EXPERIENCING SINGAPORE: A Study Tour for Maximizing Students' Overseas Experience January 6 - 11, 2013
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EXPERIENCING SINGAPORE:
A Study Tour for Maximizing Students’
Overseas Experience
January 6 – 11, 2013
Subsidized by
Quality Campus Life Fund (QCLF) &
College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences
Table of Contents I. Preface 2 II. Overview 3 III. Details of Site Visits 5 - Group 1: National University of Singapore 6 - Group 2: NeWater Visitor Centre 8 - Group 3: Lutheran Community Care Services Ltd 10 - Group 4: Subordinate court 13 - Group 5: Urban Redevelopment Authority Centre 16 - Group 6: Highlights 17 IV. Student Reflections 22 V. Participants 54 VI. Acknowledgement 55 Appendix A: Study Tour itinerary 56 Appendix B: Study Tour Evaluation Results 57 Appendix C: Photo gallery 60
Preface
With the financial subsidies from the Quality Campus Life Fund (QCLF) and the College
of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences (CLASS), a group of thirty-two UGC-funded students
participated in the Singapore Study Tour from 6 to 11 January, 2013. The tour was or-
ganized by Year-one students’ committee led by Prof. Dennis Wong and Mr. Michael
Leung. The study tour aims at the following objectives:
1) To broaden students’ horizons and students’ global cultural awareness through in-
teraction with local students in Singapore;
2) To enable students to gain a deeper understanding of the target culture through
academic, social activities and cultural visits;
3) To give students an opportunity to relate their classroom learning to the real world
situations.
To examine the socio-economic, educational, and judicial systems between Hong Kong
and Singapore, our students had opportunities to visit a variety of organizations includ-
ing National University of Singapore, NeWater Visitor Centre, Lutheran Community Care
Services Ltd, Subordinate Court, Urban Redevelopment Authority Centre, and Hong
Kong Economic and Trade Office in Singapore. The study tour also enabled students to
meet with the Singaporean students and the representatives of Singapore Business
Association. It is a very valuable and inspirational experience for our students to inter-
act and discuss with them. Through the study tour, the students are not only consoli-
dating existing knowledge but also expanding their horizons and abilities.
This report outlines an overview of the study tour, you may discover how students re-
flected what they have learnt. As the tour leader and one of the participants, I am real-
ly pleased to participate in the tour. Students performed very well in organizing the 6-
day tour and developing their interpersonal relationships with classmates, mentors
and professor. In particular, I am impressed by their good attitudes which have made
significant contribution to enhance the image of City University of Hong Kong.
I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the organizing committee, mentors,
helpers, agencies coordinators, and all the participating agencies. I believe that this
study tour would not be successful without their kind assistance and devotion. The
staff in Singapore welcomed us with their wholehearted attitudes and presented their
works and daily operation to us professionally. They also treated us like their good
friends. We would like to take this opportunity to thank their generosity and hospitali-
ty once again here. Thank you very much.
Prof. Dennis Sing-wing Wong
Associate Dean, College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences
2
Overview
The Singapore study tour was undoubtedly one of the most incredible memories in our
university life. The acquisition of knowledge and the interpersonal happiness obtained
from this trip could hardly be acquired from books and lectures. We are delighted and
grateful to have such an excellent trip held by the College for the freshmen, not only to
travel, but also to learn, to explore and to reflect.
This report covers an array of highlights of the Singapore study tour. For example, we
have visited the Hong Kong Economic Trade Office (HKETO), acknowledging the eco-
nomic development in Singapore as well as the market competitiveness in Hong Kong.
We were able to access knowledge in an efficient approach from the expertise shared
by those professional businessmen. Besides, we have visited myriads of sightseeing
spots, including the China Town, the Garden by the Bay and the Night Safari. China
Town represents the cultural diversity and the vividness in Singapore while the Night
Safari and the Garden by the Bay signify that Singapore government has indeed placed
much emphasis on the balance between economic and environmental development,
making it a thriving and environmentally-friendly international hub. On the last day of
cultural experience, we have a wonderful and splendid time at the Universal Studio,
which enabled us to embrace the dynamic culture and left us splendid experience in
Singapore.
After this trip, we are very impressive about the education development in Singapore.
We have realized that education is vitally important as a golden opportunity, which is
always granted for those who possess high caliber and knowledge.
As human capital is the primary resource in Singapore, the Singaporean government
has placed much emphasis on investing in the education field. As a cosmopolitan being
acclaimed as the ‘economic miracle’, Singapore involves a hardworking population and
legendary leadership. With a literate and educated population, Singapore is able to
modernize its development to the fullest. Modern infrastructures are built in a provi-
dent manner and sophisticated trading ties are established with the neighbor Asian
countries. The rapid development in Singapore has broadened our horizons and made
us eye-opening. We reckon that Hong Kong should learn and absorb from the Singapore
success in the areas of population control and environment-protection. Only by so do-
ing, could Hong Kong retain its competitiveness, maintaining its position and honorable
fame.
3
For our personal achievements, not only does our English proficiency have been im-
proved, we have also established a long-lasting friendship among peers. Our public
speaking skills are enriched and we have gained much confidence in our interpersonal
relationship. Each of us treasures the amazing time spending with the friends from CLASS
during the 6 days. Besides, we want to say thanks to Professor Wong, Michael and the 2
mentors who are really helpful and insightful to design the trip and purchase the tickets
for us. They gave us detailed reminds about the trip and granted us flexible time to ex-
plore the Singapore Culture. We appreciate their efforts wholeheartedly as they are indis-
pensable to this trip. We hope that they could also find the trip joyful and awesome.
By BDCLASS students participated in the study tour
4
Details of Site Visits
GROUP 1
National University of Singapore
On the first day of the trip, we were so glad to have visited the National University of Sin-
gapore (NUS). In 2010, NUS ranked 25th in the world and 2nd in Asia according to the QS
World University Rankings. The NUS campus is located at the south of Singapore at Kent
Ridge. The main campus is in the suburb area, surrounded by huge trees and lots of
green. The environment is really pleasant and comfortable. Moreover, the colleges in
NUS were named by Singapore plants. We had an informative talk given by the staff, and
as well as an eye-opening campus guided tour led by the students.
