-economic backdrop of the region.
• Expand the student's social and professional networks to aid their future career prospects in the region.

Program Fees

• The study trip is heavily subsidized by the University, and participants will be required to make a co-payment (between $300 to $500 per student), which will cover airfare, ground transport, overseas accommodation, cultural activities, and most meals.