NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SINGAPORE
NUS BUSINESS SCHOOL
STUDENT EXCHANGE PROGRAMME
Evaluation & Feedback Form
Name: Ng Kim Yong
SEP Semester: AY 2003/2004 Semester 2
Host University/Country: Copenhagen Business School/ Denmark
Questions:
1. How does the host university differ from NUS?
Firstly, Copenhagen Business School (CBS) is purely a business school, unlike NUS with
many faculties under it. CBS also does not have a campus unlike NUS. The school’s
buildings are scattered around Copenhagen, and they are not demarcated from the rest of
the city, unlike NUS. CBS also does not have on-campus student residences, and
exchange students live in accommodation all over the city.
2. What strong points does our School have compared to your host university?
Academically, I feel that the NUS Business School has classes that are more thorough
and detailed. Personally, I think the classes at NUS are more intellectually stimulating
compared to those I have done at CBS. I also think that the lecturers that I have worked
with at NUS are more engaging and better at handling the flow of the class and drawing
input from students.
3. What strong points does your host university have compared to our School?
CBS has a very vibrant school life for exchange students. Parties and activities are
organized for exchange students, including an introduction week, excursions and parties
throughout the semester. Also, CBS has a very strong buddy system compared to NUS.
Your buddy will pick you up at the airport, help you with your Danish immigration
number and also invite you home for a traditional Danish meal. The exchange office is
also very flexible when it comes to adding or changing modules, even at the last minute.
4. What expenses did you incur at the host university for one semester?
Estimated Breakdown of Expenses:
Items
Airfare (Return Ticket)
Travel & Health Insurance
Accommodation
Food
Books & Stationery
Clothing
Miscellaneous (Eg: Local transportation, phone calls, postage,
student visa, medical report)
Others (Eg. Extended stay, airfare for tour of neighbouring
states/countries, etc) Please specify here:
Extended stay and traveling costs
Total
Estimated
Expenditure (S$)
1700
360
6000
2500
400
300
700
4000
15960
5. Please type a THREE to FIVE page report of your personal experience in the host
university.
a) Your overall experience overseas (initial cultural shocks that you encountered, lifestyle,
about the university, academic aspects)
b) What you learned from the exchange program
c) Your advice and suggestions for future exchange students designated to go to that
university
The Danish term ‘hyggelig’ can best be used to describe my exchange experience in
Denmark. The official English translation for this term is ‘cozy’, but ask any Danes and
they will tell you that this word means more than just cozy. I guess my best definition for
it would be a combination of cozy, enjoyable, relaxing and a warm fuzzy feeling in your
heart.
The first thing that hit me upon arriving at the Kastrup airport was the snow. While it is
not the first time I had seen snow, it is always refreshing to see snow. It serves as a
conspicuous reminder that you are no longer in Singapore; that you are in fact far away
from home. Seeing a snow brought not just a sense of excitement, but also apprehension
for finally you realize you are alone, far away from home, out of the protective cloister
your parents have been building around you since you were young. It was truly a
liberating yet nerve-wrecking experience.
The initial culture shock that I had was that on first glance, the Danes could appear as
cold and chilly as the weather. If someone bumped into you on the streets, they would
walk on as if nothing happened. I have held doors open for some at a shopping center,
only to be “rewarded” with no word of thanks or recognition. But this initial impression
did not last for long, as I discovered that while the Danes may take some time to warm up
to you, once they do, they are almost willing to help you with the best of their efforts.
CBS has a strong exchange program; chances are there will be more than a hundred
exchange students for you to meet. It is thus easy to mingle around the ‘exchange
students’ community and miss out on the locals. Thus, one would have to take an extra
effort to befriend the locals. The rewards are well worth it.
The lifestyle in Denmark is a relaxed one. For that, I not only mean in terms of the state
of mind but also the pace of the city. Unlike the hustle and bustle of New York or
London or other big cities, the Danes (and most Scandinavians for that matter) cherish
their personal lives and free time. Thus, there is a strong work-life balance in
Copenhagen. Most get off work at about 5 or 6pm in the evening, and most shops close
for the day at 7 or 8pm on weekdays. On Saturdays, they close at 5pm and on Sunday,
most (except cafes, restaurants and small ‘kioskens’) are closed as the Danes enjoy the
day off. In summer, the streets of Stroget (the main shopping street of Copenhagen) come
alive as tourists and locals alike enjoy a beer al fresco and bask in the sunlight.
The attitude of the Danes in my impression is one that is relaxed, liberal and laid back.
