A week with the Saudis

By Chiu Weiqi

Year 4 Student, NUS Business School


Prof Lily Kong receiving a token of appreciation from Dr Nayef Masned M Alsaifi, Deputy Head of Delegation, KFUPM


Group photo with Head of Delegation, Dr Saad Mohammad Alshahrani, KFUPM (front row, second from right) and Assoc Prof Anne Pakir (front row, second from left)


The delegates playing a game of chatek in Arab Street

In March 2012, NUS played host to a 21-member delegation from the King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM), one of the leading universities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, on an "Awareness Building Programme" here in Singapore. During their stay at NUS, I had the privilege of hosting them as a Student Associate.

This seven-day programme is designed to give the faculty and student participants an opportunity to learn about Singapore's history, culture, society, economy and enterprise through numerous educational tours within NUS and around Singapore.

At NUS, they were officially welcomed by Professor Lily Kong, Vice President (University & Global Relations). Later in the day, they learned the key strategic thrusts and latest developments of the university from Associate Professor Anne Pakir, International Relations Office Director, and sat in on an engaging lecture on "Islam in South East Asia" by Associate Professor Syed Farid Alatas, Head of the Malay Studies Department at the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.

The delegates, who were mainly engineering students, were particularly interested in the "Eco Car" project at the Faculty of Engineering. Their enthusiasm was piqued by the innovative ways used to achieve fuel efficiency and drag reduction. During their visit to the NUS Enterprise Incubator, they learned from NUS graduates the finer points of setting up and operating a start-up company. At the Solar Energy Research Institute of Singapore (SERIS), they visited the lab facilities and participated actively in a lecture.

The delegation also visited various corporate organisations and commercial companies, including The Islamic Bank of Asia, Jurong Town Corporation, Urban Redevelopment Authority, Rotary Engineering at Jurong Island and Wah Loon Engineering.

There were social activities as well for the delegates who had the opportunity to explore the ethnic enclaves - Chinatown, Arab Street, Little India; and tourist attractions such as the Singapore Flyer, Night Safari and Sentosa. Meal times were especially fun, with our NUS students sharing culinary insights into the different dishes and cooking preparation techniques. The itinerary was drawn up in a typical Singapore style - well-timed and intensive with many back-to-back activities.

In this respect, thankfully, they could return every night to the relaxing environment of the Graduate Residence at University Town. It was a common sight to see them chilling out at the Town Green lawn while sipping their Starbucks coffee!

Speaking to many of the KFUPM students, they agreed that the greatest take-away from this trip was the interactions that they had with local Singaporeans. One of them commented that it was not Singapore's advanced infrastructure or remarkable achievements that struck him but the innovative people and their warm hospitality.

For me, what I found particularly enjoyable were the discussions on the geopolitical issues surrounding the Middle East - Arab Spring, Sunni-Shi'ite divide, Israeli-Palestinian conflict and Iran. Nothing could beat hearing it from fellow youths who grew up having to grapple with these hard-hitting issues.

The Saudi students had many questions for their NUS peers as well: "What do students do in their free time?" How do we view the concept of marriage?" "Why are cars so expensive in Singapore?" Many were curious about life in Singapore. It was an excellent two-way sharing opportunity.

In Saudi Arabia, gender segregated education is the norm; women are banned from driving; cinemas do not exist; and arranged marriages are still commonplace. For me, the cultural and societal differences were eye-opening. The exposure has greatly enhanced my appreciation for a vastly different culture and deepened my understanding of social diversity and plurality.

9 April 2012