NUS2: Asia Now - Southeast Asian Cosmopolitan Urbanism
Hosted by the National University of Singapore
1 – 19 July 2013
Aerial view of a conservation district in Singapore that is promoted as ethnic heritage enclaves
The module is designed as an introduction to Southeast Asian cosmopolitan urbanism, and is targeted at students with an interest in the region and who wish to get hands-on, in-depth and on-site direct learning experiences, especially in cultural heritage conservation and management.
The course will challenge students to investigate the complexity, nuances and contradictions of cosmopolitan urban heritage, both in its tangible and intangible dimensions, through lectures, field work, synchronic/diachronic mapping, critical analysis, interactive presentation, and collection of found objects. An intensive 9-day lecture/workshop and fieldwork program is followed by a week of presentation and discussions of findings, as preparations for a public exhibition at NUS Museum.
As an introduction to Southeast Asian cosmopolitan urbanism, the module is particularly designed for students with an interest in the Southeast Asian region and who wish to get a comprehensive in-depth understanding through hands-on and on-site direct learning experience, especially in the area of cultural heritage conservation and management.
This course sets a framework for a holistic understanding of cosmopolitan urban heritage – both tangible and intangible – through lectures, field work, synchronic & diachronic mapping, critical analysis, and interactive presentation, conducted in intensive daily activities for two weeks. At the same time it explores the issues and contradictions in the practice of cultural heritage promotion and management (including urban cultural tourism) by the state and by stakeholders, and the implications as seen through interventions on architecture and the urban fabric. Participants will be challenged and encouraged to collect first-hand information from all stake-holders, to listen to voices from the streets, to see beyond the façade, to explore unfamiliar territories, to discover fundamental problems, to recognize new potentials, and to deliver innovative ideas. Participants will work together as teams in smaller groups covering different aspects of urban mapping, and will also have to focus on specific individual issues. The output of the course is an integrated visual presentation, consisting of textual & graphic reports, web-site, video clips, and exhibition panels, intended for public exposure and exhibition.
The course will be conducted in Singapore. This city is an example of the multi-cultural trading towns of Southeast Asia, and exhibits a blending of various cultures that have been imprinted onto its architecture and urban form. It is simultaneously a living testimony to the multi-cultural tangible and intangible heritage and traditions of Asia, and of European colonial influences, as expressed in its religious buildings of different faiths, ethnic enclaves, spoken dialects, festivities, dances, attire, art form, cuisine and lifestyle. The city’s blend of influences result in a unique form of architecture, culture and cityscape that is unique and at the same time comparable elsewhere in Southeast Asia, especially through an exceptional range of compound houses, shophouses and townhouses from different periods.
At the same time, Singapore exhibits a heightened degree of state intervention in, and social engineering of the city, its architecture and communities, and their representation as icons of a multi-ethnic society. The ways by which the city and its tangible and intangible aspects have been framed and presented do not always reflect its diverse and complex past, and in some cases have even been fabricated in ways that obscure its richness.
The introductory lectures and overview of methodology, as well as the workshops and exhibition will be conducted at NUS campus in Singapore and through walking tours to various parts of the city.
Students who are majoring (or are intending to major) in some aspect of grounded urban studies, who desire intensive and comprehensive grounding in Asian multicultural-cosmopolitan phenomenon, and who intend to master basic skills in cultural heritage management, will benefit from this class, as will those who intend to return to Asia for more in-depth study in the future.
There will be field trips in and around Singapore.
The course particularly targets students with some interest in Asia (particularly Southeast Asia), but not necessarily with extensive experience in the region. No prior background in Asia, Asian Studies, or Asian languages is necessary. The course will be conducted entirely in English, which is the official language of instruction at the National University of Singapore. English is also a major spoken language in Singapore.
Students taking courses at their home universities in fields such as urban history, sociology, geography, urban anthropology, urban and regional planning, architecture, landscape architecture, cultural studies, environmental studies, environmental engineering, or related subjects, will find this module relevant.
The courses are pitched to students in their second or third year of study in a four-year undergraduate curriculum, although we will accept undergraduates at any level. There are no pre-requisites.
Some basic knowledge of photography, sketching, drawing, interviewing, video making, digital graphic editing, and/or web design, will be helpful in the production presentations which should aim to be interesting in content as well as be visually arresting. Students are required to bring their own laptops.
The 3 week course in Singapore begins with theoretical orientation on various views on Asian Urbanism that will be presented in the introduction lecture. It will be followed by the analytical presentation of the context and explanation on the methodology for uncovering the morphologic, sociologic, and symbolic layers of the city. Two walking tours in Singapore will be conducted to train the students on the application of the analytical methodology, prior to their own fieldwork and mapping exercises.
The second part of the course will be workshop-based. It is a hands-on on-site intensive learning process through fieldwork to map various aspects of the city’s tangible and intangible layers. Group presentations, on-site discussions, and critic sessions are used to sensitize students to the visual, symbolical, spatial, and formal aspects of cosmopolitan Singapore.
