Southeast Asia Friendship Initiative (SFI)

Southeast Asia Friendship Initiative (SFI) in Temasek Hall - Service Learning Project in Chiang Mai

From 7 - 21 May 2023, a group of 24 Temasek Hall (TH) student residents and 2 NUS Staff participated in a service-learning trip to Chiang Mai, Thailand. For a week, the TH students were hosted by the Lahu tribe in Pumuen Nai Village, a hilltribe village. The students were exposed to construction work in the form of building roads and water tanks, on top of organizing events like a carnival and lessons for the village community and children. They also got the opportunity to learn more about the tea industry and operations there, which is the main source of livelihood for the villagers.

After delivering the service-learning objectives and engaging closely with the village community in Pumuen, the TH students also had the privilege of visiting Chiang Mai University (CMU) in Chiang Mai City, as they were brought around by CMU staff and introduced to the role that CMU also plays in supporting the growth and development of village communities in Chiang Mai.

General Information

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.

SFI2304 in Temasek Hall: Introducing Thailand (with Introductory Thai)

Temasek Hall is providing student residents with the opportunity to take a 4 credit-bearing course encompassing experiential and immersion learning in the form of an Overseas Service-Learning project in Chiang Mai, Thailand. This is hosted through the Temasek Hall Beyond Borders (THBB) committee, with a programme focus on Goals 4, 7 and 9 of the 17 UN SDGs (Quality Education, Affordable and Clean Energy, and Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure).

Who is eligible to take SFI2034?

Course Outline

(1) Course Dates

SFI2034 will be offered in Sem 2 AY23/24
Overseas trip from 12-26 May 2024 (tentative)

(2) Programme Structure

3 x 2-hour lectures
2 x 2-hour tutorials
Total of 10 hours of Thai language lessons
Lesson content will cover relevant aspects in history, population, government, politics and society, economy, heritage.
Overseas trip to Chiang Mai, Thailand (below for more information)

Overseas Study Trip

Assessment Structure

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.

(1) Academic assessment: 50% to be graded by FASS

The 50% component may comprise of class participation, Group Project, Post-trip Group project, quizzes/ test and others.

(2) Experiential learning assessment : 50% to be graded by TH

The other 50% component will be based on Immersion visit assessment (which may include group presentations and individual reflections).

Please note that the above may be subject to changes.

Learning Outcomes of SFI2034

(1) Gain global and intercultural intelligence to appreciate the social and working norms in the specific SEA country.

(2) Deepen their knowledge of the key sustainable development goals SDG(s), or Innovation & Enterprise in the target country/countries.

(3) Learn about the significant local challenges to achieving specific SDGs, and what local solutions are being used by these communities.

(4) Understand the intricacies of collaborations between Singapore and the country against the larger socio-economic backdrop of the region.

(5) Expand the student's social and professional networks to aid their future career prospects in the region.

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.