This year, the SSAG Annual General Meeting took place virtually on 24 April 2021, consisting of two segments – a career event and the EXCO Elections.

The event was kicked off by Ambassador Laurence Bay with a meaningful speech and an in-depth conversation with event participants. Ambassador Bay discussed topics such as the macro perspective and job market outlook, and shared invaluable advice for current graduates. We are heartened by the continual support provided by the Singapore Embassy to Singaporeans in Germany, especially in these challenging times.

Ambassador Bay also left us with an inspiring story on his voyage so far:

“Very few careers are that plain sailing. Be prepared for setbacks. My first year in MFA was tough, and I thought that I would not last very long in the job. I was fortunate to have a few good bosses who were prepared to give me the opportunities to prove myself. And I worked very hard to do so. I was motivated to provide the best possible life for my family. And that is still very much the case for me.

You can’t run away from hardship or failure. Getting a job is only the start; not yet being able to secure a job only means you are still at the starting line as it were. The rest of the journey is what matters. Focus on being good in whatever you choose to do. Work hard, get along, self-improve, don’t compromise on standards, integrity, don’t take easy short-cuts, aim high and focus on your motivation whatever that might be. All the best everyone!”

After the insightful talk with the Ambassador, Ms. Teo Leng Leng, Career Advisor at the NUS Centre for Future Ready Graduates, shared pointers regarding CV-writing. Our participants greatly benefitted from the abundance of tips provided and it was certainly a lively and interactive session, with many participants buzzing with questions for Ms. Teo.

Ms. Theresa Kramer, representative from Rohde & Schwarz, then explained the German Perspective of Company Restructuring during COVID-19. It was enlightening to learn about the adaptations made to the COVID-19 climate from a corporate perspective.

After a short break, participants were treated to a lively panel discussion on the topic “The Global Perspective – Advice on the job market, finding jobs and staying relevant”, featuring: Mr. Jayachandran Bhaskaran (Moderator) from Silicon Foundry Organisation, Ms. Theresa Kramer from Rohde & Schwarz, Mr. Jack Tan from Capgemini, and Ms. Jessie Lim from Singapore Global Network (SGN). The panelists shared their advice regarding job applications and gaining a competitive edge.

 

On this note, we would like to express our sincerest appreciation to the following people for contributing to the AGM and making this event possible:

– Ambassador Laurence Bay, Ambassador of the Republic of Singapore to Germany, for carving out time on the weekend to speak to our participants;

– Ms. Teo Leng Leng, Career Advisor at the NUS Centre for Future Ready Graduates, for her sharing on crafting an effective and targeted CV;

– Ms. Theresa Kramer, HR Business Partner at Rohde & Schwarz for her detailed and professional insights into the German corporate scene in the COVID-19 climate, as well as serving as a panelist;

– Mr. Jayachandran Bhaskaran, Senior Vice-President and General Manager of Silicon Foundry Organization, for skillfully moderating the panel discussion and summarizing takeaways of the discussion for our participants;

– Ms. Jessie Lim, Regional Lead (Continental Europe) at SGN, for serving as a panelist, sharing her useful insights into job applications, and giving us a brief introduction to the SGN;

– Mr. Jack Tan, Applications Consultant at Capgemini, for serving as a panelist and sharing his experience navigating through job applications;

– Alumni donors Jason Chan and Augustine Zhang, for their unwavering support and advice;

– Donors from Rohde & Schwarz, for their invaluable and continual support for the SSAG; and

– All our event participants, for actively contributing throughout the event!

We hope that our participants benefited from this event and enjoyed reconnecting with fellow Singaporeans. It was a pleasure seeing all of you again, and we look forward to meeting you at our next event, the Pre-Departure Dinner. Till then, stay safe and healthy!

Warm regards,

SSAG ExCo 2021/2022

 

 

Here are some reflections from our event participants:

 

“The career event this time came at just the right time: I was just about to apply for a Werkstudent (Working Student) position, and it helped to provide me with some refresher on how I should frame my cover letter and CV. I enjoyed the various perspectives provided by the different speakers during the sharing and the panel discussion. Thank you to all the speakers for sharing their experience.“

~ Sun Yudong

 

“As a first time attendee of the SSAG AGM, I found the session to be very informative regarding the differences between the german and singaporean application processes and got to know a few more Singaporeans studying in Germany. It was also interesting to get to know the candidates of the ssag exco and to take part in the voting.”

