Yale-NUS welcomes first group of exchange students since COVID-19

With the ongoing global pandemic, it has been two years since exchange students have set foot on Yale-NUS College’s campus. This January, Yale-NUS welcomed 51 exchange students from around the world, from Vietnam to the United States to France, to our campus.

Alina Zheng from Wellesley College in the US, Ema Mehic from Sciences Po in France, and Linh Dang from Fulbright University Vietnam shared their positive experiences at the College. From academics to residential living, the community at Yale-NUS has given exchange students a “home away from home”, said Ema.

Ema joining her Chinese class from her cosy desk within her suite. Image provided by Ema Mehic.

The highlight of Ema’s Yale-NUS experience has “definitely been the suite-life.” The structure of residential life allows for a tight-knit community, while giving students the privacy and space they need. Ema lives on Cendana College, one of the three Residential Colleges at Yale-NUS.

“I enjoy hanging out with my suitemates in our common area, who have become close to a second family now, and then just go back into my room when I need me-time. Plus, even though everyone lives in their own suite bubble, no one ever feels too far away and I genuinely feel like I am part of the Cendana community,” says Ema. Along with her suitemates and other exchange students, she has ventured beyond the physical boundaries of Yale-NUS, exploring all the various activities Singapore has to offer.

Ema (centre) and fellow Yale-NUS College exchange students exploring Singapore together. 

During Ema’s (first from right) first week at Yale-NUS, her suitemates took her to view the phantasmagorical installations at Singapore Art Week held in January. Images provided by Ema Mehic.

Similar to Ema, Alina raved about her residential experiences, where she “hit the jackpot” and became close friends with her suitemates despite only knowing each other for a few weeks.

Alina, in the centre, with her suitemates in their suite at Saga Residential College. Image provided by Alina Zheng.

Alina highlighted the diversity and tight-knit community here at the College. “I’ve been able to hear interesting perspectives from people who grew up in different societies and cultures, and I’ve been able to share my own experiences of growing up Asian-American,” said Alina. Though there might be cultural differences, she found it “easy to have meaningful interactions with professors and peers,” especially due to the small class sizes at Yale-NUS. Furthermore, her experiences within student organisations, like Mixed Martial Arts Club and the Swimming Team, has been “incredible” as they provide a great way for her to destress after a long day of classes and homework.

Alina also appreciated the meaningful and fun-filled orientation that the College hosted to welcome exchange students to the culture and community at Yale-NUS and Singapore. She especially enjoyed the trip to Chinatown and hawker centres, as well as the Kahoot quiz on Singlish or Singapore Colloquial English. From being completely unfamiliar to Singlish, her repertoire has grown, learning words like shiok (amazing), dabao (takeaway meal), and makan (eat).

A group excursion at Joo Chiat when Linh and her classmates explored Joo Chiat for her Social Life of Cities module. Photo provided by Linh Dang.

Linh is among the first batch of exchange student from Fulbright University Vietnam, a new exchange partner of Yale-NUS. Linh has found her academic experiences at Yale-NUS to be especially fruitful and engaging, in addition to residential life. “I have been challenged a lot, learned a lot, and had a lot of (intellectual) fun thanks to my classmates and professors,” she said.

Linh’s learning experiences ranged from physical explorations to Joo Chiat for her Social Life of Cities module to reading ancient Chinese poems in a student-led classical Chinese reading group at Yale-NUS. She especially appreciated the Intergroup Dialogue programme on Race, Ethnicity, and Nationally that has taught her about “the complex intersections between the three categories and the importance of staying aware of them in everyday interactions.”

Celebrating Lunar New Year Festivities at Yale-NUS College with a mandarin orange given by a professor and decorations provided by her Residential College. Image provided by Linh Dang.

Linh hoped that future exchange students from both Fulbright and Yale-NUS will be able to benefit from the diverse and immersive experiences like she did. She “looks forward to seeing greater interactions between the two communities, and would love to be part of the effort to cultivate a shared legacy of liberal arts education in Asia.”