Student Exchange Programme
Global Studies majors are encouraged to participate in international exchanges. Our programme is constantly evolving and working to house some of the most innovative exchange opportunities. See below regarding some of our established and Global Studies-housed exchange opportunities.
Students who choose to study abroad can essentially study anywhere in any program or country in the world. The process of getting credit for courses done elsewhere is called mapping. Due to the multidisciplinary nature of the programme, the mapping procedure for GL majors differs slightly from other majors. Please view the instructions in the slides: Course Mapping Procedure. If you have further concerns, please write to sypang@nus.edu.sg.
Global Studies Exchange Opportunities
Geneva Diplomacy Negotiation Simulation
NUS collaborated with the University of Geneva in a diplomacy negotiation simulation that took place in Geneva from 11-12 May 2025. The department of Political Science and Global Studies programme sent four students to the simulation. During the simulation, teams of students discussed and debated the topic of autonomous weapons in warfare. We are planning to run the program again in May 2026.
Please click here for more information.
STEER Program in Ecuador
Take part in a unique trilateral learning initiative with Cornell University and Universidad San Francisco de Quito (USFQ) in Ecuador. At NUS, students will earn credit through a UROP offered in Spring 2026. During the Ecuador trip, NUS students will have the opportunity to connect with their USFQ peers. On the trip, students will experience Ecuador’s rich ecosphere through hikes, hot spring visit, and snorkeling adventures.
Please click here for more information.
Student Experiences
Apple Toh, Kwansei Gakuin University (Japan)
"Being in KGU exposed me to an entirely different campus culture and academic rigour; even though I was taking 10 modules, I loved how I could still have an amazing work-life balance. I loved every bit of my exchange, especially the homestay programme that KGU arranged for me. I still keep in contact with my host family, and will be visiting them again after graduation next year.
Also, I’m super thankful for the numerous friends I got to know from all over the world. We still keep in close contact as well! Other things that I love and miss so much are the AMAZING Japanese food, changing seasons, little things like waking up to a mountainous view, hiking in the morning, praying at the shrine near my house whenever I went for a run in 15 degrees celsius – basically living as a tourist, student, and daughter of a Japanese family at the same time. I would never trade this experience for anything else and given another chance, I would relive everything without hesitation!"
Please click here for the full sharing.
Aretha Sawarin Chinnaphongse, Lund University (Sweden)
"I can easily say that my exchange experience was one of the best times of my life. I thoroughly enjoyed the exchange and was very saddened that it had to cut short because of Covid-19.
I think in part of why my exchange was very memorable for me was because I went with the mindset of wanting to create a life for myself, to experience a lot of new things and to meet a lot more people from different countries and cultures — which was exactly what I did!
Lund University is perfect for this because it is such a diverse university with many many people from all over the world and Lund prides itself in being its own “university town” as the school is located right in the heart of Lund.
It also made me appreciate being a Global Studies student as I realized that I find a lot of joy in learning about different cultures, issues in different countries and the politics of different countries too and it was interesting to hear the perspectives from the very own citizens from those countries."
Please click here for the full sharing.
Notes:
- Students can read the following CORE courses during exchange: GL2101, GL2102 and GL2103. Mapping for these courses will be done directly with the GL programme.
- When students return from exchange, they will have to complete the Transfer of Credits Form and submit the exchange transcript and approved course mapping forms to the studyabroadfass@nus.edu.sg.
- To map language courses, please approach the Centre for Language Studies.
- Students are allowed to read up to 10 Units of Level 4000 courses during exchange.
The GL Office only processes direct mapping requests for GL Coded Courses. Please submit your requests to sypang@nus.edu.sg.