The Global Sustainability Scholars program, managed by Penn State Global and Penn State Sustainability, selects 10-15 students annually who will use their study abroad experience to advance the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Scholars engage with the sustainability community at Penn State before departure, build global sustainability knowledge abroad, and apply these skills upon return. Applications are due in mid-September each year; please check the website for details!

Upon my arrival in Singapore, outside of the jetlag after a 30-hour travel, I was greeted by a tell-tale sign that I was in Southeast Asia – rain, and a lot of it. I happily welcomed this, however. Since I had been used to cold, dry weather back in the United States; it was nice to have a change in scenery. I was on the tail-end of the monsoon season, so I knew it wouldn’t be long before sunny days.

Exploring some of Singapore as soon as I arrive – right at the tail end of monsoon season

It was on my way to my housing accommodation that it really started to dawn on me that I would be here for nearly six months, and I began to regret why I came here in the first place: to explore how different global communities tackle the sustainable energy crisis and offer me the international perspective I need to contribute meaningfully to this sector as a materials engineer and a Global Sustainability Scholar. Thankfully, this worry subsided quickly as I arrived at Ridge View Residential College (RVRC). RVRC is an LLC (living and learning community) that prioritizes the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), giving me a smaller community of sustainability-driven students. I was very excited to meet new people and immerse myself in this ‘college in nature’ community that RVRC champions. More than anything, I was excited to get started with classes.

 Ridge View Residential College – a college in nature

The first thing I realized was the difference in the work-life balance at NUS. Coming here, I had heard of a stereotype from past exchangers that in Singapore, someone is always up working; weekend or weekday 24-7 there is a light on in an office building. This culture stems from somewhere, however – and I have learned from locals that it is ingrained in all steps of Singaporean schooling. This emphasis on work-culture translated to university life as classes typically only meet for once a week, 2-3 hours at a time, resulting in most of the learning to be put onto the students and very little ‘real’ teaching. It seems that the motto here, verified by talking to local students, is “work hard, play little.” This was something that I found very interesting, especially because this seemed to simply be the norm. When asking if that was healthy or productive, most people said no but reluctantly conceded that this way of living has been what pushed Singapore to the advanced society it is today.

Outside of class, in terms of exploring sustainability, I have been involved in different clubs like 1.5degree-NUS and NUS Climate Analytics & Technology. These have been great experiences to learn more about the renewable energy economy in Singapore. Both clubs are campus-wide groups that help expose students to professionally relevant sustainability skills. Here, I have had amazing interactions with others on how to be better versed in sustainability and how our backgrounds are important for an interdisciplinary approach.

Apart from some required classes to further my Material Science and Engineering courses back at Penn State, I have been able to take some very interesting classes here. The first of which is an ethics class: Moral Philosophy. I have never had a chance to think in this ‘metaethical’ manner and I am having fun stretching my thinking in different ways. Next, I have been auditing a renewable energy class: Hydrogen Energy and Technology. Initially, this class was not available to me as an exchange student – but after I introduced myself to the professor, he was more than happy for me to sit in on his lectures. This class has been very exciting since it is taught by leading hydrogen energy researchers at NUS – something that I really wanted to explore as a part of Singapore’s Green 2030 program. Apart from learning about what great work Singapore is doing with hydrogen energy, I have also seen where there still needs to be a lot of improvements. For example, Singapore’s energy supply is still ~95% fossil fuels. While this is natural gas (which is not as bad for the environment compared to coal/oil), it still leaves a lot of room for technological improvements.

Living in RVRC has given me access to amazing academic coursework such as RVN2000 (Engaging Local Communities in Sustainability). This class has been my favorite thus far, and something that I would like to highlight as what a typical day for me would be like.

The first few weeks, we started off with a brief introduction of the harsh realities of climate change and the environmental crisis – cementing the idea that we need to act. I was very fortunate to be put in this small class of 15 people as I have had amazing opportunities to learn from and interact with each of my classmates. Because of this, I have been able to connect with the content in an even more intimate manner.

The next few weeks, we moved to the ‘engaging’ part of the course: field trips engaging communities to get an understanding and make a difference in Singapore’s sustainability. A typical day on one of these field trips would start with a very short bus ride (30 min), then we’d arrive at our community partner’s site. In Singapore, you can get from one side of the island to the other in ~90 minutes, so most locals would say 30 minutes is a long trip. On this specific morning, our community partner was Fridge Restock Singapore (FRS).

FRS is a non-profit organization founded in 2018, that tackles food insecurity and food waste with community fridges in neighborhoods for people to donate and take food freely. FRS helps tackle SDG Goals 12 (Responsible Consumption & Production), 2 (Zero Hunger), and 13 (Climate Action) by rescuing ugly but edible fruits and vegetables from various donors and collecting and distributing them to community fridges across Singapore. Through their efforts, FRS cooperates with Resident Committees (RCs) and smaller community groups to manage the fridges and provide guidelines to start and maintain community fridges. Most importantly, FRS benefits lower-income groups and the “sandwich class”—middle-aged adults who are simultaneously caring for both their aging parents and their own children—as well as residents and rental flat communities, and newly food-insecure individuals post-pandemic.

As the field trip wrapped up, we were also given the opportunity to salvage some food for ourselves.

 FRS is fully run by volunteers, so that’s what our role for the day was: conducting food rescue operations, interacting with vendors and community members in segments of their weekly food rescue operations. With an ethos of “Feed the Community, Not the Bin,” FRS has now grown to a group of 40 volunteers who share the load of rescuing, delivering, and distributing food to the fridges every Tuesday and Wednesday. They now contribute to 14 community fridges in Singapore. With Singapore’s food waste levels of 813,000 tons in 2022 (National Environment Agency, n.d.), such solutions are vital to reduce the environmental impact of wasting food in Singapore where over 90% of food is imported while also addressing the needs of society.

