One of the most recent additions to the list of study-abroad options at Boston University is an exchange program in Singapore that does not require students to speak a foreign language. In addition to its world-class universities, students are often excited to explore the diverse and delicious food in Singapore, which is a highlight of the cultural experience.
There are no university chaperones or other staff who accompany students on the trip, unlike many other programs. Students in the Singapore: National University of Singapore program, which will be offered for the first time in the spring, will work with NUS staff, said Cara Teller, marketing and recruiting assistant for the International Programs office.
“Given it’s an exchange program, the student is directly enrolled in [NUS],” Teller said. “It takes them from BU and plops them there. We have a bunch of exchanges [from NUS]. We give them students. They give us students.”
NUS has an undergraduate enrollment of about 23,000 students and hosts thousands of exchange students each year from universities around the world, according to the IP office.
“NUS is a leading English language university situated in the exciting city-state of Singapore,” according to the NUS Student Exchange Program website. “There is no better SEP location than NUS to combine a first-class education with an incredible adventure.”
President Robert Brown pushed for the exchange program to join IP as an option, Teller said. Brown, who was the provost at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology before coming to BU, formed an alliance between MIT and two universities in Singapore during his time there.
“The president has wanted to be over in Singapore,” Teller said.
The program offers a special opportunity for College of Engineering juniors to study abroad, which is uncommon at most universities.
BU already gives ENG students the opportunity to study in Germany, Israel and Mexico during their sophomore years, although many other schools offer no opportunities for engineering majors, Teller said.
“It makes engineering students have another opportunity,” Teller said. “It’s a first in the study-abroad field.”
IP chose Singapore as a location because it is a city described as an “economic powerhouse,” according to an IP information document.
“Supporting a diverse and multilingual population of approximately 4.1 million, Singapore’s urban landscape of glass, steel, concrete and highways displays a framework of strong Western influences with a Chinese heart,” the information sheet states.
Most classes in the program are taught in English, which is why students are not required to know another language to apply. In Singapore, students must take a language class in one of Singapore’s three main languages – Chinese, Japanese or Malay – in addition to their regular classes.
“It’s hard if you come back to BU and have courses not count,” Teller said. “Students want to make sure [credits] are going to transfer back here. NUS has pre-approved [classes] from BU.”
Singapore exchange students plan their schedules with an adviser in one of four “pathways” of study – Asian studies, culture and religion, science or engineering. They then take four to five courses during the semester, including the language course, according to the information sheet.
In total, students get between 16 and 18 credits.
The nature of the program gives students more independence because of the lack of a BU-appointed chaperone or staff member and because students do not live with host families or in BU-specific dormitories, Teller said.
Students can study in Singapore for one semester or one year, but not during the summer.
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