The briefing session begins! The campus is such a comfortable place
with all the greeneries.
It is a great honor to have received a warm welcome from the staff members in NUS.
They gave us a comprehensive talk to introduce their vision, mission, structure of curricu-
lum and programs offered. NUS as one of the top universities in the world, providing their
students with diverse opportunities for intellectual, personal and professional growth,
aiming at equipping their students with well-rounded ability to face the fast-changing
world and nurturing them to become a global citizen. These are all the essential factors
for NUS to become a leading global university in Asia. From the talk, we found that the
programs under the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences offered by NUS are quite similar
with those in CityU, such as Asian Studies, Humanities, Social Sciences and Languages.
Other than that, we realized that the staff members, professors and lecturers in NUS are
nice and professional too. After the talk, we went for the campus tour in NUS with the
students from their Faculty.
6
It is our pleasure to have students from NUS to give us a campus tour during their semes-
ter break. Throughout the tour, we spilt into small group. We visited some facilities at the
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, like the library, lecture theaters and the canteens.
There are many open spaces and greeneries at NUS, making the campus a more relaxing
place for leisure and study.
Students from NUS explained their educational system and shared their school lives with
us. From our conversation, we noticed that their curriculum is quite different from ours in
Hong Kong. We are more familiar with the educational situation in Singapore now. The
student leaders at NUS were really nice and we exchanged our email addresses for keep-
ing in touch. Their sharing was really appealing to us. We would like to grasp opportuni-
ties to take summer school or exchange at the NUS.
Our NUS visit is very fruitful for us. We now have a deeper understanding on the hard-
ware facilities, as well as the software. If we had a chance, we would definitely want to
spend a day to visit other parts of the campus like the student residence hall, and try the
food in one of the NUS canteens The NUS staff members and students gave us a warm
welcoming for our Singapore study tour, which provided us a very good start for our jour-
ney. We really hope that we can study in the NUS summer school in the future, and chat
with the sincere and cheerful students again.
Our group leaders, are giving a short
speech to express our sincere gratitude
to the speakers.
Eco-food court in the NUS campus.
7
GROUP 2
NeWater Visitor Centre
Similar as Hong Kong, Singapore is a place with huge population but scarce land. Maintain-
ing sustainable water supply becomes an issue of first priority like in old Hong Kong. In so-
cial aspect, the lack of catchment area and natural water source, as well as the pollutions
in river urge the Singaporean government to find sustainable and diversified water supply.
In political aspect, contrary to Hong Kong that relies on China, Singaporean government
determined not to rely on, if not be confined by, Malaysia, but to create a self-sufficient
supply system.
Singapore has achieved a lot in tackling this problem. Four national taps – water from lo-
cal catchment area, imported water, desalinated sea water and reclaimed water – play a
concerted role to reach their goal of maintaining diversified and sustainable water supply.
NeWater Centre, the place we visit on the third day morning of the tour, is an important
national construction where the water reclaims.
With Prof. Wong outside the centre
Floor with flowing water below!
The concept and technology of reclaiming water is modern and advanced. Through four
major steps, water is purified as clean as you can drink directly from the tap. The first step
of the process is to collect rainwater and used water from domestic units, business com-
panies and factories. Sophisticated drainage system is built to collect sewage from all over
Singapore to the NeWater Centre. Secondly, water is purified by the use of high-
technology-designed membrane. Every virus and bacteria, not to mention sediments and
any biological hormones, is filtered by the membrane but the pure water molecules.
8
A process of flush back and the frequent change of the membranes ensure water is clean
and drinkable. After two stages of filtering and purifying, water is reserved in the reser-
voirs and then sent to the customers.
By visiting the NeWater Visitor Centre, not only can we understand the operation of the
reclaiming system, but it also helps raise our awareness of saving water. There are inter-
active games and activities, information boards and videos. We were deeply devoted in
exploring every corner of the centre. What we appreciated most was the way they pre-
sent the complicated process of reclaiming water. They divided the stages of reclaiming
water into different zones. Videos and real membrane are shown in each zone to help us
understand. And at last we also made a commitment of saving water.
At the end of the visit, the centre distributed every of us a bottle of NeWater. After under-
standing all the words and information, it was just perfect to have a real bottle to taste.
Before that we were still anxious as we thought the bottle of water in our hands might be
originally toilet water with people’s urine or drainage water. After taking a sip of it, how-
ever, we were relieved because the taste of the water was as pure as boiled water at
home. From then on we know why Singaporeans are confident in drinking water re-
claimed from the centre. Such advanced and environmental-friendly technology, despite
its huge operation expenses, is worth being implemented world-wide, especially when we
are now facing the shortage of fresh water resources.
The appearance of the NeWater Centre The tour guide explaining the water-
purifying procedures
9GROUP 3
Lutheran Community Care Services Ltd
Lutheran Community Care Services Ltd (LCCS) was established in 2002 to serve families,
children and youths-at-risk through developmental, preventive and intervention work.
Their services include counseling work, family intervention, life skills workshops and en-
richment programmes. As an Institution of a Public Character (IPC), it serves the communi-
ty-at-large regardless of race, language or religion. They combine the ecological frame-
work and social cognitive learning theory with solution focused and restorative practice
approaches to deliver our programmes and services. Restorative Practice is a process to
manage conflicts, reduce re-offending rates and to restore relationships.
