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By Meng-lin Wu
When a Chinese student, Yvonne Chen, 21, entered university, she had a dream to study abroad. Like most people, she hopes to experience an exotic life and make international friends.
However, her parents worried about her safety abroad because she is the youngest child in the family.
She did not give up but work hard on her schoolwork. Finally, she got the permission to study in Singapore.
“I persuaded my parents successfully because I really want to come and Singapore is not so far from my hometown,” she added.
Nowadays, more and more students choose Singapore as their study destination.
From less than 50,000 international students in 2002, the number jumped to 72,000 international students in 2005 according to the Economic Review Committee (ERC). The Government has launched several initiatives to increase this number to 150,000 by 2012.
The main reasons why foreigners want to study Singapore are generally these following factors: hospitality, cleanness, safety, convenient transportation and the international environment. Multi-culture also plays a significant role in this trend.
“I would like to improve my global perspective,” another exchange student from Taiwan, Ms. Shu Tzu Jung, 22, said.
She thought that Singapore is more international than Taiwan. She also wants to improve English and make many friends from other countries.
Some European or American students study in Singapore for another kind of reasons.
“I chose Singapore because I want to know more Asian culture. Also, the English-spoken courses make me feel very comfortable here,” Mr. Gernot Heym from Germany, 22, said.
With the boom of the Asia market, many students decided to study in Asia in order to understand the local culture and even seek for some internship.
In fact, Singapore’s "brand image" is the bridge between the West and the East. If developed carefully, the brand serves to differentiate a school from other competitive schools.
For example, Beijing is famous for its historical culture and architectures, such as the Forbidden City and Great Wall, so Peking University can attract many students who want to learn Chinese culture. Nanyang Technological University (NTU) can also appeal to some Chinese students because they want to connect the world.
Other than the branding, Singapore’s transportation infrastructure is also a key point.
“The MRT and bus systems are quite convenient. In addition, I can ask local people for directions, so I will not get lost,” said a Danish exchange student, Mr. Simon Sigurd Henriksen, 21.
These foreign students get used to the environment quickly, and then it is easy for them to plan a trip or to reach some places in Singapore. Also, the advantageous geographic position shortens their flight time to other South East Asian countries.
Nevertheless, some Asian students proposed different thoughts.
“Singapore is too small. I would rather choose European or American universities,” a Taiwanese student, Brian Wu, 21, said.
For most Asian people, Singapore is small and close to their home town. If the student wants to experience a totally different culture, their priority is mostly not here.
All in all, the diversity of culture is increasing the students’ incentive to study here in the past few years. The international student numbers are still expanding.
“Foreign students brought different views into the class. I learnt a lot from them,” said a Nanyang Technological University student, Ms. Song Quisi, 21.
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