AIESEC in SMU - The World is Our Oyster!

We have moved

2008-09-04T22:35:00.005+08:00

Our website has moved! Please visit us at www.aiesec-smu.org

AIESEC SMU AGM 2008

2008-06-24T18:54:00.008+08:00

The AIESEC SMU Annual General Meeting was held at the School of Business on the 23rd of April this year. A big thanks to our guests and SMU members for attending the event.

Our guests:
Teacher Advisors:
Professor Francis Koh from the Lee Kong Chian School of Business and Poh Heng from the Office of Career Services
SICS President:
Aaron Tan
SICS Liaison Director:
Wallace Zeng
Member Committee President of AIESEC Singapore 2007/2008:
Sharon Tan
Member Committee President of AIESEC Singapore 2008/2009:
Mayas Singh

SMU AIESEC members
Local Committee President of AIESEC SMU 2006/2007:
Doreen Tan Mei Yan
Local Committee President of AIESEC SMU 2007/2008:
Pamela Su Li Wen
Local Committee President of AIESEC SMU 2008/2009:
Laura Koh Kai Ting
Executive Board of AIESEC SMU 2007/2008:
Celine Que, Marcus Chia, Gan Mei-Xi; Kenny Tan, Wong Lun Kai, Yuan Tian,
Executive Board of AIESEC SMU 2008/2009:
Teo Yuan Zhi; Huynh Nha My Kirsty, Kenny Yue , Ji Wenjing, Sarah Tan, Le Thi Ngoc Giao, Victoria Chen, Hazel Tan, Goh Aik Chuan
AIESEC SMU Alunmi:
Sherina Ng, Chen Yi Cui, Thai Nguyet Minh

Mentioned during the AGM were our impressive achievements and growth in exchange results, meaningful projects initiated during the year, as well as various SMU students going overseas through the AIESEC Internship Program or conferences. Graduating members from our 06/07 term were also presented AIESEC leaving certificates.

Fantastic results this year - but we will keep making progress for the years to come!

Post-POL BBQ (25 Feb 08)

2008-03-13T01:29:00.004+08:00

The POL team had their well-deserved BBQ chill-out night at the SMU Hostel during the mid-term break. Here are the pictures!

Great business women are great in the kitchen too!

3 pretty gals enjoying their marshmallows...

Look! Traffic light! :)

Presenting to you...AIESEC in SMU EB 08/09

2008-03-11T17:21:00.002+08:00

Well, congratulations to those who have exhibited so much passion and love for this organization in SMU.. YOU truly deserve these honoured positions.

On behalf of the outgoing EB team of super enthusiastic, efficient, hardworking, highly results-oriented, hot and cool, workaholic people... we wish you all the best and ahem.. good luck living up to the expectations :D

Executive Board & Organizing Committee Presidents Applications 2008/2009

2008-02-18T16:24:00.007+08:00

Hey SMU AIESECers!

AIESEC in SMU's EB & OCP Applications are finally, officially OPEN! On behalf of the current EB team, I strongly encourage all of you to seriously consider stepping up to take a leadership positions within the LC.

Please make sure you read through the Candidate's Booklet before filling in the Applications.

Candidates applying for the Executive Board Team are to submit a soft copy of the “EB Application Form” to kaiting.koh.2006@smu.edu.sg and epdebrila.2006@smu.edu.sg by: 2nd March 2008 (Sun) 2359 hrs
Results of the EB Application will be announced shortly after 10th March 2008.
Candidates applying for Organizing Committee Presidents are to submit a soft copy of the “OCP Form” to kaiting.koh.2006@smu.edu.sg and tian.yuan.2006@smu.edu.sg by: 23rd March 2008 (Sun) 2359 hrs
Results of the OCP Applications will be announced on 31st March 2008

Information about the applications and document downloads can be found at http://www.aiesec.net/content/viewwiki.do?contentid=10004825

Late submissions will not be considered, so please submit on time!

Have fun and we're looking forward to receiving your applications!

Kind regards,
-----------------------------
Laura Koh Kai Ting
Local Committee President Elect
AIESEC SMU 2008/2009
Email: kaiting.koh.2006@smu.edu.sg
-----------------------------

AIESEC Singapore Member Committee 2008/09

2008-02-05T22:58:00.000+08:00

Proudly presenting the finalized Member Committee 2008/2009 of AIESEC Singapore:

Director of Programme – Incoming Exchange : Ashwin Subramaniam
Director of Programme – Outgoing Exchange : Yuan Tian
MCVP Business Development : Lucia Deng Lu
MCVP Projects : Grace Chen
MCVP Talent Management : Shubhangi Faujdar
MCVP Communications : Cheryl Chen
MCVP Information Management : Li Jun
MCVP Finance : Esviyola Debrila
MC Honorary General Secretary : Cathy Chan
MC President : Mayas Singh

It is also my great pleasure to announce that for the first time in many many years, we have a full team, where all the portfolios in the MC are represented.