Group leaders are presenting thanks
As a strong advocate of Restorative Practice, LCCS became the first agency to be a licensee
of the International Institute for Restorative Practices (IIRP) in late 2010. This enables LCCS
to conduct workshops and trainings to educate the public on Restorative Practice. Their
mission is “changing stories and transforming lives”. Their vision is “every child will grow
to become respectable, responsible and restorative”. Their core values are ICEO. I stands
for Integrity, C stands for care, E stands for excellence through empowerment and O
stands for opportunities. The purpose of Restorative Practice is to encourage the use of
restorative approaches to manage conflict and tensions, by focusing upon repairing harm
and strengthening relationships. Some key elements in the Restorative Practice include:
Respect (it distinguishes behavior from person), fairness (it engages, explains and clarifies
expectations) focus on repairing harm, restoring and building relationships, develop empa-
thy through reflection, insight and learning, enhances responsibility and accountability and
promotes positive behavioral change. Restorative Practice is conducted using the Circle
Process which is orderly and reflective in nature so it reinforces positive values and it en-
courages trust, respect and confidence among the participants.
10Neutral and non-judgmental questions are asked and it focuses on the individual’s be-
haviour and requires the person to reflect on who they have affected. The process de-
velops empathy for those affected and encourages the individuals to tell their side of
the story that leads to better understanding in resolving the issues.
Their sources of incomes are in fourfold, including fund-raising, donation, programme
fees and grant from government. When asked about how they got the offenders to co-
operate with them, the representative of LCCS replied that most of the offenders were
actually very respectful toward the colleagues of the LCCS, just not their parents, since
one of the main reasons they developed these kinds of rebellious behaviors was due to
having a rather bad relationship with their families, therefore in a way they will listen to
the workers here and cooperate as told. Though of course the whole process in which
having the offenders to openly talk about their struggles and problems with the workers
here requires time and patience and adamant from the social workers in LCCS. The tar-
get group of the people they serve will be Chinese, Indians and Malays.
There are two centers under LCCS which specifically serve people who are have family
problems and teenagers who are regarded as troubled makers in school. They are fami-
ly work services and student work services.
Get to know social welfare system in Singapore
First, we will talk about the student work service centers. At-risk children and youths
are individuals struggling with growing up pains. During these critical years, they need a
nurturing mentor who will listen to them without judging them. As we believe each
child is gifted differently, they should be challenged and empowered
11positively to realize their fullest potential in life. The Whole School Approach focuses on
holistic character development of a child through the support of the teachers, parents
and the students themselves. It is formulated to assist schools in creating a supportive,
caring, and positive environment to help students take control over their development,
well-being, and contribution to the community. The approach consists of various mod-
ules that have been designed for teachers, parents, and students respectively.
Focusing on a Whole School Approach, SWS is one of the leading agencies in the follow-
ing programmes: Enhanced STEP-UP ,Social Emotional Learning (SEL), Time Out Pro-
gramme (TOP) and Enrichment & Life skills.
Next to be introduced will be family work services center. Families are the basic building
blocks of society. Therefore, at Family Work Services (FWS), they strive to work with our
clients to build Strong, Healthy and Resilient families. For family Restorative Practices,
they seek to achieve this primary objective through Restorative Practices. For refor-
mation, it is about reforming families through a systemic approach which is based on
Restorative Practices, Systemic Marriage and Family therapies and Solution Focused
Brief Therapy Restoration, which means restoring family relationships that were
strained or damaged through the restorative Practices of circle facilitation and confer-
encing, prevention, which means preventing families from falling apart through timely
and appropriate family counselling, interventions, which means circle facilitation and
conferencing, pro-family, which means community-building through restorative practic-
es, mentoring, support groups and social activities. The multi-faceted services offered
by Family Work Services include: Counseling Services, Family Life & Psychosocial Educa-
tion, Adoption Services Training, Research and Development.
Pleased to have the talk
12GROUP 4
Subordinate Court
History
As a British colony, Singapore’s legal history is
founded on the English Common Law system
which still plays an important role in the founda-
tion of legal theory, thought and practiced in Sin-
gapore nowadays. The Subordinate Court special-
izes in family, juvenile, coroner’s courts and small
claims tribunal. Their mission is to provide an
effective and accessible system of justice, inspir-
ing public trust and confidence.
The Subordinate Court Complex
Subordinate Courts are dedicated to providing professional court services to people in
need as their shared vision is that a leading subordinate court serves society with quality
judgments, excellent court services, a variety of processes for timely resolution of dis-
putes, our people as the most valuable asset and the innovative use of technology. What
is more, they put a lot of emphasis on core values, like fairness, accessibility, independ-
ence, integrity, impartiality and responsiveness, to show how professional and dedicated
they are.
Design
The two buildings of the court, the Subordinate Courts Building and the Family and Juve-
nile Court Building, have completely different designs and architectural styles.
The exterior of the Subordinate Courts buildingwas in total white color. Palm trees are
surrounding the building, and all the windows are dark in color, making the inside of the
building not visible from the outside. The interior design of the building seems to be old
but with a large amount of space provided, like a typical office building.
As for the Family and Juvenile Court, although the exterior is also white in color and there
are also palm trees surrounding the place, it was designed like a European embassy. The
interior also has a European taste, with new sofas and chandeliers positioned all over the
hallway and the courtrooms. The corridors and courtrooms in this building are smaller
and narrower than its counterpart, but much newer after the renovation.
13Family Justice Division
The family justice division in the subordinate court deals with family-related disputes.
The division is comprised of four parts: The Family Court, The Family Resolution
Chambers (FRC), The Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) and The Family
Registry.
Floor plan of the Subordinate Court complex
Adoptions, divorce, personal protection orders, children’s issues (custody, care, con-
trol of or access to children other than in divorce proceedings), division of matrimoni-
al property, enforcement of maintenance orders made by Singapore courts orders are
proceedings covered in the family court. FRC is a centre to help families resolve their
matrimonial disputes in a non-trial setting. It promotes and encourages the amicable
resolution of family cases. CAPS seeks to address familial intergenerational cycles of
crimes and uproot problems potentially leading to offending behaviors. It helps fami-
lies and individuals manage their emotions and resolve conflicts before, during and
after the court process. And the family registry plays the part of processing applica-
tions filed for family-related cases. Protection Order Service (POS) unit is also included
in this section. POS unit intakes applications relating to family violence. The safety of
the victims is of utmost concern of POS unit. All the above sections work together,
forming the family justice division.
