“Why study away from home?” is a huge question on our student’s minds when it comes to choosing a higher education institution. In the September 2016 issue of DIGEST, we speak to a few of our students to find out what influenced their decision to study in Singapore, and how the experience has been.
Q: Hey everyone, can you give our readers a short introduction about yourself?
Duc: I was born and raised in Hanoi, Vietnam and moved to live in the United States of America for 6 years. I majored in Chemistry during my undergraduate studies. People usually call me Duke. I love hiking, rock climbing, or just simply doing anything involving the outdoors.
Francesco: I am from Turin, Italy. I studied Electronics Engineering during my Bachelor studies at Politecnico di Torino. I lived in China for two years; I spent the second year of my Bachelor programme attending Tongji University of Shanghai. Immediately afterwards, I did an internship at a Shanghai-based company and eventually received a double degree (Chinese and Italian) in Electronic Engineering as well as two Mandarin Chinese certificates.
Amita: I was born and raised in Mumbai, India.
Ithikul: I am from Thailand and I previously completed my undergraduate studies in Mechanical Engineering from Thammasat University in Thailand. I like traveling to broaden my worldview.
Yuning: I am from China and I am really glad to be in Singapore. I am eager to upgrade myself expand my views of world issues during my time in Singapore.
“I feel that the life in Singapore is very convenient. The public transportation system is very efficient and user friendly, plus the variety of food is great” – Hu Yuning
Q: So, what attracted you to consider Singapore as your postgraduate study destination?
Amita: I strongly wished to pursue my higher studies with a German university as it would be a stepping stone towards my dream to live in Germany. While looking for various postgraduate programmes, I came across the Green Electronics programme by TUM Asia in Singapore. Although there is another programme that I could qualify for, I chose Green Electronics over Integrated Circuit Design as I found that its modules were unique. That was the motivating factor for me to study in Singapore.
Duc: The aspects of TUM Asia’s programmes were wonderful to me as you could live and study in a multinational environment. More importantly, the modules being offered would help me to strengthen my knowledge and further my career path.
Francesco: Singapore is a melting pot of different cultures, religions and ways of thinking. It is the cultural, social, technological and economical bridge that connects Europe and Asia. I was fascinated by those aspects and it led me to further my education in Singapore.
Ithikul: Singapore has impressed me since the first time that I visited. I am interested in the development of technology as well as the diversity of cultures in Singapore. Being in a multiracial country, it has challenged my views of learning about different cultures.
Yuning: Singapore is a young but fast-growing country and the country’s supportive policies have attracted many people with the ambition to study or conduct business. The universities in Singapore caught my attention as it is a well-built education system and provides an international study environment.
Q: How has adjusting to life in a new country been for you?
Ithikul: It has been great so far being able to experience the different cultures in Singapore. One aspect that I found challenging was the way that Singaporeans spoke. At first, it was quite hard for me to understand what they were saying as I was confused if they were using Chinese or English. Then I realized it was Singlish, the colloquial language of Singaporeans, and that is something that I hope to understand in time to come.
Yuning: I feel that the life in Singapore is very convenient. The public transportation system is very efficient and user friendly and I am able to easily find a shopping mall or convenience store like 7 Eleven. Of course, one can never become bored with the variety of food available. Another enjoyable experience I have is in terms of entertainment; I can watch Suicide Squad and play Pokemon Go here in Singapore!
Duc: I have noticed that Singapore in general loves food. I am happy to be part of that through my recent participation in a “Durian” tasting event organised by the TUM Asia staff. It was my first time trying this type of fruit and it was a pleasant and memorable experience. Other than that, one fun experience that I had was to the “Escape Room” game experience at Bugis with my classmates. We had a lot of fun cooperating with each other in this game.
“Singapore is a melting pot of different cultures, religions and ways of thinking. It is the cultural, social, technological and economical bridge that connects Europe and Asia.” – Francesco Asola
Q: What’s next for you after you complete your Masters?
Francesco: I am currently carrying out my internship in Singapore at Intel in the Connected Home Division, former Lantiq, and so far it has been a very stimulating experience. With the knowledge that I gained through this programme, I look forward to applying it to the challenges that I will face in my future career.
Amita: Currently, I am pursuing my internship and Master thesis at the Institute for Measurement Systems and Sensor Technology (MST) at the TUM main campus in Germany. Through this process, I see myself continuing with a research oriented career in optics or biomedical engineering.
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The full interview with Amita, Duc, Francesco, Yuning and Ithikul is available on our newsletter here (e-reader).
Admissions for the August 2018 intake (Master of Science programmes) is open from 15 October 2017 onwards.
Find out more about the Master programmes offered at TUM Asia here >>
Find out how to apply >>