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At Yale-NUS, learning was not restricted to formal teaching spaces like lecture theatres and classrooms.
By venturing beyond traditional academic environments and into the outside world, students learnt to apply theoretical concepts to real-world problems.
This approach helped students to expand their horizons and see issues from new perspectives.
Co-curricular and extracurricular experiences were foundational pillars of the College’s pedagogy.
‘Learning beyond the classroom’ was part of the College’s focus on Experiential Learning—or ‘learning by doing’—where students worked on practical hands-on projects.
Students were also encouraged to travel and experience new cultures, reflecting the College’s emphasis on the importance of Global Learning to understanding diverse societies and succeeding in an increasingly interconnected world.
The work of the College’s Centre for International & Professional Experience (CIPE) was central to enabling students to ‘learn beyond the classroom’.
Modelled after an identically named office at Yale University, CIPE originated from the belief that the experiences students had outside of the classroom could be just as formative and important in their career and life path as what was taught inside the classroom.
To this end, CIPE was committed to supporting every Yale-NUS student in having an international and/or internship experience.
They achieved this through a range of funded programmes that expanded students’ learning opportunities, including internships, research, study abroad, leadership and professional development programmes. Eligible students could also qualify for additional financial aid to participate in these opportunities.
Every student was allocated a CIPE advisor to provide personalised guidance and mentoring in the various opportunities available.
Developed in collaboration with faculty, CIPE offered Learning Across Boundaries (LABs), experiential learning projects of short duration that allowed faculty to share their scholarship with students outside of the classroom. These provided opportunities for students to explore the curriculum in broader, real-world contexts.
Week 7 Learning Across Boundaries (LABs) was CIPE’s flagship experiential learning programme.
During the seventh week of their first semester, every first-year student participated in a week-long project that took them out of the classroom to undertake experiential projects in Singapore and beyond.
These faculty-led projects tackled real-world or contemporary issues, encouraging students to explore the themes of the Common Curriculum in a broader context.
Students engaged with new perspectives, interacted with practitioners and professionals and made connections between classroom learning and real-world experiences.
Each year the College published a booklet listing the details of that year’s Week 7 projects so that students could pick which they wanted to apply to.
Each year the College published a booklet listing the details of that year’s Week 7 projects so that students could pick which they wanted to apply to.
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The National Identity in Contested Spaces Week 7 LAB was conducted in Gibraltar, Morocco and Ceuta by Professor of Humanities and Director of the Writing Programme Robin Hemley. The students published a booklet of their writings and photographs reflecting their experiences on the trip.
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The Collecting Cultures Week 7 LAB explored the importance of the physical book. Students were able to examine mediaeval manuscripts and early printed books, and learn about early printing techniques.
They also curated an exhibition in the College Library to showcase what they learned during the project.
Week 7 culminated in a symposium, where students presented their learnings and insights to the larger Yale-NUS community.
Week 7 was a signature part of the Yale-NUS experience, with many students considering it as one of the highlights of their College experience, and prospective students even citing it as a reason for them choosing to attend the College.
This was demonstrated by a 2014 survey which reported that students felt Week 7 was their best experience outside of the classroom.
Spring and Summer Learning Across Boundaries (LABs) were offered to Yale-NUS students during the semester breaks. Lasting between a week and 10 days, these LABs provided another opportunity for students to travel and learn beyond the confines of the traditional classroom. They were based on faculty research and/or teaching interests, or specific professional pathways.
Sarah Novak (Class of 2018) reflects on how a LAB trip to Israel and Palestine sparked her interest in the politics of the region.
In February 2014, 13 students undertook the first Literary Burma Spring LAB. Led by Professor Robin Hemley, the LAB introduced students to the literary riches of Burma, past and present. It provided an opportunity to visit cultural monuments and literary sites, and to explore works of literature, non-fiction and poetry to better understand Burma’s tumultuous modern history and rapid development.
We were able to visit historical and cultural sites in Yangon, the Shwedagon Pagoda, and in Bagan, the sunset behind the stretches of hundreds of temples.
— Erika Terrones Shibuya (Class of 2017)
The students kept travel journals documenting their experiences during the trip and, on their return, wrote up their impressions of Burma for publication in this booklet.
As part of the College’s emphasis on Global Learning, CIPE created many opportunities for students to study abroad.
For the Semester Abroad programme, students studied for one semester at a partner university or college outside of Singapore.
The programme offered students the opportunity to immerse themselves in a new cultural and academic context, while exploring their personal, academic and professional interests.
The partner universities and colleges were located across North America, South America, Asia, Oceania and Europe. They were selected for their rigorous academic programmes, vibrant student life and opportunities for unique cultural experiences.