~ Lau Zhau Yue

 

“This year’s AGM took place online, due to the still ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Nonetheless, great speakers joined the meeting to provide valuable information and many students participated in the talks. Ambassador Laurence Bay spoke about job prospects in times of Covid19, Mrs Teo Leng Leng provided great recommendations on how to write a good CV and Ms Jessie Lim represented the Singapore Global Network (SGN). These speakers not only highlighted the situation of the job market during the pandemic, key points to a good CV or the importance of networking, but also took the time to answer questions by the audience. The panel discussion was then moderated by Mr Jayachandran Bhaskaran (Silicon Foundry Organization), where Mr Jack Tan (Cap Gemini) shared his experience in job hunting and Ms Theresa Kramer (Rhode & Schwarz) gave advice as a HR manager herself. The panel discussion was insightful and provided great opportunity to ask more questions and discuss further. Following a lunch break, this year’s candidates were presented in the AGM and voting took place, followed by the announcement of this year’s exco. The day was concluded by a free and easy catch-up. Though the meeting was online, it was a happy reunion filled with fun. We may now look back at a very well-organised online AGM 2021 and look forward to a real-life get-together soon again!”

~Melissa Lee Fen Amrein

We are delighted to announce the results of the SSAG Executive Committee (ExCo) elections this year.

President: Foo Yee Cheng

Vice-Presidents: Lorraine Ong and Sun Yudong

Treasurer: John Ho Wei Jiong

PR Manager: Choon Pui Leng

The incoming ExCo is grateful for your continual support and would like to take this opportunity to thank the outgoing ExCo for their dedication and efforts in contributing towards the Singaporean student community in Germany, in spite of the numerous challenges brought about by the current pandemic.

Best regards,
SSAG Exco 2021/22

On 14th November 2020, the SSAG organized its first virtual Kennenlernenwochenende (KLW). While current restrictions have heavily limited our ability to physically meet up with one another, we were nonetheless grateful for the opportunity to get to know all of you – including the Alumni currently based in Singapore – in the warm, fuzzy spirit of Kennenlernenwochenende!

We kick-started the event with an insightful dialogue featuring Ambassador Laurence Bay on the topic of COVID-19. We deeply appreciate his efforts in graciously answering all of our queries during the Q&A session surrounding physical and mental health, travelling and the job market during such unprecedented times. It is indeed assuring and heartening to learn about the Embassy’s and Singapore’s support for overseas Singaporean students! 

This was followed by an informative talk by Ms Alberenee Sim from the Singapore Global Network (SGN) on staying connected with our roots in Singapore. We are thankful for her enthusiasm in reaching out to Singaporeans especially during these difficult circumstances.

Thereafter, participants were treated to a thrilling online treasure hunt game crafted by the ExCo featuring iconic locations in Singapore, with the aim of igniting a sense of home and nostalgia within us. Undoubtedly, participants highly impressed us with their quick-thinking and astuteness in cracking the challenging clues! After which, we had a meaningful sharing session by SSAG Alumni donors, Jason and Augustine, as they recounted their studying experiences in Germany and offered us encouraging support from Singapore. In the afternoon, we thoroughly enjoyed our time as we continued with further bonding activities.

To those who have played a part in realizing our first online KLW and/or supporting the SSAG, we would like to extend our deepest appreciation for your unwavering support:

• • Ambassador Laurence Bay, Ambassador of the Republic of Singapore to Germany, for taking time off during the weekend to speak during the dialogue;

• • Ms Alberenee Sim, representative of the Singapore Global Network (SGN) team under the Economic Development Board in Singapore for introducing us to the SGN; 

• • Alumni donors Jason Chan and Augustine Zhang, for their donations and eagerness to join us personally from Singapore to offer relevant advice and a morale boost;

• • Donors from Rohde & Schwarz, for their huge and continual support for the SSAG; and last but not least –

• Every single one of you for tuning in!

