USP-STANFORD UNIVERSITY SUMMER PROGRAMME
Multiculturalism: Singaporean & American Perspectives
7 May - 20 May 2007
Background
This summer programme was an exchange visit of an earlier Stanford Programme held last year involving 15 Stanford students led by Prof. Don Emmerson from the Spogli Institute for International Studies. The USP-Stanford University Summer Programme was a two-week long visit, from 7 May to 20 May 2007. The theme of this academic programme was “Multiculturalism: Singaporean and American Perspectives”. Dr Daniel Goh, Assistant Professor of the Department of Sociology, National University of Singapore accompanied the 15 selected USP students to Stanford.
The summer programme comprised of academic seminars at Stanford University, guest lectures at University of California – Berkeley, field visits to industries in the Silicon Valley, a look at community projects on the East Palo Alto area, and a student forum (with participation of Stanford students). Students were required to work on a paper on the theme of the program upon their return. The academic objective of the programme was for students to gain knowledge and experience of American multiculturalism in the instance of the San Francisco bay area, through first-hand contact with communities, leaders and students in the area, so that they could critically evaluate multiculturalism in Singapore and creatively imagine alternatives and possibilities.
Prerequisites
Although no formal prerequisites were required, selected students had to attend a pre-trip seminar on the theme and also started reading about the topic in question. It was recommended that students start to think about the focus of their paper. Most importantly, students were expected to be independent learners who were capable of group work.
This programme was recognised as a USP Global Programme event.