Discovering Diversity in Everyday Singapore: Nagoya University Short-Term Study Abroad Program 2026

From 30 August to 9 September 2026, twelve undergraduate students from six schools at Nagoya University participated in a short-term study abroad program in Singapore. The participants were first- and second-year students, many of whom were traveling abroad for the first time or had limited previous international experience.

The program was designed around the theme “Ten Days in Singapore: Broadening Perspectives through Input and Output.” Students not only learned about Singapore’s multicultural society through lectures and site visits but also engaged in dialogue with students from the National University of Singapore (NUS), conducted field research in the city, and delivered final presentations in English.

Throughout the program, students were encouraged to express what they saw, heard, and thought in their own words, compare Singapore with Japan, and reflect on how their perspectives changed through direct experience.

You can find students’ reflection posts in our Instagram account:

https://www.instagram.com/nagoyauniv_singapore

Learning and Connections Before Departure

As many of the participants had limited overseas experience, the program began with a series of pre-departure sessions covering travel procedures, intercultural understanding and adjustment, risk management, daily life in Singapore, and field research preparation.

Before traveling to Singapore, the students also met online with members of the NUS Japanese Studies Society (JSS). Through introductions and small-group activities, the students began building relationships before meeting each other in person.

Experiencing Singapore’s Multicultural Society

At the Inlingua School of Languages, students learned about Singapore’s history and multicultural society. A visit to the Harmony in Diversity Gallery further deepened their understanding of religious and ethnic diversity and the ways in which people from different backgrounds live together in Singapore.

The students also attended research talks by graduate students from Nagoya University’s Graduate School of Environmental Studies. They then visited the Sustainable Singapore Gallery and Singapore City Gallery, where they explored sustainability, environmental policy, public housing, and urban planning. These experiences encouraged them to look beyond the visible cityscape and consider the systems and ideas that shape everyday life in Singapore.

Collaborative Learning with NUS Students

At NUS, the students joined advanced Japanese language classes. They introduced aspects of Japanese popular culture and exchanged views with NUS students on intercultural understanding and their field research topics.

Their conversations covered topics such as food, religion, language, university life, and national service. These exchanges helped the students learn more about Singapore while also encouraging them to reconsider aspects of Japanese culture and society that they had previously taken for granted.

They also participated in a campus tour led by NUS JSS (Japanese Studies Society) members and attended an information session provided by the NUS International Office on studying and living at NUS as an exchange student.

Discovering Diversity through Field Research

During the second half of the program, the students conducted two days of field research under the shared theme “Discovering Diversity in Everyday Singapore.”

Working in four groups, they investigated hawker centres, vegetable consumption, multicultural education, and Housing and Development Board (HDB) housing. They visited markets, supermarkets, schools, hawker centres, and HDB-related facilities, combining information from literature and exhibitions with observations, questionnaires, and interviews with local residents.

NUS JSS students accompanied the groups and supported them with local knowledge and communication. At first, many Nagoya University students found it challenging to approach strangers, ask questions in English, and understand different ways of speaking. As their research progressed, however, they developed practical strategies such as showing prepared questions on a phone, replacing abstract expressions with concrete examples, asking people to repeat themselves, and moving on positively when someone declined to participate.

In their daily reflections, students described how they gradually became more confident in approaching people. Some also recognized that their original research questions had been influenced by assumptions about Singapore. Speaking directly with local residents helped them reconsider their questions and understand the importance of adapting their perspectives in response to what they encountered.

Sharing Their Findings in English

Following the field research, students took part in a presentation workshop covering slide organization, delivery, emphasis, and the division of roles within each group.

On the final day, each group delivered a 12-minute presentation in English, followed by a three-minute question-and-answer session. They presented their research themes and methods, key findings, comparisons with Japan, and changes in their perspectives. Students also asked one another questions in English, bringing together the learning and experiences of the ten-day program.

Taking the Next Step toward International Engagement

In the post-program survey, eleven of the twelve participants rated their overall satisfaction with the program as either four or five on a five-point scale. Many identified their interactions with NUS students, the field research, and real-life communication in English as particularly meaningful experiences.

The program also encouraged students to consider further international opportunities. Ten students expressed an interest in joining another short-term overseas program, eight were interested in international or multicultural events on campus, and seven expressed an interest in studying abroad as exchange students.

The ten days in Singapore therefore offered more than an opportunity to learn about another country. They gave students the confidence to communicate across linguistic and cultural differences, question their own assumptions, and consider how they might continue engaging internationally during their university studies.

We extend our sincere appreciation to the faculty, staff, and students of the National University of Singapore; the NUS Japanese Studies Society; the NUS International Office; the inlingua School of Languages; the Harmony in Diversity Gallery; the graduate students and faculty members of Nagoya University’s Graduate School of Environmental Studies; and everyone who contributed to this valuable learning experience.