To all our participants, we hope that you enjoyed yourselves and we look forward to seeing you during our next event! It was our pleasure to reconnect with old members and get to know new faces. Take care and wishing all of you a Merry Christmas!

Best regards,

SSAG ExCo 2020/2021

(P.S. Scroll down further to read our participants’ reflections!)

To be honest, I wasn’t expecting any events to be held this year because of the rapidly deteriorating situation in Germany. As such, I was pleasantly surprised when I received an invitation to this year’s Kennenlernenwochenende (KLW 2020) – a special, once-in-a-lifetime online edition (fingers crossed).

KLW 2020 started off on a somber note, with Ambassador Bay providing us with updates about the Covid-19 situation in Singapore and Germany. While he wasn’t able to bring us more positive news, it was still heartening to know that we could count on him and our embassy for help.

In spite of the difficulties in organizing such an event online, it was really impressive what the organizing committee came up with for the second part of KLW 2020. From the online treasure hunt (even if the hints weren’t perfect :p) to the online games to the chit-chatting session, these things brought us much needed fun and laughter. Personally, this made me forget, just for a moment, the crazy times we currently live in.

For that, a very big thank you to the organizing committee. Thanks for not suspending the event and for spending the time and effort to make this enjoyable for all of us. I can’t speak for everyone but I certainly did.
P.S. And not forgetting our donors, Jason and Augustine, of course 😉
~ RH

A very different KLW experience this year! Despite the current situation resulting in this event being forced to be held online, I am glad to be able to catch up with some old faces – and it’s great to know that everyone is doing well despite all that is going on. The dialogue session with Ambassador Laurence Bay and talk by the Singapore Global Network served as a platform for us to clear our doubts in these times of uncertainty and also to listen to additional insights from another perspective. Was fun playing some online games together this time round, hoping that everything clears up soon and we’ll be able to meet up face to face again!
~ ʕ•ﻌ•ʔ

SSAG KLW 2020 was a great experience. Due to the ongoing pandemic, the event was held as a Zoom meeting, but the thoughtful planning by the EXCO made it as good as an in-person gathering 🙂

The informational events graciously held by Ambassador Bay and the Singapore Global Network started off our weekend by setting context to the current state of the world, specifically addressing our perspective as students in Germany. In addition to the presence of fellow Singaporean youths and alumni, it fostered a sense of togetherness in the Singaporean student community here. The welcoming atmosphere continued as we played games together afterwards, and I look forward to meeting my new friends in person when the situation improves!
~ Kai Jin

SSAG KLW ’20 was genuinely a memorable event. In spite of the Corona situation, the organizers did a great job of making it as enjoyable as possible. Through KLW’20, I managed to network and interact with fellow Singaporean students in Germany.

Being a freshie, the other participants really made me feel at home away from home, especially with the gaming sessions and the candid talks that followed. Kudos to the SSAG Exco team for making KLW’20 a resounding success and I’m really stoked for more of such events in the future!
~ Rishabh Shukla

As with most things in the past few months, I had no idea what to expect when I attended this year’s KLW. Having just begun my studies remotely at LMU Munich, I hadn’t really gotten to know anyone else studying there beyond some seniors and classmates. I hence thoroughly appreciated the opportunity to meet and speak to other Singaporeans studying and working in Germany (and hearing Singlish!).

The session began with an address by Ambassador Laurence Bay where he addressed concerns about Covid-19 and provided updates on the current situation and safety measures, and this was followed by a short introduction to the Singapore Global Network. It was a good reminder that despite the fact that we are far away from home, there are ways to stay connected and grounded to a larger support network and community 🙂

Finally, the session concluded with an online scavenger hunt. In groups of 6, we had to decipher riddles and clues to find different and lesser known locations in Singapore. Funny as it sounds, we had a lot of fun scrolling across our island on Google Maps and trying to find places from Jalan Durian to the original National Library Building — it was definitely a reminder that there was much about home that I didn’t know about even as I’m about leave for a new country. Although we weren’t able to meet in person, it was a good bonding experience and I hope to keep in touch with the people I met at KLW over the next few years and beyond.