The Summer Abroad programmes offered students the opportunity to gain international experience, deep dive into an area of academic or linguistic interest and explore personal goals.
Students could receive funding to pursue a five to eight-week programme outside of Singapore during the summer break.
These could include the Summer Academic Scholarship for students interested in pursuing academically rigorous programmes, the Summer Arts Scholarship for arts programmes and a variety of Summer Language Scholarships which provided intensive language training though immersion in an environment with native speakers. This included the Chinese Language Scholarship and the Spanish Language Scholarship.
Summer Academic Scholarship
Summer Language Scholarship
CIPE worked with a wide range of local and international partners to coordinate internships across the private, public and civic sectors, giving students the opportunity to gain work experience and global exposure in their potential future careers.
Internships were available at a number of leading organisations in Singapore and abroad, including across the following sectors:
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Students were also able to source their own internships to better align with their interests, which CIPE could then support and fund.
There were also mystery internships where students were informed of the details just days before the start date. Specifically curated for first and second-year students, these internships pushed students beyond their comfort zone, developing their adaptability and resilience.
The Summer Research Programme (SRP) allowed students to pursue full-time, funded research in the humanities, sciences or social sciences during the summer break from May to August.
Depending on their level of research experience, students could apply to undertake a Faculty-led Research project (to acquire foundational research skills and receive mentorship from Yale-NUS faculty supervisors), or a Student-initiated Research project (where students with prior research experience would work with a faculty supervisor to craft and execute a student-initiated research project).
Through the SRP, students could also attend skill-building workshops on abstract writing for research, creating posters and presentations, communicating research to non-specialists and working effectively with supervisors.
This video from the 2019 Summer Research Symposium includes interviews with some of the nearly 50 students who conducted research with faculty mentors in Singapore and overseas.
The summer research experience culminated in student presentations at the annual Summer Research Symposium, which showcased their research findings and insights.
The summer research experience culminated in student presentations at the annual Summer Research Symposium, which showcased their research findings and insights.
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In addition to the SRP, CIPE built partnerships with specific programmes for undergraduate science research, such as the Yale College Dean’s Research Fellowship and Research Short-stays at Harvard (including both the Summer Honors Undergraduate Research Program (SHURP) and the Summer Research Opportunities at Harvard (SROH)).
CIPE also maintained relationships with individual Yale University faculty members from various departments, who would engage Yale-NUS students in summer research.
At Yale-NUS, Social Impact programming was based on the Social Change Model of development, and aligned with Leadership programming that CIPE offered. To support students with their social impact and service initiatives, CIPE offered several signature programmes and seed grants.
These programmes enabled students to:
This was a five-day experiential and skills-focused training camp aimed at equipping students with relevant skills to support student-led social impact projects.
Modules offered by a range of non-profit, academic and corporate experts included Design Thinking, Theory of Change, Public Narratives, Resourcing and Pitching, and Asset-based Community Development.
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The Social Impact Fellowship provided seed funding to support international projects during the summer vacation months of May to August.
Modules offered by a range of non-profit, academic and corporate experts included Design Thinking, Theory of Change, Public Narratives, Resourcing and Pitching, and Asset-based Community Development.
CIPE’s Leadership Programming consisted of a variety of experiential learning opportunities which were made available to all students to help develop their leadership skills.
These opportunities included coursework, workshops, student-driven projects, and public interest and community service programmes.
This supported students in deepening their self-awareness, learning to work collaboratively with others and committing to a common purpose with their community.
Objectives included:
Students could choose from different training options offered by external facilitators or CIPE advisors. Depending on their personal and professional learning goals, these could include training in the following areas:
As a culmination of their training, students celebrated and showcased their experiences and achievements at a Leadership Symposium, where they were awarded a Leadership Certificate.
Finally, CIPE also prepared students for life after graduation, with guidance on applying for further study, internships and jobs.
This included one-on-one and group advising sessions, as well as equipping students with the skills and knowledge to help them make more informed choices in their plans for the future.
Students could meet CIPE’s team of career services advisors individually to discuss their personal career interests and goals.
They could also attend a wide range of personal development and skill-building workshops to help them acquire specific skills related to their areas of interest.
Additionally, CIPE provided guidance on potential career paths, tips on career preparation such as interviewing, networking, and resume and cover letter writing, as well as resources to assist with searching for jobs and internships.
These efforts were the culmination of the support CIPE offered throughout the students’ time at the College, preparing them to move on to the next stages of their personal, educational and career journeys.
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Social Impact and Service Programmes