PENANG, 15 February 2016 – Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) recently hosted 10 undergraduates from Gustavus Adolphus College (GAC), Minnesota, USA as the result of a collaboration which has been established earlier on between the two institutions.

The undergraduates belonged to the group who would be attending USM for one semester under the ‘Semester in Malaysia’ Programme, an academic programme which was first started in 2014. The students would be exposed to the different facets of life in Malaysia during their stay here, from 11 February until 31 May 2016.

The programme is organised and coordinated by the Division of Academic and International Affairs and the International Mobility and Career Centre, USM. The academic schools participating in this programme are the School of Social Sciences, School of Humanities, School of Languages, Literacies and Translation, and School of Biological Sciences. The students will be learning topics on Tropical Ecology, Malay Language and Culture, Religious Experiences in Malaysia and Living Diversity.

They will undergo a ‘semester’ of classes as well as field trips throughout the duration of their stay at USM. The classroom, outdoor and social experiences will be assessed from time to time by the respective schools through scheduled presentations and written tests, culminating with their final examinations in the final few weeks of their stay here.

Experiencing a minor culture shock upon stepping on Malaysian grounds, for GAC participant Zackery Allison, 21, he was surprised with the cultural diversity, not to mention the beauty of the country.

“The food and the sights in Malaysia are enjoyable and my local friends are truly courteous and concerned with everything that we do, and it’s truly wonderful to have an opportunity to know and learn more about the traditions, cultures and to understand the daily lives of Malaysians,” he said, who is currently majoring in Environmental Studies.

His friend, Emma Schmidtke, 20, currently doing her major in English Language is of similar opinion, that Malaysia is a truly beautiful country with numerous places to visit, and is truly proud to be able to come to USM which she considers as a world-class university.

“I feel happy being in Malaysia, with its amazing surroundings,” said the participant from Minnesota further.

Political Science undergraduate, Lily Whitney-Eliason, 21, said that she felt truly welcomed and was grateful to USM in providing the best facilities throughout their stay here in Malaysia.

“I don’t feel being out of place in Malaysia and it’s as if I am in my own country, with the availability of facilities and the comfortable environment. I hope that our journey here would provide us with new knowledge and different experiences,” she further said.

Text: Mazlan Hanafi Basharudin / Photos: Mohd Fairus Md. Isa