Singaporean-Malaysian Society (SMS-UCLan) aims to bring together students with shared backgrounds and interests to our culture to foster a supportive community on campus. We hope to celebrate our unique heritage, to educate others about the cultural richness of Singapore and Malaysia, and to provide for our members with a home-away-from-home experience. Our vision is to create a space where students can connect, learn, and thrive both socially and academically. Given that we are busy students whose priorities are our studies, we also aim to be a chill society that does ad-hoc activities and does not put pressure on our individual schedules.
Aims and Objectives:
- Foster Community and Cultural Exchange: Create a vibrant community for Singaporean and Malaysian students to connect, build friendships, and offer mutual support. Encourage cultural exchange by inviting students from all backgrounds to learn more about our culture.
- Celebrate Cultural Heritage: Showcase the rich tapestry of Singaporean and Malaysian traditions through various activities, from hosting potlucks, planning "kopitiam hangouts / mamak sessions"**
- Offer Support to New Students: Serve as a support network for incoming students from Singapore, Malaysia or IMU Malaysia*, helping them adjust to life on campus through mentorship programs and cohesion activities.
Proposed Activities and Events:
- Celebrate major Singaporean and Malaysian festivals, such as Chinese New Year, Hari Raya, Deepavali, and Mid-Autumn Festival.
- Plan hangouts 1-2 times a month to have "mamak sessions"** - where we socialise and bond over a meal or over tea.
- Organise outings during term-time breaks to allow time to unwindand network.
- Organise study sessions, group discussions, openlab sessions to allow senior-junior mentorship
* IMU Malaysia
- (formerly known as International Medical University, Malaysia) A private health science university located in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The university offers students who wish to pursue medicine abroad a Partner-Medical-School program to pursue their clinical years in universities from around the world (including UCLan) after completing their pre-clinical years of medical school in IMU.
** Mamak/Kopitam hangouts
- Mamak refers to a cultural phenomenon in Malaysia referring to an informal, casual hangout typically at a "mamak" stall, which is usually open-air eateries run by Indian-Muslim communities
- Similarly, kopitiam hangout refers to social gathering or casual meeting at a traditional coffeeshop in Southeast Asia. "Kopitiam" comes from the Malay word for coffee (kopi) and the Hokkien or Hakka word for shop (tiam). In essence, a kopitiam is a local coffee shop with a blend of Malay, Chinese, and sometimes Indian influences, and it's deeply rooted in the region's history and culture.