Since Family is valued much in Singapore, the family justice division is vital in pro-
tecting family obligations.
14Juvenile Justice Division
For the juvenile court, it is mainly focusing
on and dealing with the affairs of local ad-
olescents who are among 14 to 16 years
old. First of all, there are three types of
cases: juvenile arrest cases, beyond pa-
rental control cases and the care and pro-
tection order case. Theft, smoking, truan-
cy, violent behaviors are the example of
the juvenile court cases. Secondly, there
are two types of dispositional orders to Work flow of the Family Court
settle the arrested adolescents. For lighter
order, adolescents may go to probation home or hostel which they will have more un-
der-aged smoking at home. For heavier order, adolescent may be sent to court appoint-
ed juvenile home or the boys’/girls’ home which is known as the “Youth Prison”. More-
over, the juvenile court also has steady cooperation with other organizations such as
the Singapore police force, the HAS for the under-aged smoking. There is a perfect re-
storative system to ensure the re-integration of juvenile back into the society. The juve-
nile court aims to strike a balance between retribution, rehabilitation and restoration.
Media-concerned Case
Recently, the city harvest church scandal has been one
of the media-concerned cases being managed by the
subordinate court. The city harvest church is one of
the biggest evangelical church in Singapore. In June
2012, the founder of the church, Kong Hee, was
charged for fraud with injecting at least 23 Singapore
dollars from the church fund to support his wife, Ho
Yeow Sun's singing career from the period of 2007 to
2010. This is a huge scandal of the church and raised
Courtroom in the Coroner’s Court
the public's awareness in Singapore. If the
charge is successful Kong Yee is going to
spend at least twenty years in prison or re-
sponsible for the fine of each charge. The
case is still being processed and the first dis-
covery conference will be held at 31 Jan
2013 in the subordinate court. The case is
expected to end in April this year.
Courtroom in the Family and Juvenile Division
15GROUP 5
The Urban Redevelopment Authority
Centre
We had a fruitful and substantial learning
experience on day four. After visiting the
Subordinate courts in the morning, we
went to the Singapore City Gallery man-
aged by the Urban Redevelopment Au-
thority Centre (URA Centre) to under-
stand the city planning and the challenges
of Singapore. Followed by the visit, we
had dinner with some of the representa-
tives of Singapore Business Association. We are so excited to see such awesome models.
The Singapore City Gallery is owned by the URA Centre which is the sole agent introducing
Singapore’s national urban planning. It displays three scale models of the island in Singa-
pore, the central region and also the central area which is one of the largest architectural
models in the world. Walking along the Centre, we can see a 270-degree panoramic show
displaying different stages of Singapore and witnessed the progress of how Singapore
transformed itself from a fishing port to a modern city. We appreciated numerous audio-
visual and interactive exhibits and thus getting a clearer picture of Singapore.
After visiting the URA Centre, we had the honor to meet the representatives of Singapore
Business Association including Mr. Gary Cheng, the Regional Chief Executive of the Bank of
East Asia, Ltd and Mr. Stanley Mak, the director of iSmart Communications Pte Ltd. During
the dinner meeting, our guests shared their experiences and stories learn from them. This
was a wonderful night as both of us had a really great chat with the CEOs and we are look-
ing forward to seeing them again if we have chance.
Undoubtedly, joyful time always passed secretly and those wonderful memories will never
fade away when time passes. Every time when we glance through the photos taken, a sin-
cere smile will appear unconditionally, meanwhile, they remind us with all the inspiration-
al and remarkable experiences that we acquired in this study tour.
16GROUP 6
A. Hong Kong Economic and Trade
Office in Singapore
Photo with Mr. Fong Ngai and Mr. Philip Chan
On the first day in Singapore, we were invited to visit the Hong Kong Economic & Trade
Office (HKETO). We were gladly informed that Mr Fong Ngai, the Director of HKETO
(ASEAN) has spared an afternoon from his tight scheduled to share with us the financial
and trade development in Singapore. During his talk, he generally introduced the eco-
nomic, political and the cultural distinctiveness of Singapore. He also shared with us his
spectacular insights over the strong trading ties between Hong Kong and her second big-
gest trader, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. His speech was very visionary
and informative that gave us an unforgettable and invaluable experience.
Mr Philip Chan, the Chairman of the Singapore Chamber of Commerce has also shared
his adventurous life experience with us. He talked about how he struggled for his career
in his early years in Singapore to become a successful and creditable businessman. He
wholeheartedly reminded us that humble working attitude and perseverance are vitally
important as they are indispensable elements for success. Interestingly, he also held a
recipe for success called “ABCD”, which refers to attitude, believe, commitment and dili-
gence. Bearing this principle in mind, he has become a promising man in his family and
career field.
17B. Gardens by The Bay
On the second day of our tour, we visited
a new high-profile attraction – Gardens
by the Bay .
The Gardens is an integral part of a strat-
egy by the Singapore government aiming
to raise the quality of life by enhancing
the greenery and flora in the city. It has
its missions to ‘make our Gardens the
leisure destination of choice for all; de-
light our guests with an enthralling experience, excellent service and enriching pro-
grammes; inspire pride of ownership in every Singaporean for our Gardens and aim to
be a model for sustainable development & conservation’. ‘Our world of gardens for all
to own, enjoy and cherish’ also expresses its vision.
In the Cloud Forest, a 35-metre tall mountain covered in lush vegetation shrouding the
world’s tallest indoor waterfall showcased the plant life from tropical highlands up to
2000-metre above sea level. This led me out of the concrete jungle into a breathtaking
realm where I could learn about different rare plants.
We truly appreciate the entire concept of the Gardens. Not only does it create a fasci-
nating realm for visitors to enjoy this relaxing environment, but also recalls people’s
attention to our living world. It highlights the
importance of sustainable development and
conservation. We will recommend the Gardens
to everyone and hope that all of us can learn to
own, enjoy and cherish our world.
