Asia Now! Southeast Asian Cosmopolitan Urbanism

This course sets a framework for comprehensive and coherent understanding of cosmopolitan urban heritage – both tangible and intangible – through lectures, field work, synchronic & diachronic mapping, critical analysis, and interactive presentation, conducted through intensive daily activities for 3 weeks. Participants will be challenged and encouraged to collect first-hand information from all stakeholders, to listen to voices from the streets, to see beyond façade, to explore unfamiliar territories, to discover fundamental problems, to recognize new potentials, and to deliver innovative ideas. Participants will work together as teams in smaller groups covering different aspects of urban mapping, but will also have to focus on specific individual issues. The output of the course is an integrated visual presentation, consisting of textual & graphic reports, website, video clips, and exhibition panels, for public exposure and exhibition.

The course will mostly be conducted in the cosmopolitan city of Malacca (Malaysia). On 8 July 2008, two historic cities of the Straits of Malacca: George Town and Malacca were in scripted as UNESCO World Heritage Sites, because of their outstanding universal values:

• representing exceptional examples of multi-cultural trading towns in East and Southeast Asia through blending of various cultures and imprinted to the architecture and urban form;
• as living testimonies of the multi-cultural tangible and intangible heritage and tradition of Asia, and of the European colonial influences, as expressed in their religious buildings of different faiths, ethnic enclaves, spoken dialects, festivities, dances, attires, art forms, cuisines and lifestyles;
• reflecting the blend of influences that result in a unique form of architecture, culture and cityscape incomparable elsewhere in East and South Asia, especially through an exceptional range of shop houses and townhouses from differing eras.

A walking tour will be organized at the beginning of the program as part of the introduction of methodology on reading the city. The main part of the program will be conducted in the UNESCO World Heritage town of Malacca (Malaysia).

The course particularly targets students with some interest in Asia (particularly Southeast Asia), but not necessarily extensive experience in the region. No prior background in Asia, Asian Studies, or Asian languages is necessary. The course will be entirely conducted in English, which is the official language of instruction at the National University of Singapore.

Students taking courses at their home universities in fields such as urban history, sociology, geography, urban anthropology, urban and regional planning, architecture, landscape architecture, cultural studies, environmental studies, environmental engineering, or related subjects, can all benefit from this module.

Some basic knowledge and non-professional skills in photographing, sketching, drawing, interviewing, video making, digital graphic editing, or web designing, will be helpful and useful in the production of interesting and engaging visual presentations. Students are required to bring their own laptop.

The course is pitched at students in their second or third year of study in a 4-year undergraduate curriculum, though we will accept undergraduates at any level. There are no prerequisites.

27 – 30 June: Lectures & preparation

1 July: Travel to Malacca

2 – 5 July: Fieldwork & mapping

6 – 10 July: Analysis, consolidation & production

11 July: Return to Singapore

12 July: Exhibition and final presentation preparations

15 July: Public exhibition

This course will receive 4 modular credits, with the following anticipated contact/work hours:

(i)	Lecture/Class: 4 x 2 hrs	8
(ii)	On-site Lectures/Walking Tours: 2 x 2 hrs	4
(iii)	Studio works: 4 days x 10 hrs	40
(iv)	Fieldwork & Tutorials: 6 days x 10 hrs	60
(v)	Preparatory work:3 days x 6 hrs	18
Total:		130 hours

The degree to which a student demonstrates through the conduct of the field work and the compilation of the results of the study, and his/her aptitude in relation to the above learning objectives, will determine the assessment of the student's achievement in this course. Students will be assessed daily on both their contribution to the team, and their individual performance.

Final grade will be determined by Continuous Assessment: 20% from interim presentations (team mark), 30% from final submission (team mark), and 50% from final individual presentation/review.

This course will be taught by Associate Professor Johannes Widodo (lecturer) & Dr. Lilian Chee (co-lecturer)

Accommodation in Singapore:

Prince George's Park Residences (PGPR) is located Prince George's Park Road, off South Buona Vista Road, and next to King Edward VII Hall. This residential complex offers 2854 single rooms. The single rooms are grouped into clusters of 15 and offer its residents an apartment lifestyle. The 15 residents in each cluster are entrusted with collective responsibility for their shared facilities. Each cluster has its own kitchen, dining area, and bathroom facilities. The cluster lifestyle exposes students to independent living and also offers excellent opportunities for close interaction. The room rate also includes the use of a fully equipped kitchen that is centrally located on the same level. Cooking utensils, however, are not provided. Please refer to http://www.nus.edu.sg/ohs/properties/PGPR/index.html for more details.

Accommodation in Malacca:
A clean and comfortable hotel inside or close to the historic core of Malacca will be provided for all participants.

Costs: Tuition and accommodation awards from NUS are available for all incoming students

Tuition fee: Tuition fee is waived

Accommodation: Accommodation is sponsored by NUS

Miscellaneous fees: About SGD70 (Cost subject to change)

Field trip: About SGD40 for visa to Malaysia; all other costs, including coach travel and equipment is sponsored by NUS

Estimated living expenses: SGD450 – 750