KEVII Hall goes to… Indonesia!
In AY2023/24, KEVII Hall hosts 2 SFI trips to Indonesia under the Course code SFI2014 – Introducing Indonesia (with introductory Indonesian):
Sem 1 – Riau Islands & Bangka voyage (Dec 2023)
Sem 2 – Jakarta & Yogyakarta (May 2024, details and registration to be announced)
General info on SFI
Southeast Asia (SEA) Friendship Initiative (SFI) officially launched in May 2023 since AY2022/23 Special Term Part 1.
Designed for undergraduate (UG) students in residential units to read a credit-bearing course introducing them to a SEA country, complemented by a study trip to the targeted country with experiential learning in mind focusing on the UN 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SGD) theme and/or Innovation and Enterprise.
This initiative is being organised by 12 Residential Units, i.e., 6 Halls, 2 Houses and 4 Residential Colleges in collaboration with the Global Relations Office and Provost’s Office, with Southeast Asian Studies and Malay Studies Departments as academic hosts for SFI courses being offered to Halls and Houses.
All UG students living in residential unit, being enrolled in full-time UG degree programmes i.e., local (Singapore citizen, Singapore Permanent Resident holder) and international students, who are paying tuition fees to NUS can apply to read SFI course only once during their candidature. This course is not applicable to non-graduate/exchange students.
Learning Outcomes
- Gain global and intercultural intelligence to appreciate the social and working norms in the specific SEA country.
- Deepen their knowledge of the key sustainable development goals SDG(s), or Innovation & Enterprise in the target country/countries.
- Learn about the significant local challenges to achieving specific SDGs, and what local solutions are being used by these communities.
- Understand the intricacies of collaborations between Singapore and the country against the larger socio-economic backdrop of the region.
- Expand the student’s social and professional networks to aid their future career prospects in the region.
Academic Components and Framework of SFI Courses
SFI2014 is a 4-unit, Level 2 course with no pre-requisites. Preclusions apply. Refer to nusmods for full details: https://nusmods.com/courses/SFI2014/introducing-indonesia-with-introductory-indonesian
There are two components whereby:
| Course | Part A | Part B |
| 4-Unit | -on campus, taught by faculty members of FASS. - 3 x 2-hour (lecture), 2 x 2-hour (tutorial), 10-hour language classes totaling to 20 contact hours. - Introduction to the country covering relevant aspects in history, population, government, politics and society, economy, heritage. - 50% students’ assessment. | - 10-day study trip to Indonesia led by Resident Fellows - Pre-briefing before trip covering learning outcomes, topics, assessment, itinerary for Part B, team building, safety, discipline, etc. - Experiential learning-focused, based on SDG theme, visiting relevant sites (University, government, NGO offices, city-town-village, etc.). - 50% students’ assessment. |
All SFI courses offered are major-coded and credit-bearing. Students can read to full major or unrestricted elective (UE) requirement, and letter-graded on students’ transcripts. Students may exercise the satisfactory/unsatisfactory (S/U) option with the understanding that they are Malay Studies/SEA major students, and on the assumption that they have yet to exercise the S/U option for up to 32 Units for courses.
Additional Information:
Key difference between regular course and SFI course:
Component of study trip and its focus of experiential learning whereby students are expected to apply and promote critical thinking through engagement with important sites, and two-way dialogues with representatives from universities, well-established organisations and community partners related to targeted SDGs or social enterprise, and government offices, in understanding and empathising with the issues that are important to the community. Students apply what they learn in classes to out of class through immersion learning, and real-life experiences.
How to apply to read SFI course:
Student enrolment for SFI course will be made through our admin team during the Course Registration period before the start of the semester.
How much does a participant need to pay for the trip?:
- The study trip is heavily subsidised by the University. Students are required to pay a minimal co-payment fee of $500.
- The co-payment fee will cover air fare, ground transport, overseas accommodation, cultural activities and most meals.
For more information please enquire with the Hall Manager, Ms Hidayu at kehnha@nus.edu.sg.
For more information on SFI, please visit NUS Global's SFI webpage.