I would like to give my heartiest *congratulations* to the MC candidates who bravely went through the elections and the selection interviews and finally made it into the MC!! :)

Best Regards,
Mayas

Poverty Through Our Lenses - Have you signed up for the following events yet?

2008-01-31T18:59:00.000+08:00

[Click to enlarge]

Check out Poverty Through Our Lenses at www.blurt-magazine.com!

Poverty through Our Lenses: Join the Fight Now!

2008-01-26T03:12:00.001+08:00

2008's Inaugural Welcome Dinner!

2008-01-22T22:50:00.000+08:00

Hello everyone!

I'd like to thank everyone who has graced this ocassion with your truly valued presence, and also for extending a warm welcome to all the trainees who have just arrived in the month of January.

For those not in the know and who have missed out on good food and even better company, here are the details.

AIESEC in SMU held its first grand reception cum Welcome Dinner for 4 new AIESEC trainees and 2 AIESECers on exchange in SMU on the 20th of January 2008 with roaring success! We had the opportunity to savour delectable North Indian cuisine at the Riverwalk Tandoor near Clarke Quay MRT as well as networking and interacting and gossiping with new trainees, existing ones, and also with SMU AIESECers.

Now, say hello to..

Adeel from Pakistan, who is working in ABN-Amro
Koen from Belgium, who is working in Europhia
Pauline from the Netherlands, who is working in Europhia
and Iunia from Romania, who is working in HighQ

:D

Oh yes. Gossip time.
New couple formed. Go and find out. If you really wanna know NOW, please contact our very own CNN - Laura or Mei-xi.

Here are the vital statistics since AIESEC in SMU has a history of producing great, useful, WOW statistics (OGX and ICX can so agree with this), I thought it'd be important we know 'em.

Total number of people who came, ate food and enjoyed themselves: 21
Total bill: SGD 360
No. of trainees (old and new): 8
No. of foreigners (trainees plus AIESECers on exchange in SMU): 2
No. of SMU AIESECers: 10
No. of friends of SMU AIESEC: 1 (Imran's bro)
Ratio of foreigners to AIESEC Singapore members: 1 to 1
and the no. of juniors is > no. of EBs!

Meanwhile, do keep a lookout for our next Welcome Dinner!
Have a great day!

Eddie

Poverty through Our Lenses - Haunting You Soon!

2008-01-21T04:53:00.001+08:00

Watch, chill and be inspired!

2008-01-02T02:20:00.000+08:00

Please contact Kenny Yue at 9871 7881 for reservation

National Leadership Development Seminar 2007

2007-12-10T01:33:00.000+08:00

Conference details:
When: 13 - 16 December (Registration is from 8 to 9.30 am)
Where: NUS Central Forum
How to get there: Take bus 96 from Clementi Bus Interchange and alight at the Central Library Bus Stop. The Central Forum is below the Central Library.

Payment details:

Cost per person: SGD $80 (Early Bird Special) or SGD $90 (Normal rate)

Payment will be made at the conference upon registration on December 13

Agenda:

For more information, please visit the NLDS'07 website or contact Jeremy at 9858 8422 / by email at jeremy.ang.2007@business.smu.edu.sg.

MyAIESEC.net - Coming Soon to Your Desktop!

2007-12-10T00:54:00.001+08:00

[Click to enlarge]

With the launch of MyAIESEC.net, there will be a whole new way to communicate, collaborate, network, and manage information.

Catch us at NLDS'07 as the Information Management Department demonstrates to you the new and improved features of MyAIESEC.net!

This is work made easier. This is MyAIESEC.net.

- Kenny

The Old World is very Charming Indeed....

2007-12-09T14:39:00.000+08:00

It was an afternoon of informality and arts-savvy at Old World Charm as girls let down their hair and guys loosened their ties to come together to trade tips on photography.

Old World Charm is a photography-appreciation learning event that taught us how to look for picturesque moments in everyday objects and buildings. By focusing on different shapes, colours, lighting conditions, the surroundings, the way the human eye adjusts to interpret pictures etc., we can tell a story through the photos that we take.