18C. Night Safari
At the third night, we paid a visit to Night Safari, the world’s first nocturnal zoo in which
120 species (of which 29% are threatened species) of wild animals are housed. Night Sa-
fari is an entire open-air zoo set in a humid tropical forest that’s only available at night
and managed by Wildlife Reserves Singapore.
Dividing Night Safari into 7 geographical
zones, animals ranging from Indian rhi-
noceros to tarsiers are entirely visible to
us. We were guided for a 40-minutes-
journey in a tram and travelled deep
into the domains of those fascinating
nocturnal animals. For instance, in Him-
alayan Foothills, we saw bharals, mar-
khors and mouflons grazing and out in
the open grassland of Equatorial Africa,
we noticed herbivores like Grant’s zeb- Cheers!
ras, Cape giraffes and oryxes. We were
full of curiosity and ceaselessly craned our necks to gain a better look of the animals. We
very much enjoyed the ride and simply wish we can take it twice.
Getting off the tram, we couldn’t wait to run to the gate of the cultural performance –
“Creatures of the Night Show”. The show is a constellation of the nocturnal animals rep-
resenting their natural and unique skills and behaviors. Watching the animals’ perfor-
mance was a great thrill and we think no visit to Night Safari is complete without taking
in this show.
We are at the Night Safari.
19D. Universal Studio
On the second last day, we can either go to Universal Studios in Singapore or Sentosa.
Most of us chose Universal Studios which is a Hollywood movie theme park as a land-
mark of Sentosa. It is a thrilling world with movie-themed attractions. People are de-
lighted by immersive entertainment that brings the silver screen to life. Among the
rides, the world’s tallest pair of roller coasters keep the proud of the Universal Studios.
After a drive by tram which is specially designed as over-head, we arrived on Sentosa
decorated as a leisure heaven. Once entered the Studios, some cartoon characters
were gathered to welcome all of us. As that day was not a holiday, there was no influx
of people to cause strain on areas. We queued for only about five minutes for each
attraction. The most impressive rides are Jurassic Park Rapids Adventure™, Transform-
ers The Ride : The Ultimate 3D Battle™ and Revenge of the Mummy™. We enjoyed
shows as well. The Water World™ amazed us by awesome explosions.
However, some of our friends were frightened by playing roller coasters. Then, we gave
each other confidence and this tightened our friendship.
Traveling on the Sentosa Express .
We are waiting for the exciting rides.
20E. Night Leisure
Vibrant night leisure in Singapore is another highlight
which must not be missed.
Clarke Quay, with whole range of restaurants, wine bars, entertainments and retail shops,
is considered as an essential night spot at the riverside. Clubs and bars there are con-
structed in a classic style while complying with the symphony of lights, which make the
quay hustle and bustle.
Another spot with famous night activities is located in Bugis. Being the largest street-
shopping location of Singapore, it is surrounded by food outlets, as well as bazaars with
chic, fashionable clothing and accessories. Despite hanging around the retail shops, you
can explore Singaporean culture in the night market by various kinds of local snacks like
kebabs, fish balls in soup or fried seafood. The snacks were impressive and you would
never be bored as there are diversified choice of foods and shops.
Additionally, the Chinatown (also known as Niu Che Shui) is a great choice for getting a
taste of Singapore in the culture and night activities. Buildings in Chinatown are kind of
baroque and Victorian architecture, showcasing its historical background, meanwhile
making it a unique shopping location. Chinatown is also an orderly market with antique
shops and Chinese restaurants. You may find your treasures and a variety of souvenirs
with traditional Chinese elements in it.
Clarke Quay
Chinatown
Bugis Street- night market
21Student Reflections
GROUP 1
Chiu Yuk, Yuk
To most participants, if not all, this study tour may only seem an ordinary trip to Singapore.
Yet, to me, it is of great significance – because I am the captain of this splendid journey.
Truth to be told, being a captain is really no piece of cake, such as I have to count the number
of people at all time, guiding counterparts to Night Safari and so forth. Troublesome though
being a captain is, I, indeed, gained a lot by doing so – being much more mature and responsi-
ble while they are the basic criteria of being a leader. Other than the massive benefits of bear-
ing more responsibility, as a participant, I have also widened my horizons and learnt more
about the foreign culture, like the Singaporean food, the language they usually use, to name
but a few. Better still, I have met a lot of friends during this tour while we are from the same
Faculty.
To be honest, I have long been interested in the education system of Singapore. By visiting to
NUS, I had some chats with the local students there and shared the way they learn and what
they do at leisure. In the backdrop of elitism, they actually suffer from great pressure. Howev-
er, they really I had some chats with the local students there and shared the way they learn
and what know how to release their stress, like doing more work-out which is very healthy.
Other than that, my favourite activity were the visit to NUS and the satisfying night with CEOs.
The dinner with the CEOs enables me to learn a lot about society and work. I hold firm to my
belief that if I follow their tips, such as being diligent and determined, etc., I can achieve a lot
one day.
All in all, to me, this study tour is truly a once-
in-a-lifetime experience in which learn many
things that can’t be found on textbooks. Most
importantly, I have to say big thanks to Pro-
fessor Wong, Michael and Denis for teaching
me how to be a good captain.
We enjoy every moment spent in Singapore.
23Lau Tsz Ching, Carrie
A study tour “Experiencing Singapore”
organized by the College of Liberal Arts
and Social Sciences offered me an unfor-
gettable and valuable experience in this
six-days-trip to Singapore. I am glad to
have this opportunity to be one of the
members of this study tour, and I be-
lieve that I have achieved my intended
learning expectation of my personal gain
after the tour. As this was the first time
for me to travel overseas without the
accompany of my family, I found that it We arrived!
was a great chance for me to learn to be
an independent and mature person. I have to take care of myself as well as my personal
belongings in an unfamiliar country and what I have undergone in Singapore would defi-
nitely be helpful and useful in enhancing my real life experience.
