This unique programme is co-hosted by the National University of Singapore (NUS) and the University of British Columbia (UBC). The key objective of this programme is to provide an experiential learning exchange and immersion to investigate the "liveable city" as a central concept through the lens of "blue-green urbanism".

Academic leads: 

• Dr. Su-Jan Yeo, School of Community and Regional Planning, UBC
• Assoc. Prof. Cheah Kok Ming, Department of Architecture, College of Design and Engineering, NUS
• Dr. Rosita Samsudin, NUS Cities, College of Design and Engineering, NUS

Programme Dates: 

• Singapore > Vancouver: 2 July 2024 - 9 July 2024
• Vancouver > Singapore: 13 July 2024 - 20 July 2024

Learning Outcomes: 

1. Global Engagement
   • Understand the city as a complex component within an intricately connected global system.
   • Collect and present information in a geographic context that is different or unfamiliar from one's own.
   • Demonstrate motivation to advocate for and contribute to local-global actions.
2. Critical Inquiry and Comparative Analysis
   • Explore approaches to urban inquiry and understand the contested fields of theory and practice in and through which the urban is problemised.
   • Compare and contrast urban issues, policies, and practices in two different international settings.
   • Demonstrate motivation to tackle assumptions and expand the horizon of questions to be asked in the study of cities.
3. Interdisciplinary and Cross-Cultural Collaboration
   • Recognise that city-building necessitates expertise from various fields and to understand how collaboration among the different disciplines are essential to address complex urban challenges and opportunities.
   • Communicate and cooperate effectively to promote inclusivity and innovation in a global, intercultural context.
   • Demonstrate motivation to engage with diverse modes of thinking, being, and doing.

This course is part of a pilot programme in collaboration between The University of British Columbia, NUS Cities and the Department of Architecture of NUS.

An immersive learning exchange for senior undergraduate students at UBC and NUS. Collaborating in mixed UBC-NUS teams, students will embark on a comparative study of the 'liveable city’ concept by examining blue-green urbanism policies and practices in Vancouver and Singapore. Students will gain international perspective and understanding of how planning theory and practice manifest similarly and differently in two cities of the Asia-Pacific region. During the program, students will have the opportunity to interact with a network of local advisors comprising academics, practitioners, and community leaders. In this way, the program aims to create collective mentorship and foster cross-cultural connections within the built environment discipline.

NUS students will travel to Vancouver for one week (2 July - 9 July), then UBC students will travel to Singapore for one week (13 July - 20 July).

The program consists of online sessions in June, field trips, studio sessions, and presentation reviews through an intensive yet structured schedule, as shown in the example below. May be subject to changes:

UBC-NUS Cohort Briefing Session (synchronous online)
Day 0	Initial Meet-and-Greet & Seminar	mid-June
Vancouver
Day 1	Welcome Reception & Program Orientation (Part 1)  NUS students arrive June 30 or July 1	Tue July 2
Day 2	Field Trip	Wed July 3
Day 3	Studio Session	Thu July 4
Day 4	Field Trip	Fri July 5
Day 5	Studio Session	Sat July 6
Day 6	Field Trip	Sun July 7
Day 7	Studio Session	Mon July 8
Day 8 (1/2 day)	Midterm Presentations	Tue July 9
Buffer
Days 9 to 11	Students travel independently to Singapore	Wed July 10 to Fri July 12
Singapore
Day 12	Program Orientation (Part 2)	Sat July 13
Day 13	Field Trip	Sun July 14
Day 14	Studio Session	Mon July 15
Day 15	Field Trip	Tue July 16
Day 16	Studio Session	Wed July 17
Day 17	Field Trip	Thu July 18
Day 18	Studio Session	Fri July 19
Day 19 (1/2 day)	Final Presentations & Farewell Reception	Sat July 20

In general, field trips will consist of visits to several sites where students can observe local examples of blue-green urbanism and meet with community leaders, government officials, planning/design consultants, and stakeholders. Studio sessions will include instructional time for long-form lectures and guest speaker presentations, as well as dedicated time for teams to collaborate on research, fieldwork, and project production. Presentation reviews provide the formal space for teams to professionally communicate their projects to an external audience for feedback and guidance.

It is anticipated that the final deliverable for this program will be a digital compendium of comparative studies, co-contributed by the UBC-NUS student teams. Each comparative study will present an experimental approach toward problematizing and investigating the ‘livable city’ concept within the scope of blue-green urbanism. Collectively, these comparative studies seek to stimulate a “renewed comparative imagination” (Le Galès and Robinson, 2023, p. 5) by testing the limits of urban inquiry and analysis for two seemingly “imperfect” city comparisons: Vancouver and Singapore.

Reference:

Le Galès, P., & Robinson, J. (Eds.). (2023). The Routledge Handbook of Comparative Global Urban Studies (1st ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429287961

Approximate Programme Cost: S$3,060 

• Note: Cost may differ following the fluctuation in air ticket and accommodation prices.

Included in Programme Cost:

• Economy class return air ticket from Singapore to Vancouver
• Accommodation for 10 nights

Not Included in Programme Cost:

• Visa entrance processing fee (Note: those who requires a visa to enter Canada, please do take note on visa processing time)
• Travel and health insurance
• Other personal expenses

*Some example of personal expenses includes: mobile communication, personal transportation that is not related to the learning outcomes of the programme, additional meals that are not already identified as part of the programme cost, immunisations, etc.

Programme Specific Requirements

This programme is suitable for students with an interest in urban planning, sustainability and infrastructure, public policy and governance, international relations and global affairs.

Students must have at least 1 remaining semester of study in NUS and have completed CDE2501 Liveable Cities course OR any other urban-related modules (case by case basis).

Shortlisted applicants will be asked to participate in an interview for selection. 

Students must be available full-time and in-person for the duration of the programme dates in Vancouver and Singapore. 

Interested applicants can submit your interest by 31st March 2024 here.

For any further questions, please contact: Assoc. Prof. Cheah Kok Ming (akickm@nus.edu.sg) and Dr. Rosita Samsudin (rosita.s@nus.edu.sg).