NUS, NTU and SMU pull the plug on student exchange programmes to Hong Kong

SINGAPORE — The three main public universities here have stopped student exchange programmes with their Hong Kong counterparts, following an advisory issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) on deferring “non-essential” travels.

Students at National University of Singapore (NUS), Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and Singapore Management University (SMU) received email messages notifying them of the change of plans, and the MFA advisory was attached or mentioned in the notice. The three universities also conducted briefings for their students on Monday (Aug 19) regarding the matter, several undergraduates told TODAY. 

In its email to students, NUS said that it was “informed by the Ministry of Education” to postpone the exchange programme to Hong Kong this semester.

NTU students also received a similar email which said that “all exchanges and trips to Hong Kong will be suspended with immediate effect until further notice”. SMU's email to affected students had asked them to attend its briefing. 

Last week, TODAY reported that NUS and NTU said a small number of their students withdrew from going to Hong Kong for exchange programmes, while SMU said that there were no students cancelling their trips despite the unrest in the city.

The report drew responses from many readers who said that the universities and Ministry of Education (MOE) should halt all exchange programmes to Hong Kong until the tensions ease.

For more than two months, there have been ongoing protests in Hong Kong against the government, with clashes between protestors and the police, as well as recent fears of a crackdown by Chinese authorities.

The protests started as peaceful demonstrations against a proposed law to allow extraditions to mainland China, where courts would try alleged criminals. The bill was later suspended indefinitely but protests have continued, with people calling for greater democracy and political reforms.

Students who spoke to TODAY about the cancellation of the exchange programmes said that their biggest concern is how they are going to continue lessons during the semester on campus.

An NUS undergraduate who wanted to be known only as Mr Tham said that the school is trying to slot the affected students into the remaining classes available for the modules they are taking this semester.

Mr Tham, a third-year student majoring in chemical engineering, said: “We are trying to appeal to take our modules this semester and this is worrying because most of the slots are taken up by students who have bid for them.”

Over at NTU, undergraduate Samuel Lee also said that the university is trying to accommodate students into classes.

Students majoring in a course also have to take minor electives, which are interdisciplinary subjects that are not a student's major but have to be completed as part of the degree requirement. However, it is hard to be guaranteed a slot for a minor elective because students doing the subject or course as a major elective get priority. 

"Leftover slots (for minor electives) are then allocated to students majoring in other courses through a balloting system, and we probably have to go through this as well, " the 23-year-old said. 

SMU undergraduate Jolene Tan, 21, said that she has not received her class schedule and course readings, but the semester has already begun.

“Some classes are already full, but they told us to just attend them anyway while they try to slot us into whatever classes that are available,” she added.

TODAY has reached out to the MOE for comment on how it will be helping the affected students.