Summer Study Abroad programmes take Yale-NUS College students to Costa Rica and London
Two students received Summer Study Abroad Scholarships to explore new fields and broaden their knowledge
Yale-NUS College provides students with a plethora of learning opportunities during the term break, including internships, travel fellowships, experiential learning trips, Summer Research Programme, and the Summer Study Abroad programme.
Two students Zahra Lalani and Yolanda Zhixin Sheng (both from the Class of 2025) received the Summer Academic Scholarship and Summer Arts Scholarship, respectively, under the Summer Study Abroad programme, and had the opportunity to immerse themselves in different environments and broaden their academic horizons over the term break.
As a Physical Sciences Major, Zahra is interested in exploring the practical application of the sciences in solving global challenges such as climate change and food security. This, combined with a desire to travel in unfamiliar terrain, prompted her to apply for the College’s Summer Sustainability and Environment programme in Montverde, Costa Rica.
“I attended classes and participated in different co-curricular activities, for example, visiting a dairy farm to learn about the future of regenerative agriculture or understanding the internal mechanisms of how a hydropower station works,” she explained, adding that she divided her free time between surfing and hiking with her friends through the scenic landscapes of Costa Rica, or napping after a busy day.
Zahra visiting a farm in Costa Rica, where she learnt about the future of regenerative agriculture. Images provided by Zhara Lalani.
Despite the unfamiliar region and language barriers speaking Spanish, Zahra found her experience to be an illuminating one, exposing her to new fields of research that she is excited to study further when she returned to the College.
“I am super interested in taking more in-depth courses in environmental engineering and agriculture because I feel these two areas are so important to develop and help target the inequitable impact of climate change, food security and energy issues on marginalised communities,” she said.
Yolanda applied for the Summer Arts Scholarship to expand her interests in the arts through a summer of self-reflection and growth in London studying at University College London (UCL).
“The Summer Arts Scholarship provided me a headspace to explore potential themes and tracks that I could potentially pursue further and incorporate into my own portfolio of works,” she noted.
With classes in literature, fine art and writing, the Arts & Humanities major looked forward to exploring a multitude of disciplines, although she was most excited at the prospect of exploring London’s vibrant cultural and contemporary art scene in person.
“London has been a great classroom,” she added, recounting her time spent wandering around London’s libraries, museums and galleries with friends.
Yolanda intends to use her time in London as inspiration for her own final year projects. “I hoped I’ve learned a little more about the contemporary art scene in London and also examined the curation of exhibitions that were fascinating. Hopefully, all this have prepared me for my final capstone and the projects I will be working at Yale-NUS College.”
Zahra and Yolanda’s experiences provide a glimpse into the unconventional and fulfilling ways Yale-NUS College students have chosen to make use of their term break. The knowledge they gained and the memories they made are sure to leave an imprint on their college careers and colour their future experiences.
