I believe that this trip will help me to gain more perspectives and insights on the issues the world is facing in the 21st Century. Having stayed in Singapore for the whole of my life, my exposure to global affairs and how people in other cultures behave relative to Singaporeans is limited to reading the news, social media and overseas trips. This trip will give me the opportunity to interact with people of different demographics and they could potentially offer different perspectives on the issues in our world today. Since my group is doing on the topic of globalisation and modernisation, it becomes very relevant with respect to the two places we are visiting in Vietnam – urban Hanoi and rural Sapa, as they represent both sides of the modernisation spectrum. By understanding how different cultures and groups of people perceive and think about certain issues, the diversity of opinions will help me understand that the issues in our world today are complex and often requires various thorough insights. This makes me more well-informed and go through university with global perspectives, which contributes to my role as a global citizen.

Also, this intercultural exchange will enhance my university education as it brings learning out of the classroom and I will get to experience a different type of learning whereby it is not about gaining knowledge through lectures and seminars, but through real-life experiences, observations and interaction with different groups of people, which I feel is more immersive and practical. Having overseas exposure will challenge myself to be flexible, adaptable, responsive to circumstantial demands and be open to new experiences. I will also get to interact with people from different cultures and backgrounds, hence understanding how they think about certain issues and broadening my perspectives as well, which aligns with my objectives as an USP scholar. As this trip places me in an environment different from that of Singapore, I believe that the element of uncertainty will greatly develop my soft skills as I might need to think quickly on my feet, particularly when it comes to interviewing the locals. These are precious assets to gain from my university education.

Lastly, I hope this trip will help me develop some videography skills and be more informed of the conservation issues in Vietnam. The media deliverable that my group is coming up with is a video documentary. Through the trip, I have the opportunity to practice my videography and video editing techniques, as well as to generate creative ideas for the media deliverable. I also hope to be more aware and think critically on the importance of environmental and ethnic conservation within Sapa, particularly with influential external forces like globalisation in the 21st century. I want to understand the different viewpoints people adopt on these issues and not be limited to my own prejudices and predispositions. Ultimately, my hope is that this trip will be an eye-opening and enriching experience that will help me in my holistic development as an NTU USP scholar.