Huge thanks to SSAG Exco for organizing the event in these uncertain times!
~ Lorraine

The Singapore Students’ Association of Germany (SSAG) organised its inaugural online Pre-Departure Session this year, in light of the current pandemic situation. Although we could not meet in person, that didn’t stop us from having an enjoyable catch-up with each other over Zoom!

The event saw many new potential students as well as incoming exchange students tuning in; along with the strong support from current students and German Alumni members, this has once again been an excellent event for both parties to get to know each other, share their experiences and gather more information for their upcoming semester in Germany.

We are heartened by the positive attendance and hope to see some of you in our upcoming events ?

Feel free to contact us at [email protected] should you have further queries about studying in Germany!

Here are some thoughts from our participants about the event:

Although the event had to be shifted to the online Zoom platform this year, it was still very informative and beneficial. I gained useful tips from the SSAG seniors and alumni regarding pre-departure matters such as visa application and arranging for accommodation, as well as in-depth insight into student life in Germany. The personal anecdotes that were shared in the Zoom breakout room also provided me with a better understanding of what I should expect in Germany.

Additionally, it also made me feel more reassured knowing that there is a small but strong Singaporean community in Germany, which would provide invaluable support in such a foreign land.

-Pui Leng

Despite the circumstances, it was a great opportunity to attend SSAG’s pre-departure session and learn more about first hand experiences of students living in Germany. There’s only so much one can find through research and Googling but the personal experiences that were shared were great to hear and they gave me a much better idea of what my life in Germany might look like. A lovely community of warm, welcoming and inclusive people and I can’t wait to meet them all in person and bond over our experiences.

-Indrakshee

Despite the Covid situation, SSAG helped to organise a really wonderful and insightful sharing session. I learned a lot from listening to experienced students sharing about all aspects of their life in Germany, ranging from food to transport and even financial management. And most importantly, we get to know people who are heading to the same school!

-Anonymous

We are pleased to announce the results of the SSAG executive committee (ExCo) elections this year.

President: Elizabeth Tong

Vice-Presidents: Foo Yee Cheng & Chow Cheng Shon

Treasurer: John Ho Wei Jiong

Secretary: Foo Tze Chuan (TC)

PR Manager: Lim Wei Wen (Jocelyn)

The incoming ExCo is grateful for your support and would like to thank the outgoing ExCo for their dedication and efforts towards the SSAG.

Best regards,

SSAG Exco 2020/2021

 

 

We started the new semester with a weekend-long romp in the city-state of Berlin. During this activity-packed weekend,  we enjoyed lively discussions on student-career related concerns in our third edition of Was SSAGen die Unternehmen. This was followed by excursions to the Berlin Unterwelt, the neighbouring town Potsdam, a very rowdy karaoke session, hearty asian food and even heartier Singaporean conversations.

To those who have helped us to realise the third edition of Was SSAGen die Unternehmen, we would like to extend our heartfelt appreciation and thanks for your support:

– Ambassador Laurence Bay, Ambassador of the Republic of Singapore to Germany, for hosting the SSAG and our students in the Singapore Embassy in Berlin 

– Mr Jayachandran Bhaskaran, Vice-President of Infineon, for serving as the Guest-of-Honour and for his very relevant and relatable presentation on work-life balance

– Ms Jules Yim, Senior Consultant at Conjunct Consulting, for her meaningful sharing and discussion on the importance of mental health 

– Dr Melvyn Ho, Project Leader in Rohde & Schwarz, for sharing his personal experience transitioning from academia to working in the industry

– Ms Kimberley Yeo, Full Stack Developer at origin.berlin GmbH, for her presentation on the opportunities and challenges of studying in Germany

– Mr Ulf Schneider, Head of Research & Development of Infineon, for serving as our Panel Discussion Moderator on the topic: Interviewing for Jobs – What do employers look out for?

