Chris Roberts

Australian Defence Force Academy, Australia
Exchange to Nanyang Technological University, Singapore

My name is Chris Roberts and thanks to the Endeavour Australia Cheung Kong Award I was funded for six months in Singapore as a visiting associate at the Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies within Nanyang Technological University. During this time I had many wonderful experiences and made many friends from all over the region (and beyond). Perhaps surprisingly, a substantial portion of these friends were from Vietnam and I would often travel (on a scooter) to the National University of Singapore where my friends would cook some Vietnamese food in one of the college kitchens. The food was great and the atmosphere terrific. Other times my friends and I would go out and eat at the hawker stalls. These are small, sometimes portable, restaurants where you can purchase food for as little as AUS$1.50 and then eat on tables that are generally under an open air shelter ‘but’ without air-conditioning. The other thing that was terrific about the hawker stalls, aside from the value of the food, was the multicultural nature of the food available in these areas. While I was able to locate different varieties of food from many different countries (including Australia, there is a fish and chips stall in Clementi), Chinese, Indian and Malay cuisine were the most prominent varieties available. Of all the dishes Malaysian/ Indonesian satay remains my most favorite.

IDSS was also very hospitable during my stay and they involved me in seminars (both attending and presenting) as well as publications (such as commentaries and working papers). My work colleagues came from all over Asia and the World including Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, China, Canada and the US. With such a diverse mix of people and academics this always made for a fascinating time – both during and after work hours. I was also invited to many of the IDSS social gatherings, a couple of which were particularly notable.

On one occasion IDSS had a celebration in the middle of Singapore city at the old English cricket club where we were served food and drinks on a balcony with pretty much a 360 degree view, the evening was both a superb and extravagant experience.

On another occasion I was invited to their ‘Family Day’ and this was located on Pulau Ubin Island – one of several small islands that belong to the territory of Singapore. This island houses the last of the Kampung villages. Kampung villages are often located by the water (or on the water) and represent the traditional way of life in Singapore that is still lived in many parts of Indonesia and Malaysia. Most of these people were Malays and they were very friendly and surprising the island had quiet but close communal atmosphere.

On the day, IDSS paid for its entire staff to stay on a resort and it is from here that we explored the island and the villages. After a bit of exploring we returned to the resort for an all you can eat buffet as well as drinks (all supplied by IDSS) and spent the rest of the day exploring, swimming, drinking and/or playing sports (such as volleyball). During the course of my time at IDSS we were visited by such people as the Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore and the Secretary General of ASEAN. These guests would present on a variety of contemporary issues and challenges that Southeast Asia currently faces.

Thanks to the Endeavour Australia Cheung Kong Award I had a truly fascinating experience in Singapore where I have forged many lasting friendships and my knowledge of the region – politically, economically and culturally – has increased immeasurably!

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