Southeast Asia Friendship Initiative: Advancing sustainability through experiential learning and engagement

Southeast Asia Friendship Initiative: Advancing sustainability through experiential learning and engagement

As part of the Southeast Asia Friendship Initiative(SFI) at NUS, groups from various hostels in NUS embarked on trips to the surrounding Southeast Asian region during the recent summer break, where they learnt about the unique cultural and environmental contexts of sustainability practices, and developed learning points and applications to impact the communities and stakeholders they engaged with.

Leveraging on Singapore's unique geographical location within Southeast Asia (SEA), one of the most culturally diverse regions in the world with a population of almost 640 million people, SFI aims to advance sustainability through experiential learning and international engagement. Students are immersed in the real-world applications of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), fostering practical understanding and innovative solutions to global challenges.

Residential College 4: Exploring resilience of food systems in Chiang Mai

In July 2024, a group of ten participants from NUS Residential College 4travelled to Chiang Mai, Thailand, for a research-focused trip centred on food systems resilience. The team delved into the complexities of Northern Thailand's food system through lectures at Chiang Mai University and fieldwork, engaging with individuals across various food economy sectors including paddy farm owners, community-based organic food producers, and coffee farmers. The participants' efforts aimed to uncover and understand the local challenges and opportunities related to food security and sustainability.

During their visit, the team actively contributed to the local communities by conducting interviews and gathering insights, which were highly beneficial in enabling academics at Chiang Mai University and their community development partners to support ongoing efforts to enhance food systems resilience in the region.

The trip provided several key learning experiences for the participants. They gained a deeper appreciation for the significance of transdisciplinary research and the co-creation of knowledge with diverse stakeholders. Additionally, they recognised the value of unwritten, local knowledge in addressing specific challenges, highlighting the importance of building relevant networks and asking insightful questions to obtain such knowledge.

For Winnie Tan, third-year undergraduate from NUS Business School, her experience at a market with stalls run by community-based organic food producers, where they had to conduct fieldwork and speak to the stall owners, turned out to be the most memorable for her. The students had to apply their skills and exposure from the past few days to engage in meaningful discussions with local community members about sustainable practices.

Despite facing challenges in integrating diverse perspectives from various interviews, the team effectively managed this by dedicating time to daily synthesis and team discussions. The experiences in Chiang Mai were a reminder that "your impact can extend far beyond classroom theories," said Winnie.

Pioneer House: Exploring sustainability in the urban and rural context in Malang, Indonesia

Close to 30 students from Pioneer Housetravelled to the town of Malang in East Java, Indonesia in May 2024 on an experiential learning trip where they were exposed to concepts of sustainability and reflected on the applications of these learning points in their urban lives.

The trip explored sustainability in the urban and rural context, such as through visits to Malang City and Ngroto, a village in Malang regency. In the urban context, the students visited Glintung Go Green in Malang, a neighbourhood initiative aimed at sustainable urban development. They learnt about practices such as zero-cost planting and porous wells that address the negative effects of urbanisation. A highlight of this visit was a presentation by the Mayor of Malang who shared their vision and achievements.

The students also explored sustainability in the rural setting of Ngroto village in Malang regency, where they observed local seeding and plant nursery practices, and participated in a cultural performance by the villagers. Their exploration of sustainable agriculture continued with an entrepreneurial farmer who demonstrated the use of Internet of Things (IoT) technology to optimise soil conditions, irrigation, and produce quality.

In addition to these learning experiences, students also immersed in local cultural exchange and took in scenic sights during a visit to the Bromo-Tengger-Semeru National Park. Aside from observing the biodiversity around the crater and the mountain, they engaged in a batik painting session and created their own batik masterpiece to bring home.

These activities provided the students with a comprehensive understanding of sustainable practices across different contexts, reinforcing the importance of integrating SDGs into various aspects of development and environmental stewardship. More importantly, bonds were forged between students from NUS and students from the Universitas Brawijaya, who hosted the visit, putting 'friendship' in SFI.

"I was glad to hear students share about what they learnt from the trip," said Dr Andi Sudjana Putra, Resident Fellow from PH who led the trip to Malang. "Even though we have returned from the trip, I was heartened to observe our students refer to what they learnt in the village's farm when discussing plans for the community garden in Pioneer House. Their ability to draw parallels between the two has demonstrated true learning and fulfilled one of the objectives of the trip," Dr Andi shared.

CAPT in Nan Province and Bangkok: Bringing community engagement overseas

Sixteen students from the College of Alice & Peter Tan(CAPT) embarked on a study trip to Nan Province and Bangkok in July 2024 as part of the Senior Seminar course titled 'Sustainability in Southeast Asia: Study Trip to Thailand.' Accompanied by three faculty members, the students partnered with peers from Chulalongkorn University for a two-week immersive learning experience focused on sustainability and community engagement.

The students actively participated in various hands-on activities through collaborations with local communities and organisations such as the Phu Fa Development Centre, Chulalongkorn University's Center of Learning Network for the Region, and Nam Kian Community Enterprises. These enabled them to be involved in activities within the community such as tree planting and visits to goat and pig farms, where they gained valuable insights into sustainable farming practices and the challenges faced by local agricultural communities.

CAPT's commitment to community engagement was evident even overseas. The students interacted with local communities, industry leaders, and embassies in Thailand and Singapore, and acquired important lessons on the principles of a circular economy. They explored how mutual benefits can be achieved between organisations and local farmers to enhance food security, and learnt about the role of international cooperation in facilitating the exchange of ideas, technology, and labour.

Chan Syn Ning, a second-year Life Sciencesundergraduate, recounted, "It was important to approach the trip with an open mindset and a willingness to be involved using a hands-on approach, as the environment was quite different from our big city life. The trip was purposeful and provided a deeper understanding and greater appreciation towards Thai religion, language, and social customs."

By Residential College 4, Pioneer House, and College of Alice & Peter Tan.

This article is the first in a two-part series on the Southeast Asia Friendship Initiative.