– Ms Judy Lux, Head of Finance at Quadratek Data Solutions, for serving as a panelist and sharing her take on the do’s and don’ts during an interview

– Mr Donald Tsang, First Secretary (Political) of the Embassy of the Republic of Singapore in Berlin, for his involvement and assistance in the planning and preparations for the event

 

We would also like to take this opportunity to thank our generous sponsors and friends, whose financial support has enabled us to provide a lively schedule of activities throughout the course of Kennenlernenwochenende 2019:

– Mr Jason Chan, SSAG alumnus and 2002 Treasurer, for his long-time support and generous donation which has allowed us to cover a lot of our KLW costs including activities, transport, and meals

– Dr Lim Boon Huat of Rohde & Schwarz Asia, together with

– Mr Loke Ping Bu, SSAG alumnus and Senior Vice-President of Rohde & Schwarz Munich, for their steady support

– Dr Melvyn Ho, Ms Yuelin Toh, Ms Ryanne Leong, Mr Lucas Tan, and Mr Jack Tan, all SSAG alumni, for the establishment of and contributions to the Rohde & Schwarz SSAG (RSSAG) Fund

– Ms Judy Lux, Head of Finance at Quadratek Data Solutions, for generously sponsoring the venue and drinks for the SSAG’s karaoke session; and

– Our other valued donors and sponsors for their contributions which have allowed us to cover and/or subsidise other aspects of the Kennenlernenwochenende 2019.

To everyone who had taken time out of their busy schedules for this SSAG event, thank you for being wonderful company, for sitting through long, uncomfortable bus/train rides and sacrificing study time to be with us in Berlin. It was great to see many new faces around – including Singaporeans on exchange in Germany or those who have recently moved to Berlin for work.

And that’s a wrap! We’re very excited for our upcoming AGM 2020, which will be held in the scenic and charming small town of Bregenz in Austria in May. Do keep a lookout for updates on this next new exciting community excursion! Looking forward to seeing you there! 🙂

Auf wiederschauen!
The SSAG Exco Team 2019/2020

 

 

 

 

The annual SSAG Kennenlernenwochenende took place in Berlin from 31 October to 2 November, as colder weather descended upon the city. SSAG students from all over Germany gathered to forge friendships and share their experiences over the fruitful weekend, through numerous bonding activities and discussion sessions.

 

My first meeting with the existing members of SSAG, as a newly inducted fresh-faced exchange student in Berlin, was a Korean barbecue dinner on the night of the 31st and I was welcomed earnestly with warm and genuine conversations over the course of the evening. The food provided a familiar source of nourishment and the company was a comfort in the overwhelming hustle and bustle of Berlin. The programme formally kicked off with a forum organised by the SSAG in conjunction with the Singapore Embassy in Berlin, titled “Was SSAGen die Unternehmen” which featured insight from the prolific and captivating speakers on the panel, among which were Mr. Jayachandra Bhaskaran, the Vice President of Infineon; Mr Ulf Schneider, Head of R&D at Infineon; Ambassador Laurence Bay; Ms. Judy Lux of Quadratek Data Solutions; and Ms. Jules Yim, a Senior Consultant for Cognitive Edge. They drew from a wealth of business and life experiences to share with us the realities of living overseas and establishing successful careers. Their sharing proved thoroughly insightful and I was struck by a poignant message from Mr. Jaya, that we ought to consider our work, which occupies half of the hours in our day, with as much consideration and care as we do our personal lives. 

 

 

The sessions by Dr Melvyn Ho of Rohde & Schwarz and Ms. Kimberly Yeo of origin.berlin GmbH supplied a multitude of timely advice regarding the transition from academic to corporate life and maximising the opportunities to supplement job experience while studying in Germany. The speakers were keen to engage questions from the floor during the Klartext panel session, delving deeper into the topic of interviews and how they are conducted, providing a number of useful tips for the students in the audience. A keen understanding of the Singaporean cultural context and the concerns of overseas Singaporean students allowed the panellists to offer advice that would resonate with the participants, providing a voice of reassurance and guidance. Overall, the event was a beneficial opportunity for us students to interface with the panel on core questions about the corporate world and hiring, which presents a crucial and impending transition for many in the course of their studies.