This experience really helped shift my views on the value of cultural values and environmental sustainability in food. Before, I viewed food waste reduction as primarily a logistical or technical challenge. However, engaging with the FRS volunteers, vendors, and distribution sites made me recognize how deeply cultural practices influence environmental behaviors. Their dedication every week (rain or shine) to rescue and distribute food showcases the power of collective action. Ultimately, this experience taught me that cultural frameworks can cultivate inclusive, community-driven approaches to create lasting impact.

Following this class, I had a 3-hour break before my Moral Philosophy class, so I took advantage of one of the many canteens (cafeterias) nearby to have lunch before my class. Food here is always good – and cheap! At most, a Chicken Rice (the national dish of Singapore) will cost you $4. At these canteens there are also lots of variety – Chinese, Malay, Indian, Vietnamese, Japanese, and Thai to name a few.

This wide selection and representation of foods is another great reminder of Singapore’s melting pot of cultures. Funnily enough, there will always be a “Western” section, but I tend to stay away from that because I’d rather enjoy the food that I know is going to be good in Singapore. Finally, to end my day off, I went on a run to continue my training for the 2XU Half-Marathon that will take place on April 27^th. The best time to go on a run here is at night since that is when the humidity settles, and it is the coolest.

Photos of food that I have gotten from some of the various NUS dining locations – most of which only take cash or pay-by-QR. From left to right: TOP – shrimp tempura with chicken katsu (Japanese), Creamy duck pasta, Bibimpap (Japanese), Watermelon with Omurice (Japanese), BOTTOM – Fishball noodles (Chinese) cheese and mushroom paratha (Indian), Cheeseball noodles (Chinese)

Singapore being in such an amazing location, I have also been busy exploring locally and internationally. It took me way too long to go to see the iconic Marina Bay Sands, but I was lucky enough to have a ‘guide’ with me when I did. This ‘guide’ is a friend that I made here in Singapore. Pierre is a Singaporean local studying architecture at NUS and signed up for the exchanger ‘buddy program’ where incoming exchangers are paired with local students who can help get them situated into the NUS campus life. Pierre, however, went a step further by showing me around Singapore to ensure I was familiar what places were worth-it and which weren’t. As soon as I stepped off the metro in Marina Bay Sands (the downtown area of Singapore) I said out loud: “Why isn’t every city like this?” I felt like all my research on Singapore’s Green 2030 plan had finally realized itself – this really felt like a city committed to sustainable development.

Photos from Chinatown, Little Arabia, Marina Bay Sands, and The Jewel

Something that I found bewildering is the perception of their own sustainability initiatives. When sharing my story with local students, much of the time they were surprised to hear that Singapore had such a strict Green 2030 program, based on my research. Other than being taken aback myself, I also learned that most Singaporean students that I spoke to don’t feel like their country is really doing all that it promises and there is room for improvement. In other words, those who live here don’t seem to perceive their country the same way I did before arriving.

Outside of Singapore, I have been taking advantage of the university holidays (Chinese New Year and reading week – the week before midterm exams). I started the semester off by spending Chinese New Year in Malaysia. I began in Kuala Lumpur then went to Ipoh (a small town north of KL). I had a great time exploring the temples and food during my time – especially the spicy food. The best part of this trip was how easy and carbon-friendly it was to get from Singapore to Malaysia – you just need to take a bus!

Bata Caves in Kuala Lampur, Malaysia and Nam Thean Tong Temple in Ipoh, Malaysia

Following this, during the reading week, I went to Vietnam! I spent the first half of the week in Northern Vietnam – Hà Giang. Over the course of four days, I backpacked across Hà Giang on the back of a motorcycle. Needless to say, it was quite the experience. Other than being very cold and sore from being on the back of a bike all day, the mountainous views in Hà Giang were absolutely breathtaking.

For the second part of the week, I spent some time down in Ho Chi Minh City (formally known as Sài Gòn). This was more of an educational experience as I learned more about the Vietnam War and saw a much busier city, where the best way to get around is on a motorbike. In my opinion, the food in the north was much better (the Phở was amazing). Here, I spent some time exploring the tunnels used by the Viet Cong (and even crawled in one) and took a small boat in and around the Mekong Delta.

Meo Vac District, Yen Minh District, Hanoi Train Street

Needless to say, I have been having a very enriching, enjoyable experience. I plan to do some more exploring and take lots of photos to document my experiences. Additionally, I am looking forward to sending in some of these photos to the Penn State Abroad Annual Photo Contest and Student Spotlight! I know that seeing this from other students before deciding to go abroad helped motivate me to take the leap – I hope to do the same for others and would love for other students to get to learn from my experiences. Between the lively chatter at local food stalls and the quiet determination of community volunteers, I am observing how a culture rooted in sustainability isn’t an abstract concept—it’s embedded in the everyday. Every image I take tells a story of how cultural exchanges and small acts of care come together to inspire change.

Upon my return, I am also excited to have a new outlook on my impact. Moreover, I am committed to sharing these insights with my peers and community, helping to advance the SDGs, and inspiring others to engage in global sustainability challenges. Finally, I am excited to share that I will have an amazing opportunity this summer to apply this perspective, before returning to PSU. I have just accepted a position as a research intern at Berkeley National Lab as a part of their SULI program for this summer. I will be working with Dr. Sarah Berlinger on fuel cell and electrolyzer ink-colloid interactions in PEM’s. I am very excited to apply my knowledge and research on hydrogen production to the device production end.

Reference:

National Environment Agency (n.d.). Food Waste Management. Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment. https://www.nea.gov.sg/our-services/waste-management/3r-programmes-and-resources/food-waste-management