Everyone minds their own business and public displays of affection are commonplace,
without the dirty or disapproving looks for bystanders. When it comes to behaviour, the
Danes like to play it humble and try to downplay their achievements or abilities. This
behaviour should be emulated if one does not want to be too unpopular. However, one
should not be fooled into thinking that this relaxed attitude is applied to work as well.
While the Danish lecturers give you a free hand in deciding how much you want to learn,
it by no means suggest that they have low expectations or are laid-back when it comes to
work ethics as well. I find the Danes to be very hardworking and serious about their work,
and they take pride in participating and contributing their ideas and views.
Copenhagen itself is a safe and clean city (relative to other European cities). It has a
fantastic infrastructure, and it is easy to get adapted to it quickly. The transportation
system is also timely and frequent. During the afternoon, buses come every 4-6 minutes,
depending on the service. At night, it comes every 10-15 minutes. There are night buses
every night of the week, so there is inconvenience even if you head out for a party and
need public transport late at night. The bus timetable is also very reliable and buses arrive
on time, thus allowing you to plan your journey. The subway system, while complicated
at first, gets easier as you travel more, and is an efficient way to get down to the city
center and the shopping district. I have never felt scared or threatened when making my
way home late at night, but common sense should also prevail and one should avoid
narrow streets or isolated areas.
Copenhagen Business School (CBS) has a very active and vibrant student culture. There
are bars in both campuses and having a beer in the afternoons (or even mornings) is quite
common for the locals and the exchange students from Europe and America. For
exchange students, there is an excellent buddy system in place where your buddies meets
you at the airport, brings you to your apartment, helps you with all the paperwork that
needs to be done and best of all, invites you to his/her place for a nice traditional Danish
meal. Furthermore, the university will organize an exchange crew and many activities
will be organized for the exchange student to participate in. These include sightseeing,
parties, visits to other parts of Denmark, soccer matches etc. And with a sizeable number
of exchange students at CBS, it is never boring as you keep meeting new people every
day.
Accommodation arranged by CBS is quite pricey as I found out. According to my
Danish friends, I have been severely overcharged for the room that I stayed at in
Copenhagen, considering the location and size. My advice would be to try to source for
your own accommodation if you want to save money. Granted, this might be difficult
given that most advertisements will be in Danish, but if you manage to, you could save
quite a considerable amount. However, part of the fun in living at CBS arranged
accommodation is that you get to mingle with the other exchange students. While the
room I stayed in was expensive, I was happy to be living with 39 other exchange students,
sharing common facilities, and going out sightseeing and organizing parties together. The
experience, in itself, is priceless.
Being an exchange student means trying to get most out of living in a foreign country and
acculturating to a new culture. This might mean that less emphasis is put on the academic
aspect of the program. The Danish university system is quite unlike that of Singapore.
Classes are not compulsory and there are no participation marks at CBS. The final exam
is 100% of your final grade. They also have oral examinations there, and that is quite
different from the examination methods we have here in Singapore. Due to the flexibility
of the course, it is so easy not to attend class or stay on par with the weekly readings.
Thus, it is quite easy to fall very far behind your work and find yourself in a drastic
situation a week before the examinations. So while it may be important to travel around
the region or go partying every night of the week, there still has to be a little discipline
involved to just prevent yourself from falling too far behind.
A big strength of the International Office at CBS is its flexibility and genuine concern
and commitment to helping the exchange students enjoy their time in Copenhagen and
not have to bogged down my modules or administrative matters. Mr. Niels Henrik
Larsson of the International Office is an epitome of flexibility. He tries his best to help
you with the academic and modules matters, and if you fail to get your home university
to approve a module you want to do, he will explore all the possible options you can take,
and try his best to add you to a class that you need. Instead of being burdened by many
bureaucratic red tape, the International Office and Niels have much decision making
power and this not only speeds up the process of settling administrative matters, but also
makes the lives of the exchange students easier.
All in all, my exchange in Denmark was extremely fulfilling and satisfying. Not only did
I make friends from the host country and all around the world, I have also learnt to see
things in a new perspective after my return to Singapore. Being away for six months
highlights to you the things that you miss in Singapore and the things that you wish
would change for the better. What better way to find out what you like and dislike about
your own culture than immersing yourself in another? What the BBA Exchange Program
Office has been saying is true: “A mind, once stretched, can never return to its original
dimensions.” Go for the exchange, enjoy the process and prepare to see the world around
you in a whole new light!