 

 

The activities of Saturday Morning gave way to a short break and a delectable Chinese dinner followed by a lively Karaoke session, where many of the attendees found time to relax and get to know each other in a more candid setting. We split up into groups on the third day, with some making a day trip to Potsdam or indulging in Berlin’s rich cultural history through the Berliner Unterwelten subterranean network of WWII bunkers. My group explored a different facet of Berlin’s social tapestry, taking our taste buds for a tour of Berlin’s cafés and food halls, including the historic Markthalle 9. Berlin’s edgy and metropolitan soul shone through and we enjoyed the city’s offerings immensely. With the formalities of the weekend drawn to a close, I was left with fond memories, friendships forged, and curious collection of new recommendations. It reassured me that regardless of how displaced I might feel at times, home is never too far away.

~ Valerie

 

 

 

 

Immediately after a fully-packed day including the highly-anticipated Was SSAGen die Unternehmen and the homely karaoke session which stretched till the wee hours of the morning, a group of us set off enthusiastically the next day, on 2nd November 2019, to further explore and soak up the atmosphere of Germany’s multicultural and cosmopolitan capital. As the last time I briefly visited Berlin was nearly three years ago, I relished and looked forward to the opportunity to embrace the change – from the peaceful, picturesque city where I am based in – to the diverse and dynamic city of Berlin, which also subconsciously brought fond and cherished memories of our Little Red Dot flashing through my mind.

Indeed, travelling around Berlin made me appreciate its uncanny resemblance in various aspects to big cities such as Singapore and London. Subway trains running every few minutes (even till daybreak!), the melting pot of colourful cultures and food and the boundless possibilities to shop at humongous shopping centres with international brands were just the tip of the iceberg. It felt like a refreshing dimension from the romantic, albeit less hectic study town in which I live. While I very much enjoy the safety and scenic views which my town offers, I believe that growing up in Singapore has inevitably left me yearning for life in a big city from time to time. As such, I am grateful for the opportunity to organise one of our two annual SSAG trips in the city-state of Berlin!

In the morning, we headed to the first stop of the day – the Bunkers. Previously, I had watched several German movies depicting the war period. Still, I felt that having a personal presence at the bunkers would be the cherry on top of my learning journey in understanding a pivotal part of Germany’s past. After purchasing our tickets for the first tour, Dark Worlds, focusing on the WWII bombing raids through the eyes of civilians, we were greeted and tickled by a somewhat “bilingual” sign while waiting for our English tour to commence. 

 

 

According to the German version of the sign, it states that this area is the waiting area for visitors participating in German-language tours. However, the English translation reads, “Waiting area for all non-German language tours”. Clearly, this sign drove us to give it a second look, before experiencing an epiphany that the phrasing of the sign was to cater separately to both German and non-German speakers, whom the creators assumed would only read the words according to the language of their tour, (i.e. in German or in other languages besides it). While we agreed unanimously that the sign could have been rephrased to avoid further confusion and paranoia of being at the wrong location, we were pleased and proud to have been able to put our multilingual skills into good use in decoding and demystifying the intentions of the staff behind this innocent sign.

 I, together with many others in the group, had a lasting and deep impression of the tour. I was highly impressed by its authenticity – we were first led to the actual bunkers through the current “Gesundbrunnen” subway station. Also, most of the relics and collections in the bunkers were genuine, well-preserved and organised realistically. I was in awe of the quality of technological innovation during that point in history. For example, we marvelled at the glow-in-the-dark paint covering much of the walls of the bunkers in the case of a blackout. Definitely, I was pleasantly surprised that the original paint still mildly works up till today! In addition, I was amazed by the invention of the pneumatic tube, which was already working in full force during WWII and still continues to be a current vital medium of transport for objects in a myriad of industries! This was coupled by the fact that we had an excellent and passionate tour guide who not only exposed us to the physical and archaeological aspects of the bunkers, but also kept their history alive and germane by captivating and edifying the audience with the experiences of people at that time. Certainly, the tour did not disappoint and far exceed my expectations. I believe I can now understand the reason for the organisation presenting different tours featuring various bunkers, because each area simply has its own scintillating story to tell.

