Yale-NUS co-hosts first MENASA NASPA conference in Singapore
Participants from 20 international and local Institutes of Higher Learning gather to exchange best practices related to student affairs, services and support
Yale-NUS College and NASPA (Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education) are jointly hosting the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia (MENASA) NASPA conference from 24 to 26 April 2018. Held in Singapore for the first time, the three-day conference involves over 70 participants from 14 international and six local Institutes of Higher Learning (IHL) who will discuss research, issues, innovation and best practices in the field of student affairs.
The conference also serves as a platform for participants to network and exchange knowledge that will aid in the development of best practices in student affairs, in their respective regions. Some of the participating IHLs include King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), the National University of Singapore (NUS), New York University Abu Dhabi (NYU Abu Dhabi), Qatar University, Singapore Management University (SMU) and Temasek Polytechnic.
Yale-NUS offers a distinctive curriculum and residential programme that encourages active learning, adaptability and critical thought. Students are exposed to an interdisciplinary inquiry-based curriculum which enables them to master a broad body of knowledge and techniques, taught by a globally diverse faculty of leading educators and researchers. One of the College’s distinct qualities is our unique model of residential living and learning, a first in Asia, that sees interactions between students and faculty members extending beyond the classrooms for all four years of their course of study. This leads to a close-knit community of living and learning where student life programming closely supports and complements academic learning outcomes. For example, residential college rectors frequently host discussions and events where students learn from and interact with prominent scholars. At the College’s dining halls, students and faculty frequently continue conversations over mealtimes and after school hours. The College is home to over 800 students from more than 65 countries and places great emphasis on developing programmes with a focus on diversity for the community.
Participants at the MENSA-NASPA conference can look forward to stimulating discussions on topics such as employment, leadership, inclusivity, orientation, student housing and mental health. For instance, Yale-NUS will be sharing insights on how to achieve effective collaboration between admissions and student affairs departments, as well as the process of designing first-year programmes whose impact go beyond first-year orientation. SMU will lead a discussion on their approach to measure graduate learning outcomes through the co-curriculum as well as the perception of student leadership in the university while Qatar University will share how they transformed the traditional model of providing services to students by adapting a student-centered environment for student services.
Yale-NUS Dean of Students Christopher Bridges said, “In our community of learning, student support is key as we seek to create a conducive living and learning environment that enables our students to thrive. We are excited to co-host the 12th Annual MENASA-NASPA conference for the first time in Singapore. This is a unique opportunity for student affairs professionals from all over the world to learn about and share best practices in the field, bringing valuable expertise to Singapore. We hope that this conference will lay the foundations for student affairs practitioners in Southeast Asia, to work together more closely to make a positive impact.
For media enquiries, please contact publicaffairs@yale-nus.edu.sg.
