Update from Singapore!

Hi from Singapore!

The first semester at NUS is coming to an end and it feels surreal how fast the time has passed, and we have completely fallen in love with Singapore.The past four months have been memorable in many ways and included many firsts; we had our first strict quarantine experience as we crossed the Singaporean border, had members in group work from all of the world’s continents, had a temperature of over 28 degrees Celsius for over 100 days straight, enjoyed traditional cuisine such as Bak ku teh and chilli crab, and started working internationally. Sounds exciting? More about some of our experiences below.

Firstly, the studies at NUS definitely exceeded our expectations. Being aware of the fact that NUS is the top university in Asia, we did not expect anything less than top-class education.

During the first semester we have taken five different courses that range from subjects within finance and marketing to HR, providing a truly diverse teaching experience. The unique thing is, however, that NUS Business School is one of the few schools in the world being able to offer offline teaching during the pandemic and therefore, this semester has been amazing both in terms of interactive teaching and the ability to experience the student life to its fullest. Not only have we been studying, but we have also managed to get a part-time job at the Swedish Chamber of Commerce in Singapore where we are currently working on a joint project between the Swedish Embassy, Business Sweden and the Swedish Chamber of Commerce. The project aims to map out the Swedish presence and Swedish companies’ perception of the business landscape in Singapore. As we are doing this project, it has been truly fascinating to see how large the Swedish business community in Singapore really is.

Aside from school and work, we have also had time for leisure. As the Singaporean borders are closed we have really taken the opportunity to be tourists in our own country and explore Singapore with all it has to offer. Our personal favourite has been the Hawker Centers which are local food courts scattered all over Singapore offering everything from michelin star stalls, to local and international cuisine. Our personal favourite is Newton in which we enjoyed many meals with our classmates while trying different dishes from a diverse taste pallet originating from the highly diverse population of Singapore. The food culture here is amazing!

Now as the first semester is wrapping up we are working on our last exams and reports before summer break. It has been a hectic past few weeks, but we are, nonetheless, excited
for the next semester!

Let’s talk soon again!

Beverly & Maria