Despite the on-pour of rain, the participants were willing to brave the wet conditions to capture the essence of the old world in the city hall district. Here are some of their takings:

A close-up shot of a ceiling fan captures a unique design which is both simple and catchy

The long and winding corridors of the Art Museum is captured here where the human eye is naturally directed by the shape of the corridor and the path of the lights

This corridor of the Art Museum is taken with sepia mode to make it look older and grander

The exterior of The Cathedral of the Good Shepherd captured in the misty conditions of the afternoon rain

This photo relies on shapes to direct the human eye past the rows of empty seats to the lighted entrance of the church

The charming interior of the church once again captured with the glow of the glass-stained windows and the spacious background

Is it snowing in City Hall? The photo glitches here gives the impression of snow amidst the misty backdrop of Chjmes and Swissotel

The grand architecture of Stamford House shadowing the hustle and bustle of the traffic

More pictures can be accessed here. Many thanks to the OC comprising of Xiao Hui (OCP), Juliet (Logistics & Admin), Giao (Programmes) and Fish (Publicity) for organising the learning event.

Do watch out for more learning events and workshops such as these in future. They are guaranteed to teach you something new, while bringing lots of fun and laughter too!

- Kenny

Old World Charm - Discover Your Passion for Photography!

2007-12-01T23:22:00.000+08:00

When: Wednesday, 5th Dec, 3 - 5 pm (Registration begins at 2.30 pm)
Where: SMU LKC School of Business, SR 2.4
What to bring: Digital camera \SLR, USB cables\memory card for transfer of photos
How to register: Email Juliet at juliet.du.2007@accountancy.smu.edu.sg or call Kenny at 9800 2860

Up to $60 worth of prizes to be awarded!

Palestinian Dialogue Session - October 19 at SMU

2007-11-14T03:38:00.000+08:00

“When I was nine, I was still living in the West Bank. One day, just like any other day, I was walking home with my childhood friend from school. Suddenly I heard a soft crack, and next thing I knew my friend was on the floor with a small red circle over his chest that continued to grow bigger. My friend died immediately as the bullet went through his heart. This is my story.”

This seemed to be like an excerpt taken out of Newsweek article, but it was actually what Shehab, one of the Palestinian youth, told me as we were having a casual conversation during the conference that we met. That statement seemed so ordinary, so routine, that it took me quite a while for the story to sink in. This was when I realized the importance for Singaporean youths to understand the issues beyond the suicide bombers and politicized conflict, but under a more humane and personal perspective.

Five months later, Youth Challenge invited Shehab Zahda and Ali Zaid, from West Bank and Gaza Strip respectively, to have a short exchange with members of Youth Challenge and AIESECers from Singapore. They covered topics such as daily lives in Palestine, the humanitarian situation, education, religion, territorial struggles and probably most interestingly, some of their own personal experiences and difficulties.

Probably one the most powerful moments of the exchange was when our Palestinian friends really dropped their guard and spoke earnestly about their own personal lives. Ali spoke about his personal difficulty as a master degree holder, wanting to go back to Palestine to teach, only to be hindered by the travel restrictions imposed by Israel. He narrated that in the end he had to do a “forced” doctorate as he could not return to his country from Malaysia and how he missed his family in Palestine. Ali also spoke at length about the youth conference he had at the United States where he actually had a chance to speak to other Israeli youths, and attempted to seek a resolution common to both camps. For that particular conference, he explained that in the end, both parties were unable to settle on a common ground due to the amount of complicities in the issue.

Nonetheless, amidst all these personal stories and sometime, opinions about the conflict in general, the most important take away for me was when they emphasized there are few individuals who desire to see their families suffer as a result of conflict. This reason really underlined the messages and anecdote throughout all the three hour worth of dialogue (both at Youth Challenge and at SMU). In fact, contrary to what is being perceived in the media, there are many Palestinians who long to be left alone in the land that they are staying now and self-govern, rather than fighting for a bigger nation but with no hope for peace.

I guess in the end, most of us are just human beings who would rather live in peace and prosperity, rather than seeing our homelands ravaged by war and conflict. If only this can be said of every single individual, maybe one day we can really live in a utopia with no conflict and suffering.

Goh Aik Chuan
10 November 2007

I am an AIESECer!

2007-11-01T21:04:00.000+08:00

Heya all!

Have you ever thought: What makes AIESEC unique to other organizations?

What kind of experiences are AIESECers living every day?

How can AIESEC help me in my career a few years down the road?