During that six days of the tour, I have visited many places, such as the National University
of Singapore (NUS). Apart from NUS being one of the world’s top universities, offering
their students with diverse opportunities and equipping them to be a global citizen, I was
quite impressed by their students because of their high standard of language skills, good
personality traits and well-trained communication skills. Having an interaction with the
students in NUS during the campus tour enabled me to meet new friends in another coun-
try and have a better understanding about the education system in Singapore.
Other than visiting NUS, I also had a chance to visit Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office
in Singapore (HKETO) and having dinner with CEOs of Singapore Business Sector, in which
this gave me a golden occasion to meet the professionals and successful figures in Singa-
pore. Through our meetings and conversation, I learned from their stories, have a deeper
understanding about Singapore and the real world situations. Furthermore, I took pride to
be a visitor to Lutheran Community Care Services, Subordinate Court, NeWater Visitor
Centre and Urban Redevelopment Authority Centre (URA), where I found that the social
and legal system in Singapore were comprehensive and well-planned.
24This six days overseas experience in Singapore is indeed a precious and priceless process
for me to grow, to observe, to feel, to think, to learn and to experience the culture, the life,
the environment and the people in Singapore. By joining a study tour to different places, it
does not only for us to broaden our horizons or to maximize our overseas experience, but
also serves as an internal growing process for me to become a comprehensive, globalized
and well-rounded person. I am looking forward to joing more internationalization activities
in the future, as I am ready to embrace any challenges as I pursue my interests inside or
outside of Hong Kong.
Jump!
25Tam Ka Wing, Janet
I am really glad to go to the CLASS Singapore study tour. The tour brings me lots of fun as
well as experiences in Singapore. Singapore is my birth place. In the past, I usually went
back to Singapore for visiting relatives. But this time I visited lots of different places like
China town, and the NeWater Centre. They really widened my horizons. I hope I can do my
internship in Singapore, and stay there for a longer time and explore Singapore deeply.
The most memorable experience should be the CEO dinner . This is a very special chance to
talk and exchange ideas with CEO from big transnational corporations. That night I was
sitting with Michael. He shared his experience when he was working in investment bank.
Also, he told us how to get good impression in an interview. He is a very knowledgeable
person. He gave us lots of tips and advice. "Try to be special and unique at the beginning in
order to attract interviewer's attention" After the chat I know much more about the mind-
set and the thinking of the employer.
Another special experience is the NeWater Centre, I found the technology used in cleaning
and sterilizing water very advanced. The stimulation of the process is very fun and exciting.
At last we tried the water; the water is very clean and safe. All my doubts and wrong con-
cept about the NeWater has been cleared.
The study tour is very well balanced. It includes some academic visits and recreational ac-
tivities. I love the transformer ride in Universal Studio Singapore, on the other hand appre-
ciating the understanding the mechanisms of reusing water in NeWater centre. I enjoyed
the tour very much! I also met lots of friends from CLASS, which can enlarge my social cir-
cles. This is quite beneficial for my study too.
Our nice group
26Wong Tsz Ting, Mandy
In 2012, NUS was ranked 25th in the world and 2nd in Asia. It was such an honor that NUS
students could guide us and introduced us their campus. I have a deeper understanding in
the Singapore education system after chatting with them. Like Hong Kong, their education
is internationally recognized. Besides, they have a strong education system as Singapore
students aim high since in primary school and they want to achieve very good results in
order to get in the top university. That’s why students’ standard of knowledge is relatively
higher in Asia world. If I had a chance, I would definitely like to spend a semester studying
in NUS.
Besides NUS, we visited different locations such as community care services center, subor-
dinate court, and the URA center. Being a Year 1 student in College of Liberal Arts and So-
cial Science, it is such a great way to learn about different fields of studies beyond text-
books and other references. I am glad that we had a chance to explore Singapore with
Professor Wong, Michael and two mentors as they are “Singapore experts” that guide us
throughout the tour. They answered every question we raised and gave us a comprehen-
sive picture of Singapore. These were totally wonderful resources for conveying infor-
mation that we have never had access to.
The experience of travelling to Singapore
and being exposed to new ideas and ways of
life are immense benefit to us 30 students.
Not only able to gain a greater appreciation
for cultural differences between Singapore
and Hong Kong, but also to the way that we
can interact with Singapore in a wider scope
and deeper perspectives. I believe study
tours can open up a realm of possibilities
through the field; such inspiration can leads
us to think broader and strengthen our-
selves to be an all-rounded person during Our group at the Singapore MRT
the process.
Last but not least, I do feel proud to be one of the students in this educational, enjoyable
and unforgettable Singapore study tour. I am hoping there can be more study tours in
coming years to widen my horizon.
27Yan Ka Kiu, Natalie
People always say Singapore is a place much alike Hong Kong. I was really curious if this is
right or not. The best way to be familiar with a foreign country is to immerse into the lo-
cal life. Though we didn’t spend the whole semester break in Singapore, but the study
tour has already given me a chance to have a basic understanding of the country.
We have visited a lot of places where we would not have chance to go if we travel alone.
The college has offered us valuable opportunities to see Singapore in a different perspec-
tive. For example, we were welcomed by the HKETO officers with a brief introduction
about the country, detailed guide at the court and NUS. Through these visits, I had a brief
picture on the social situation of Singapore and reflect on the current environment in Hon
Kong. It is always said that Singapore is one of the biggest competitors of Hong Kong,
this study tour provide to me the saying. Singapore does have some advantages that Hong
Kong should learn from it, like the water renewal system and the social systems. Beside
the visits, it is really a great chance for us to have conversations with the CityU alumni
who now work in Singapore. Their experiences are inspiring and encouraging.
One of the best parts of the study tour is that it doesn’t just focusing on the learning part,
but also including the entertaining session. We visited the China Town and Garden by the
Bay and we tried the traditional food at local food stalls. We can see the life of local Sin-
gaporeans and be a part of it. To truly understand a place, it is essential to get familiar
with the local culture.
