Southeast Asia Friendship Initiative

SFI_Indochina_MNJY26 
SEA-tisfy your curiosity!

Photo credit: Moon Ng, CAPT

What is the Southeast Asia Friendship Initiative?

The Southeast Asia Friendship Initiative (SFI) introduces Southeast Asia (SEA) to undergraduates living in residential units. These courses:

  1. focus on an SEA country,
  2. address one of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and/or Innovation and Enterprise (I&E), and
  3. include a study trip to an SEA country.

Why read SFI courses?

SEA is one of the most culturally diverse regions in the world with a population of almost 640 million people. Leveraging Singapore's unique geographical location, you can learn more about this region that is teeming with opportunities.

SFI courses:

  1. Are credit-bearing and you will receive a letter grade for the course
  2. Are experiential, and includes a trip to an SEA country
  3. Are designed to deepen your understanding of the SEA country
  4. Explore the specific local challenges and solutions related to Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and/or Innovation and Enterprise (I&E)
  5. Encourage students to interact with local community partners, NGOs and government offices
  6. Comprise learning a Southeast Asian language (only applicable to SFI courses bearing 4 units offered to Halls and Houses)

Eligibility

You are eligible to read an SFI course if you:

  1. are a full-time undergraduate,
  2. have not previously read a SFI course,
  3. are living in a residential unit, and
  4. are not an exchange student.

SFI courses are open to all Singaporeans, Singapore PRs and international students.

Course structure

If you stay in a Residential College (RC)
  • You can sign up for a course comprising seminars and discussions, which will culminate in a 10-day study trip.
  • These courses will be worth 4 units, and could be offered during regular and/or special semesters.
  • Please speak with your residential master to find out the offerings for the semester.
If you stay in a Hall or House
  • SFI courses offered by Halls and Houses are semester-long courses worth either 2 or 4 units.
  • There are 2 components:
    • lectures and tutorials conducted by faculty at the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS) at NUS, and
    • a study trip led by the residential unit.

If you are a Malay Studies or SEA Studies major, SFI courses can count towards your major requirements. Otherwise, SFI courses can count towards your unrestricted elective requirements.

The table below summarises the content and difference between 2- and 4-unit courses: 

  On-campus learning Overseas trip
2-unit course
  • 3 x 2-hour lecture
  • 2 x 2-hour tutorial
  • Introduction to the country, including history, society, politics, etc.
  • Weightage for assessment: 50%
  • 7-day study trip to the country
  • Experiential learning based on SDGs and/or I&E
  • Briefing on itinerary, assessment and safety before trip
  • Weightage for assessment: 50%
4-unit course
  • 3 x 2-hour lecture
  • 2 x 2-hour tutorial
  • Total of 10 hours of language classes
  • Introduction to the country, including history, society, politics, etc.
  • Weightage for assessment: 50%
  • 10-day study trip to the country
  • Experiential learning based on SDGs and/or I&E
  • Briefing on itinerary, assessment and safety before trip
  • Weightage for assessment: 50%

The 14 courses offered to Halls and Houses are coded SFI20XX. The offerings for the semester can be found on CourseReg.

How do I apply for these courses?

You can apply via your residential unit’s admin team. Once accepted, your residential unit will upload your enrolment onto CourseReg.

Please note that if you have taken an SFI course previously, you won't be able to register for another one.

Cost of trip

GRO provides financial support for SFI trips directly to the residential units, who in turn subsidise the costs of the trips. Students reading SFI courses can expect to pay between $200 to $500 (depending on country) for the overseas component of the course.