Check out: https://email.smu.edu.sg/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://i-am-an.aiesecer.com/

Read about the impactful and inspiring experiences our fellow AIESECers went through, by maximising the leadership or exchange opportunity provided by AIESEC. From their stories, see how AIESEC can enhance your skills for your desired future career!

Each time you hit the website, a different case study will be featured. There are a total of 10 case studies, so keep refreshing the page to read a new one!

- Courtesy of BnC :)

AIESEC in SMU Quarter-1 Newsletter and Report

2007-10-23T23:49:00.000+08:00

[Click to enlarge]

Click here to download the PDF version of AIESEC in SMU Quarter-1 Report

Result of ICX Killer Cup

2007-10-16T21:54:00.000+08:00

After 2 to 3 weeks of calling and emailing, AIESEC SMU’s ICX team has managed to raise a total of:

5 Company Meetings!!!!!
- with DFS, Infinite Frameworks, Mind & Media, Gridnode and Prime Staff

ICX members have also stepped up to become reception officers and have taken over the SMU company accounts of Europhia, HighQ, Agovis, DFS and Mind & Media.

Whatever the final results of the competition, I would like to say that I’m very proud of the teams’ efforts, commitment and enthusiasm. It is very heartening and exciting to see the team working together and “just wacking” all the companies in reach!

To my wonderful ICX team,
A huge thank you for your hard work and I hope that we will all keep up the good work and bring SMU to greater heights!

From your very proud and happy ICX VP,

Laura

'Everything Photoshop' - Did you miss it?

2007-10-12T12:38:00.000+08:00

Many thanks to the OC, instructors and participants of 'Everything Photoshop' for making it a success!

The 3-hour workshop saw the participants learning about the basics of Photoshop and then breaking up into groups with each group facilitated by an instructor, to come up with a movie poster to market a fictitious movie.

Here are the pictures taken at the workshop and the movie posters made by the participants.

[Click to enlarge]

The group segment of the workshop was a chance for the participants to interact and work with one another

Each group, facilitated by an instructor, had to design a poster

Pamela and I with the wonderful team of instructors from NAFA and Lasalle (From left: Debbie, Chu Wen, Cherie (main instructor) and Clay)

A group shot of some of the participants and instructors

Hawaiian Penguins

Minesweeper

Home Alone 5

Ol' Bimbo!

On behalf of the OC, we hope that the participants enjoyed themselves. Do watch out for our future workshops!

- Kenny

ICX Killer CUP

2007-10-09T23:12:00.000+08:00

Hey AIESEC!!!

The ICX Killer CUP is HERE!

What's Killer Cup? It's an inter-LC competition from 1st to 14th October 2007 and a race among the 3 LCs to secure the most number of company meetings as possible.

The SMU ICX team, consisting of 13 excellent new members, have been working very hard in contacting various comapanies to secure meetings, with the ultimate goal of raising and realising more TNs and leading SMU to greater heights!

With the combined forces of ER, we will be meeting on 10th October 2007, Wednesday, in LKCSB SR 2.3 from 10am to 230pm to clinch more deals!

If you have any personal company/HR contacts, please don't hesitate to contact either Laura or Meixi at kaiting.koh.2006@smu.edu.sg or meixi.gan.2006@smu.edu.sg respectively.

Let's work together to make SMU the Best LC! :)

Cheers,

Laura, ICX VP, 2007-2008

Take Part in our LC Polo-Tee Design Competition!

2007-10-09T11:34:00.001+08:00

My memories of JumpStart2007

2007-10-02T09:46:00.000+08:00

Fun. Wild. Crazy.

These 3 words summarize my general feelings at the end of JumpStart 2007. And boy, I was glad i was there.

To begin, holding a camp on a weekend weeks after school started isnt that an attractive proposition. There were numerous absentees, while others had to come late or leave early. However, everyone who was there soon warmed up to each other and we were easily recognisable as the loudest bunch with our constant chattering and laughter resonating in the canteen and then the hall. That's why we are unique and different!

It was an induction camp after all, so we were given a brief peek into the AIESEC culture. Funky dances, weird acronyms, unique hand signals were all introduced. I personally like the dances, cos they are extremely fun and get everyone energized again! Afternoon soon beckoned and it was spent mostly on conferences. After dinner, we had a networking session and i came to experience first hand how difficult it can be to approach strangers and get a conversation going. However, once you finally do get started, the momentum builds and you simply don't want it to end!