In short, this study tour really broadens my horizon
and developed my interest in cultural studies. The
tour is meaningful as I learnt a lot and made some
new friends. I would strongly recommend my
friends to join these activities for a well-balanced
fun study tour.
The friendly NUS students.
28GROUP 2
Cheung Sui Kwan, Sarah
On the third day of the tour, we had an unforgettable visit in the NeWater Visitor Cen-
tre. With the clear and lively introduction by the tour guide Joanne, and the interactive
and informative display and game machine, we all had an excellent experience in dis-
covering and understanding the advanced technology of water recycling and reusing in
Singapore. The foresight in environmental policy and the ability of the government im-
pressed, if not surprised, me a lot.
The building up of the NeWater centre is a classic
example that highlights the attitudes of govern-
ment towards environmental protection, from
which shows the foresight in maintaining sustaina-
ble development. Every drop of water is reused.
The concept of water as recyclable resource is ad-
vanced in helping Singapore to maintain a sustaina-
ble water supply under the pressure of decreasing
fresh water resources. Apart from this, both the
higher frequency of seeing recycling bin than gen-
eral rubbish bin and the planting of trees with huge
crown along the road can show the initiation of the
government in protecting the environment.
Here we go
What surprised me more after the visit was the ability of the government to persuade
their residents to drink new water. It seems impossible to ask Hong Kong people to
drink reused distillated water which may originally be toilet water, factory sewage or
even drainage water. It is the Singaporean government who can successfully act as a
model and convince their residents to be confident to this system and to drink the wa-
ter from the tap.
But Singapore is a democratic country, it is ruled under one-party dictatorship. While
we are blaming the authoritarian rule of the PRC, ironically, I see the advantage and
undoubtedness of this firm and capable government formed by the only party-in-
power. I see how this kind of government favors long-term and sustainable develop-
ment. Maybe the Singaporean government is the only one . It, however, implies the
possibility of capable, legitimate but authoritarian rule.
29Chan Kwai Yiu, Vivienne
Being selected as one of the study tour member, I know that there are so many things I
am going to do during the 6 days. Participating in the tour is a surprise, especially as a
year one student. Because of the new policy, many of the 4 year system university stu-
dents have to wait till year 3 to apply for exchange. Once I think there would be more
chance for me to go for exchange, and now we have to treasure every opportunity we
have to explore more about the earth.
Singapore is a world-class city, as one of the "Asia Four Little Dragon" Singapore has so
many that we Hong Kong people must learn from. It has already made me excited that i
was going to experience this country and after this tour i have seen so many faces of
Singapore and it did let me to think a lot.
Despite the all-rounded developments and infrastructures in both financial and recrea-
tional aspects, Singapore has, most importantly, the sense of belongings that we Hong
Kong people would never possess. Some people may deem that it is because there is
actually one party to rule Singapore so that it makes this country easier to manage. I do
think so because the entire political environment of Singapore is indeed different. How-
ever, when seeing other countries taking edge off Hong Kong, it is high time for us to
step forward. Stop lying back but start to contribute in the development of the city of
Hong Kong, which many think is dying but is in indeed our home. Singapore is much
better than Hong Kong currently, this was what I can clearly see during the study tour.
Thanks to this precious chance, I am now "refreshed".
Our group outside the NeWater Visitor Centre Demonstration of advanced technology
30Li Tin Wai, Tiffany
On the third day of our tour in the fabulous Singapore, we visited the newly established
NeWater Centre produced by Singapore Public Utilities Board. Under the guided tour of
a nice and approachable center tour guide Joanne, who guided us through the visitors'
center, we had a wonderful time seeing a real water plant itself with our own eyes.
To my amazement, the water plant has the ability to purify and disinfect literally all wa-
ters collected from all parts of Singapore, from rainwater to even toilet water and facto-
ry sewage water. I am especially amazed that technologies nowadays could improve
human life tremendously and environment conservation and societal development
could be mutually improved.
The technology is operated by the method of reverse osmosis and microfiltration
through dual membranes. With our shallowness on the knowledge of water purifica-
tion, we might not have the intellectual level to understand all the concepts involved.
But the center had saved us from our worries by simplifying them to understandable
and straight-forward introductions through interactive games and metaphorical expla-
nations input in the tour. It is apparent that they have put tremendous effort to educate
the public the importance of water conservation and the justification for us that the wa-
ter is safe to consume. The shortage of water is particularly imminent in Singapore since
a few years later, the country will cease importing water from Malaysia. With this water
plant, the government has successfully found a resolution for this social problem and
also aroused citizens' awareness to saving water. I really appreciated the effort in mak-
ing this plan work.
Apart from learning the water conservation system of Singapore, I have also picked up
the message that was intended to spread to visitors in the center. Although Hong Kong
is very abundant of water sources from Mainland China as well as from our own local
reservoirs, it is still important for us to understand the importance of water conserva-
tion. Being in a better condition than other cities does not give us the privilege to waste
water and use them mindlessly. We should always bear in mind that while we are drink-
ing clean water every day, using water for toilet flushes, housekeeping and much more,
there are an unbelievable number of people who are suffering from the lack of clean
water. This makes every drop of water valuable. Therefore, when we are heavily
blessed to have such advantages, we should make good use of them and cherish our
blessings. I really hope that Hong Kong citizens will come to understand the significance
of water conservation towards Hong Kong's future well-being before the situation gets
detrimental.
31Karrie Chan Ka Wai
Singapore is a renowned green state, having many types of greenery in every nook and
cranny in the town. After giving the city a brief glance in our six-day-tour, I prove the
statement myself. I am impressed by the success of Singapore Government in terms of
environmental protection, especially after I paid a visit to the NeWater Visitor Centre.
We visited the center in the third day of our tour. The visitor center includes a lot of
information boards and loads of interaction games. We had a better understanding of
how the Singapore government recycles the used water. The motto of the NeWater is
“Not to waste a single drop of water”. The NeWater scheme means that domestic sew-
age would be collected and being filtered by advanced technology. The filtered water
will be merged with the water in the reservoir to make sure the tap water is healthy to
drink for the presence of minerals.