 In the afternoon, we made our way to the city area and visited many of the typical tourist attractions like the Brandenburg Gate, Reichstag Building, Museum Island, Berlin Cathedral, Gendarmenmarkt and of course, the Berlin Wall. On top of these, I made my first trip to the Memorial of the Murdered Jews of Europe. Truly, this memorial is one of great aesthetic appeal and I learnt that the architecture of this artwork is left pretty much to the interpretation of the viewer. Situated on slopes with rows concrete slabs of varying heights, the memorial gave me a sense of soberness and solemnness. If I had more time, I would have chosen to participate in the audio tour of the exhibition to heighten my awareness of the European perspective of the Holocaust. In any case, a big shout-out to our SSAG member, Mick, who volunteered to bring us around Berlin and explained the history of the buildings that we saw!

 

 

In time for dinner, we gathered at a Sushi restaurant, Aiko, and treated ourselves to platters of scrumptious Japanese food. We had a lovely catch-up session with one another as we tucked into comfort Asian food, which may be considered a luxury for some of us. Of course, nothing beats the emotional and intangible benefits of spending time with other Singaporeans sharing the common passion for food and relieving ourselves from the pressure of conversing in perfect German. All in all, I strongly feel that the Kennenlernenwochenende 2019 has once again been a roaring success and I look forward to our Annual General Meeting next year!

~ Elizabeth

 

 

 

Not being based in Berlin, I had initially been reluctant to make the trip down for the KLW. Moreover, I had already been in Germany for over a year as the only Singaporean I knew studying in my city, and was hence used to the absence of a Singaporean community. Despite this, I eventually signed up for KLW, where I had an amazing time. My only regret at the end of KLW was not having signed up for more activities sooner.

 

The SSAG is filled with a diverse range of people, from fresh-faced freshmen (better known as Erstis) to seasoned settlers who have started families and put down roots here in Germany. But there was an immediate bond by virtue of our common denominator of being Singaporean and being in DACH (Austria, Germany and Switzerland). I soon felt at ease amid these friendly faces, some of whom have known each other for years and trade inside jokes as easily as they welcome newcomers to the group.

 

 

The activities were well-planned and also very flexible. There was no obligation to show up for every meal or stay for every event, though most did for the excellent company. There was also a variety of activities offered on the last day, for which we split into smaller groups and got to know each other even better. I went on the day trip to Potsdam, where we leisurely wandered around, posing for pictures in front of the Schloss Sanssouci and enjoying delightful pastries in the Holländischem Viertel. Having seen everything we wanted to see (and snacking a fair bit along the way), we made our way back to Berlin in the evening and even found the time to tour some of Berlin’s most iconic sports as well, from the Brandenburger Tor (Brandenburg Gate) to the Weltzeituhr (World Clock). All in all, it was a lovely day taking in new sights and hanging out with new friends, concluding a happy weekend surrounded by sweet reminders of home. Thank you Exco for organising, and see you again soon! 🙂

~ Nicole

 

 

 

 

The SSAG’s KLW 2019 was a fun-filled and amazing short break. Through the trip, I was able to meet fellow homies who share the same experiences and “clique” with them; a really great comfort for a foreigner in a foreign country.

Moreover, the “Was SSAGen die Unternehmen”sessions were really enriching too. The topics were especially relevant to the current market and the speakers were insightful.

Apart from that, the day trips were amazing.

Overall,  fantastic people, amazing time spent, great takeaways, and a wonderful experience. Kudos and much thanks to the fellow organisers and the speakers!

~ Tze Chuan

 

The SSAG KLW2019 was, in a nutshell, great. The content of the presentations during the event was very informative and helpful for students. The karaoke session allowed the participants to get to bond better with each other. 

The trip to Potsdam was fun and chill. We managed to enjoy authentic Vietnamese Pho, as well as local beer and famous cheesecake.

Overall, I enjoyed myself during this two-day event. I wish to thank the Exco for their efforts to make this a meaningful and successful event.

~ Jocelyn

 

SSAG KLW was a very good opportunity for me to bond with my fellow Singaporean friends in Germany. After being a foreign scholar in Singapore for five amazing years, I am forever grateful for this country. The experience and upbringing I have had in Singapore stay a part of me even if I’m thousands of kilometers away in Germany. The wonderful people, the Singlish, the thoughtful talks with the bright minds and the networking made KLW a great success. It’s really nice to know that we are not alone even if we are far from home ??

~ Zhu Rui