Josephine Graf, University of St. Gallen (Switzerland)

About Switzerland

I have been studying in Switzerland for 3 years now. The culture and landscape are very different compared to Singapore. For once, Swiss people love to be punctual and trains will never be one minute late – believe me! Though, Switzerland is a very small country it is characterized by a great cultural diversity with four different languages spoken: German, French, Italian and Romansh. A must-try food is the famous Käsefondue (cheese fondue). However, similar to Singapore, the costs of living are quite high, and the food is actually quite expensive. Besides its cultural richness, Switzerland has an incredible landscape with mountains and turquoise blue lakes. One of the most beautiful places in Switzerland is, in my opinion, Zermatt, a village that lies below the iconic, pyramid-shaped Matterhorn peak.

 

About School

I am studying International Affairs at the University of St. Gallen. The interdisciplinary approach of my studies allows me to gain knowledge in different areas such as political science, economics, law and business administration. The 1898 established university is one of the most prestigious business universities in Europe. Located in the canton of St. Gallen, the university is based in the north-eastern part of Switzerland between the Lake Constance and the Alps. So, it is easy to go hiking, skiing or do other leisure activities on weekends. Moreover, there are many possibilities to participate in extracurricular activities at campus. For example, I co-organised a bilateral exchange program between the University of St. Gallen and the Peking University last summer, which was one of the best experiences in university so far.

 

The University of St. Gallen has reached out to NUS Business School to collaborate in the Asian Culture Transfer 2018 (ACT). This programme has been conducted by the University of St. Gallen for the last 20 years. The aim of the programme is to provide international encounters of students from all over the world to foster students’ cultural competencies based on 3 pillars: politics, economy and nature.

This July, we have a team of 20 NUS Business students embarking on the ACT for the first time since its inception. We look forward to a great working relationship with St Gallens!