Tap water in Singapore is well-known for being safe to drink directly. Yet, it is hard for
general public to accept that the filtered water can be used directly. Therefore, the
NeWater Visitor Centre takes the role of educating the public about the environmental-
ly-friendly NeWater scheme. On that day, there was briefing session given by a profes-
sional and hilarious guide, and we also learned more about sewage treatment through
the interactive games. As a visitor, I am convinced that the filtered water is very safe to
drink. The NeWater Visitor Centre is a success in terms of educating Singaporeans. Ac-
cording to the guide, even the older Singapore generation is open-minded enough to
welcome this eco-friendly policy. I hope that the Hong Kong Government would start
thinking of similar ways to protect and reserve our precious water resources, and most
importantly, the planet.
Professor Wong and our group mem- We are playing Interactive games at the cen-
bers outside the NeWater Visitor Centre tre with Professor Wong
32Chow Ying Chi, Katie
The destination of visit on 8th January, 2013 was the NeWater Visitor Centre. It was
equipped with sophisticated designs and interactive devices to educate the public “the
importance of water and how Singapore leverages on advances in technology to reclaim
water”. Attractive facilities included exquisitely designed models explaining the operation
of purifying plants, game panels introducing water conservation methods etc. They were
effective in conveying difficult concepts and technical terms about the NeWater system
into laymen ideas and understandable graphics.
According to the tour guide, Singapore
has faced similar challenges in water re-
sources management: Firstly, the huge
demand for clean water due to increas-
ing population; secondly, shortage of
land for collecting rainwater. Moreover,
the government would like to minimize
the amount of water imported from Ma-
laysia. With NeWater technology, 50% of
the country’s future water demand could
be met by 2060. The above-mentioned
problems were distinctly similar to that The journey to the NeWater Visitor Centre was
of Hong Kong. Hong Kong too, does not fantastic!
possess a water supply system of self-
reliance. Although Hong Kong’s situation differs from that of Singapore, which stable and
inexpensive water are to be supplied by our motherland instead of a foreign country, the
public’s awareness towards water conservation is low. “Under the scrupulousness of
Hong Kong’s only tertiary sewage treatment plant, sewage becomes reclaimed water that
is clean enough to water plants and…flush toilets in Hong Kong’s eco-tourism landmark
(Ngong Ping 360)” has already been considered a significant technological breakthrough
in water-reclamation.
The slogan of water conservation announced by the Singaporean Public Utilities Board is
“Water for all. Conserve, value, enjoy” and “Save water for the future, every drop counts”
advocated by the Drainage Services Department, I wonder when can Hong Kong citizens
“enjoy water for all” rather than having to “count every drop”.
33GROUP 3
Leung Suet Ying, Angela
This study tour is the first ever study tour I have had in City University of Hong
Kong. I was so excited even long before the day we departed. I have never been
outside of China, let alone going to Singapore. Therefore little did I know about this
beautiful country and its culture and I guess it is a good thing because it really took
me aback with awe with its charms.
It is definitely a life changing experience. I met some great friends, whom I know
will keep our best to be in touch and I am very glad. The people in Singapore are
very friendly; I'm still reeling with shock for their hospitality. For example, even just
walking around one of those markets, the owners of their booths would talk to us
about anything we want to know and another case was that on the day we explore
the Singaporean culture, we did not know much about how to get to the places. We
then met this extremely nice guy called Derek, who showed us the ways, took us to
take the free shuttle bus, told us what the best way to enjoy the Universal Studio
was as we did not have any planning at all. I felt so touched that someone who was
a complete stranger would help us this much. How many people in Hong Kong
would do the same?
Singapore is very beautiful. The envi-
ronment is so green and healthy.
Those trees are enormous. The archi-
tectures all look so new and unique.
And many other things that could on-
ly be felt in person there. That was
when I know how little I am, and how
ignorant I could be had I not been to
the tour, or just simply travel over-
seas. This journey truly has widened
my horizons and is absolutely re-
warding and unforgettable which will Jump to go!
sure be one of the best things ever
happened in my life.
34Chung Mei Ki, Uranus
My first impression to Singapore is clean and
well-planned. During the study tour, we could
have chances to understand the urban planning
of Singapore in different aspects such as housing
policy and usage of sewage. In the first hand. It
was so inspired to visit to NeWater Center to re-
alize the process of water recycle system in Sin-
gapore. Used water is 100% collected form do-
Good morning SG!
mestic and industry sectors. Then, it undergoes
reverse filtration treatment to filter out bacteria, virus and hormone, which is clean
enough for drinking after the treatment. Also, this technology can be applied to con-
vert sea water into drinking water. Therefore, The NeWater cycle is a good sample for
Hong Kong to follow to deal with large amount daily generated domestic sewage envi-
ronmentally friendly and reduce reliance on water of Dong River with lower cost in the
long run.
Apart from understanding Singapore’s policies, I can interact with local people during
this journey. The hospitable Singaporean was impressed me the most. On the last day,
our group decided to go to Universal Studio. When we were taking MRT, we saw other
groups bought the cheaper tickets from a man from a travel agent. At first, we doubt-
ed whether to buy tickets from him since we were afraid that those were fake tickets.
Nonetheless, that man just persuaded us to buy the tickets with smile instead of forc-
ing to do so. After we bought the tickets, he took us to the station of free shuttle buses
for tourists to go to Universal Studio which is quite far from his office; it took about 15
minutes. Within this short period, he acted as our tour guide to give us some advices
about what spots in theme park
should be visited first and introduce
the famous buildings on the street.
“That building used to be the highest
hotel in the world, haha, the park be-
side is the war memorial park…….”.
We also talked about some cultural
difference between Hong Kong and
Singapore. Although our conversation
was short, I could feel Singaporean’s
sincere heart.
Dining in SG
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