Southeast Asia Immersion Experience
Southeast Asia is a fascinating and important region of the world, characterized first and foremost by remarkable diversity in culture, history, politics, and social dynamics. It includes some of the world’s major religions and ethnic groups, as well as many local cultures, and languages.
The Southeast Asia global immersion program highlights the diversity and commonalities of the region in terms of political systems, state formation, urbanization processes and modernization trends, religious traditions, ethnic identities, emerging social issues and dominant cultural systems. Additionally, this course draws on first hand experiences in the region to explore the various cultural, historical, political, and social challenges in the region. The program provides an opportunity to travel to Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia and these three countries have become popular centers of commerce and intercultural exchange despite challenging social, political and cultural complexities.
Past global class trips have involved visiting the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB), the lead government agency for planning and executing strategies to enhance Singapore’s position as a global business center; ExxonMobil, the largest foreign manufacturing investor in Singapore; Asia Pacific Breweries, producer of Singapore’s award-winning Tiger Beer and ranked one of the top companies in Asia with a reputation for being a top value creator for its customers, consumers, and shareholders; and Marina Bay Sands, the world’s most expensive stand-alone casino property worth $8 billion. Other organizational visits have included the Housing and Development Board, Media Development Authority, BBC, Singapore Airlines, Air Asia, Universal Studios, LEGOLAND Malaysia, Jurong Town Corporation, Port of Singapore Authority, Discovery Networks, eBay, Petronas, Royal Selangor, A*STAR, Yahoo, APL, and ESPN. For a glance into the political and system, the class toured Singapore’s Parliament and Supreme Court.
Past speakers have included Michael Morrison, Vice President ESPN International; John Courtney, Vice President eBay Customer Experience; John Hallenbeck, Vice President of Attractions - Resorts World Sentosa; Vineet Gambhir, Vice President Human Resources at Yahoo, Tom Keaveny Executive Vice President & Managing Director for Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific. Nicholas Ionides, Vice President Public Affairs at Singapore Airlines, Mark Juliano, Senior Vice President and Chief Casino Officer at Marina Bay Sands; and Sharanjit Leyl, Presenter/Producer at BBC News.
What students have said about the previous Southeast Asia Global Immersion Courses
The Southeast Asia global immersion program highlights the diversity and commonalities of the region in terms of political systems, state formation, urbanization processes and modernization trends, religious traditions, ethnic identities, emerging social issues and dominant cultural systems. Additionally, this course draws on first hand experiences in the region to explore the various cultural, historical, political, and social challenges in the region. The program provides an opportunity to travel to Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia and these three countries have become popular centers of commerce and intercultural exchange despite challenging social, political and cultural complexities.
Past global class trips have involved visiting the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB), the lead government agency for planning and executing strategies to enhance Singapore’s position as a global business center; ExxonMobil, the largest foreign manufacturing investor in Singapore; Asia Pacific Breweries, producer of Singapore’s award-winning Tiger Beer and ranked one of the top companies in Asia with a reputation for being a top value creator for its customers, consumers, and shareholders; and Marina Bay Sands, the world’s most expensive stand-alone casino property worth $8 billion. Other organizational visits have included the Housing and Development Board, Media Development Authority, BBC, Singapore Airlines, Air Asia, Universal Studios, LEGOLAND Malaysia, Jurong Town Corporation, Port of Singapore Authority, Discovery Networks, eBay, Petronas, Royal Selangor, A*STAR, Yahoo, APL, and ESPN. For a glance into the political and system, the class toured Singapore’s Parliament and Supreme Court.
Past speakers have included Michael Morrison, Vice President ESPN International; John Courtney, Vice President eBay Customer Experience; John Hallenbeck, Vice President of Attractions - Resorts World Sentosa; Vineet Gambhir, Vice President Human Resources at Yahoo, Tom Keaveny Executive Vice President & Managing Director for Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific. Nicholas Ionides, Vice President Public Affairs at Singapore Airlines, Mark Juliano, Senior Vice President and Chief Casino Officer at Marina Bay Sands; and Sharanjit Leyl, Presenter/Producer at BBC News.
What students have said about the previous Southeast Asia Global Immersion Courses
- "While participating in a short-term study abroad experience was undoubtedly fun, I also found the experience to be personally and academically enriching. The structure of the study abroad experience, which included business visits and cultural immersion activities in three countries, allowed me to develop an understanding of what makes Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand unique."
- "I began this course expecting to enjoy myself, and to experience the culture and food of Southeast Asia. After having a couple weeks to reflect on the experience, I realized how much I have learned from the experience. At first I thought that it would be hard to experience everything since we were going to visit three different countries in less than two weeks. By the time it was over, though, it felt like it had been a month. I was surprised by how much we were able to accomplish in just 12 days and by how much I had learned and changed during that short time period."
- "After spending two weeks exploring the culture, history, and businesses in Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand, I finally understood the value of studying abroad. Unlike my past travels which had only been vacations, I left this trip so much more globally-aware and with so much new knowledge"
- "You truly do not know what the countries are like unless you experience it yourself since every person would have a different opinion. Traveling to Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand was an adventure that I will never forget. These three countries were nothing like I would have expected."