Yale-NUS student organisations embark on adventures overseas gaining new knowledge

After a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, registered Yale-NUS student organisations can resume planning and executing their own overseas learning experiences. From institutional knowledge sharing to adventurous hikes, our students have been making the most out of the freedom to travel.

In early May, 13 members of Yale-NUS Student Government (StuGov) travelled to Vietnam to meet fellow student leaders from Fulbright University Vietnam (FUV) in Ho Chi Minh City and VinUniversity (VinUni) in Hanoi. These institutions were chosen due to their similarity with Yale-NUS, with FUV also being a liberal arts college in Southeast Asia and VinUni collaborating with renowned American universities like Cornell University. Both are also young universities with a small student population.

Yale-NUS Student Government with the Fulbright Student Council. Image provided by StuGov.

During the trip, StuGov members participated in dialogue sessions with the other universities’ student councils, conducted a sharing of their StuGov experiences, and were led on campus tours. “We learnt about different problems that other student governments faced in their respective universities, and how they approached those problems,” Ansh Akshintulu (Class of 2025) said. “It was also nice sharing what we have learnt from our own experiences with the other student bodies so that they may avoid the difficulties we faced,” he added.

“It was insightful to hear and exchange ideas about common problems with community building,” Siddharth Mohan Roy (Class of 2025) shared. “The best part was learning about the different institutions’ inclusivity and accessibility practices, for example, FUV’s commitment to providing accessibility to the visually impaired,” he elaborated, looking to apply what he learnt back in Yale-NUS.

Yale-NUS Student Government with the VinUniversity Student Council. Image provided by StuGov.

The team also shared most of their meals with the local students and were guided around the cities in the evenings, and introduced to various Vietnamese foods and attractions such as phở and Hoan Kiem Lake. “From conversations about interesting cultural differences to student life, all the interactions with the students from the universities were so full of sharing and willingness to exchange perspectives,” Rebecca Tay (Class of 2023) remarked.

“One of my objectives for this trip was to contribute to better relationships between Yale-NUS and other universities in the world, and I definitely think I got that done,” Ansh mentioned.

The Good Ol’ Yale-NUS Adventurers’ Club (GOYAC) on their hike. Image provided by GOYAC.

Looking for an experience they could not get in Singapore, the Good Ol’ Yale-NUS Adventurers’ Club (GOYAC) travelled to the Cameron Highlands in Malaysia to fuel their adventurous spirit and gain a better appreciation for the environment. At 1400 metres above sea level, the Cameron Highlands is home to hilly terrain, fantastic scenery, and challenging hiking trails.

“While we have previously conducted more beginner-level events, we wanted to embark on a much more challenging and demanding climb to further develop our cold-weather skills and push ourselves to greater limits,” Max Han (Class of 2024) explained. The trip was open to Yale-NUS hikers outside of GOYAC as well, which resulted in a diverse group of students that even included exchange students participating in the expedition. “The mix of students bonded really well over our love for adventure and novelty, which is GOYAC at its core,” he added.

The team completed the Cameron Valley Descent hike and the Berembun Mossy Forest hike, with each trail having unique challenges. “The steep rocky terrains were tricky, but everyone really demonstrated teamwork by helping each other, and laughing and sliding down mud trails together,” Max recalled. “We also got the chance to experience a tough hike under cool weather. It was like hiking with aircon.”

The GOYAC team enjoying a meal together. Image provided by GOYAC.

Additionally, with the help of local guides, the participants also gained invaluable insights about the people, history, flora, and fauna of the Cameron Highlands. “We walked through tea plantations while the guides shared about its colonial history, with a discussion on colonisations’ effects on contemporary Malaysian society,” Eileen Chua (Class of 2024) shared. “Seeing the buildings and structures that were left behind made it a more immersive experience,” she observed.

While COVID-19 dampened the club’s activities for the past two years, the GOYAC team intends to make up for lost time and plan more trips in the future. “Our predecessors frequently organised such overseas trips, and we hope to have even larger and more challenging expeditions. The experience and knowledge we gained from planning and execuring this trip will prove invaluable,” Chai Shenglin (Class of 2024) noted.