Pre-University Educators Experience Interdisciplinarity at NUS
January 5, 2023
A delegation of teachers from Catholic Junior College (CJC) visited the National University of Singapore (NUS) campus on Tuesday (5 January 2023) as part of their annual Teacher’s Learning Retreat. With teaching expertise spanning various subjects and fields, they were keen to better understand interdisciplinary teaching at the NUS Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS).
Exploration of New NUS Facilities
The delegation was also provided a tour of the newly renovated Central Library (NUS Libraries), where they were introduced to some up and coming technology, like the 360 Imaginarium, that NUS faculty have already incorporated into their teaching. The teachers were also allowed access to the rare bookbridge, where NUS houses its vintage and rare collections.
Our honoured guests toured the newly renovated Central Library, experiencing the 360 Imaginarium and seeing NUS' vintage and rare book collections, up close.
Preparing Students to have the Best Educational Mindset
The delegation also participated in different panel sessions where they engaged directly with the faculty members and students of FASS. Panelists included Dr Noorman Abdullah, Associate Professor Loy Hui Chieh, Dr Donna Brunero, Dr Denis Tkachenko, Dr Alex Mitchell, as well as two current undergraduates, Andrea Lim and Shruthi Kumar.
"From the panel discussion, we can see how NUS is bringing together interdisciplinarity into the classroom. The discussion was rich, lively and allowed us to understand how we can prepare our students to be future ready," said CJC Vice Principal Philip Alvar.
Dr Noorman Abdullah, Asst Dean (External Relations and Student Life), also commented on the value of the visit. "We welcome the opportunity to share our best practices, and insights from interdisciplinary curriculum development and delivery in FASS with Catholic Junior College teachers,” he said. “The panel session and discussions were both candid and encouraging. It is always helpful to engage and connect with teachers of our future students, to share experiences and align our educational philosophy.”
FASS Alumni and CJC Head of Department (Integrated Curriculum and Project Work) Mervyn Sek reflected on his own undergraduate journey at NUS and how the visit gave him new perspective and insights on interdisciplinary education. "Two decades ago, as an NUS undergraduate driven by the hope for an interdisciplinary education, I pursued double degrees from FASS and FoS, majoring in Economics, Mathematics and English Language, with a minor in Technopreneurship. Today, it's wonderful that CHS students can pursue an interdisciplinary curriculum,” he said. “The panel sessions were enlightening and inspiring and provided lots of insights for us to better prepare future-ready students."
Teachers from Catholic Junior College engaged FASS faculty and students in vibrant discussions on interdisciplinary education at the tertiary level.