The program will be concluded by a public exhibition, when the students will present their group and individual works with various media (such as posters, video clips, web-based publications).
Contact hours: 52 total contact hours + 60 field trip hours
Credit equivalent: 4 modular credits
Prince George's Park Residences (PGPR) is located at Prince George's Park Road, off South Buona Vista Road, and next to King Edward VII Hall. Each cluster has its own kitchen, dining area, and bathroom facilities. The cluster lifestyle exposes students to independent living and also offers excellent opportunities for close interaction. Points for personal telephone, television and computer linkage to the university's network and the internet, are provided in every room.
Students must arrive by 30 June 2013.
Students will be able to check-in from 30 June 2013 .
Check-out date 20 July 2013.
Students have to bear the cost of any extension of stay, subject to room availability.
| Tuition fees | : | Tuition awards will be provided for all students |
| Accommodation including any deposits | : | SGD 240 (SGD 24 per night in Singapore for 20 days. NUS sponsors 50%) |
| Other deposits | : | N/A |
| Field Trip | : | TBC |
| Textbook Fees | : | N/A |
| Miscellaneous Fees | : | Registration fees: SGD 69.13 (payable by all exchange & non-exchange international students) |
| Living Expenses | : |
SGD 1,050 (estimation of SGD 50 per day for 21 days) Additional information will be available in the booklet prepared specifically for each summer school cohort. |
- Can I participate in more than one GSP course at your University, concurrently?
Due to the intensity of the courses and the overlapping periods, students are not allowed to participate in more than one GSP course concurrently. - After accepting the offer, when will I receive the academic course content?
Once you have accepted the offer, the course content, readings lists and timetables will be sent to you at the end of May/ early June. - When will I receive the payment schedule & cancellation policies, campus maps and other logistics details?
You will receive the information sometime in early to mid May. - Will I have access to student facilities such as computer labs, libraries and health services at the hosting university?
Yes you will, as an enrolled non-graduating student at NUS. - Will I need a visa to attend this GSP course?
For students from visa required country, please apply for visa for entry into Singapore. For students from countries where visa is not required, you will be issued short term visit pass by the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers at the point of entry. - How can we interact with other participants and GSP alumni before the course?
There is a general IARU GSP Facebook page and you can join the various events groups to interact informally with other GSP participants as well as alumni. You may also post questions to course coordinators on the Facebook wall.
Please direct all your questions about course credits and scholarships to your home institution. More details about the application process and deadlines will be available in the "How to Apply" page.
For further information, please contact:
Ms. Lim Hwee Lee
Work email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
GSP email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Acceptance Details:
An Offer of Admission will be sent to successful partner-nominated students, via email, by 12 April 2013.
After accepting the offer, students will be required to complete an Online Application Form for admission to NUS via the Non-Graduating Students Application System so that they can be admitted to NUS for the summer school.
The Online Application Form for admission must be completed no later than 19 April 2013. Students must subsequently follow up by submitting the following documents which must reach our Registrar’s Office (ADDRESS STATED BELOW) no later than 30 April 2013. Please indicate “SOUTHEAST ASIA IN CONTEXT SUMMER SCHOOL” on the top left hand corner of the envelope.
Applicable to all students:
- Copy of the NUS Online Application form generated from the application system.
- A recent passport-sized photograph to be attached in the box provided in the Online Application Form.
- Copy of passport page showing nationality and personal details.
- Original academic transcript(s) issued by the home university (with English translation, if applicable). Only original academic transcripts of degree programs completed and/or currently in progress will be accepted. The transcript must be endorsed with the university’s seal and official signatory.
Applicable to students admitted on exchange basis (applicable only to Copenhagen students):
- Letter from home university certifying approved exchange course type (i.e. coursework), duration of exchange and level of exchange (university, faculty or department). The letter can be obtained from the Student Exchange or Study Abroad Office.
Applicable to students admitted on non-exchange basis:
- Letter from home university certifying that applicant is a current student registered with the university.
- Documentary proof of financial support certifying financial ability to make payment for tuition and mandatory miscellaneous fees.
- If applicant is a self-financing student, to submit a bank statement (original, certified true copy or electronically generated statement). The statement should not be dated more than 6 months from the intended date of admission.
- If applicant is a scholarship holder, to submit an official letter from the sponsoring organization(s) with details of the sponsorship over the period of study at NUS.
- Copy of TOEFL/IELTS – for applicants from non-English medium universities
The above application materials must be submitted to:
Registrar’s Office (Non-Graduating Student Admission)
National University of Singapore, University Hall
Lee Kong Chian Wing, #UHL-04-01
21 Lower Kent Ridge Road
Singapore 119077
To ensure safe delivery of the documents, students are encouraged to send their documents via courier service or registered mail with tracking numbers.