And it's late at night, so what's next? None other than the cross-dressing competition for the 10 different teams! Argh.. As a fellow participant myself aka Ms Canada, it turned out to be one of the most embarrassing night ever in my life. Dressed up in a skimpy (or rather super small) top and putting on some light makeup, I had to do a catwalk in front of hundreds of fellow peers and still put on a brave front when cameras come flashing in my eyes! That was really quite an experience haha. Well at least i know i can be a part-time catwalk coach if the positive acclaim i received at the end is true! But next time I wanna be the judge! Heh..

The next day was spent mostly on knowing the various departments in AIESEC and we were all given a hand-on feel through interactive sessions on what our job scopes would be like if we do join the departments. And as evening approached, it was time to say farewell. Everyone was sad that it had to end, but we all knew that we would soon be meeting each other again! The fun and the camaraderie we had over those 2 days would be remembered always!

On the whole, JumpStart 2007 was a tremendous success and it gave us all a platform to know about AIESEC and make new friends! Thanks so much for the fond memories! =)

-Lincoln

NLDS 2006 - Fun ( and Crappy) Memories

2007-10-01T23:48:00.001+08:00

Today Zhang Ning asked me for videos of last year's NLDS, and while looking through my NLDS folder...look what I found!!!

Those videos really brought back fond memories of the conference, the OC team, and of course our dearest ex-Boss Doreenie... :)

Enjoy the super lame video!

- Pam

Esviyola's SURPRISE Birthday!

2007-09-27T20:57:00.000+08:00

Yesterday, September 26, was our Events Coordinator Esviyola's birthday! HAPPY BIRTHDAY ESVI!!! :) Take a look at the surprise birthday celebration we prepared for her! Thanks to Alvin who came to help out with our SURPRISE. He was telling Esviyola about the Mentorship Night on 6 October, and Esvi was listening so intently, even taking down notes!! (so hardworking...)

My JumpStart Experience

2007-09-24T14:07:00.000+08:00

"Korea, Korea [clap twice], AIESEC, AIESEC [clap twice]....."

I got a post-JS syndrome that the Korea roll call was lingering in my mind; so was the AIESEC dance. (Imagine our sexy LCPs wearing Shrek ears dancing rabbit dances!) These two were the most energetic part in JS'07 for me, more effective than the red bull from Austria!

The most embarrassing time for some guys must be the cross-dressing night, though the rest of us really appreciate their performances. Our Ms Korea was envied by quite a few girls for his sexy body and Ms Portugal won the first prize because - his hips don't lie. Ms Canada from SMU also received favorable feedbacks for his cat walk~~~~.

Besides the lots of fun we get, Ocs succeed in giving all the new members a better picture of what AIESEC is, how it works and what we can do in the future. I learn a lot from the short talks with different senior members and alumni, who share with me their experiences in AIESEC, sadness as well as happiness and all the ups and downs. JD fair, a session for all the new members to get to know the different departmentS of AIESEC, occupied almost all the time of the second day. We played roles in the department doing small projects, and switched roles after 30mins to do other tasks in another department. I'll say it's the most practical and efficient session. Lol.

Last thing to mention is the self reflection, the last sesssion of JS. Our LCP Pam taught us about her secret of being SMART (:P) and we learned it with all of us lying down on the ground with the music around. Actually, it is SMART goals - specific, measurable, attainable, result orientedand time-oriented and Pam was teaching us how to set up smart goals for AIESEC.

For all the members, JS'07 is an amazing starting point. We appreciate a lot for the efforts made by all relevant staff. See u next year. =)

-Jane

Sharing of JumpStart! Experience by Yunzhou (AIESEC NTU)

2007-09-21T21:42:00.000+08:00

This is a blog entry from the NTU LC blog:

Hi everyone! My name is Yunzhou, a fresh member from NTU LC. I would like to share with you some of my feeling about the amazing Jump Start I attended. I did learn a lot during JS. It was really amazing and unforgettable (during which I myself used girls’ make up for the first time in my life as Miss Australia~~J). I have known more international friends; I have known more about AIESEC. What’s more, what impressed me the most is the passion about AIESEC I saw from those senior members.

During the JS itself, I got the chance to know people like Sharon, Shub, Imran, and Jean. These people are really dedicated to AIESEC. I think everybody can see their love to AIESEC when Sharon was sharing, when Shub was dancing (wow~~ amazing dancer!), when Imran was doing ice-braking games and when Jean was facilitating. Among them, there are several things I would like to share with you guys. First, during the facilitation, I was told that Jean has been refusing to use plastic bags for like 8 years (if I’m not wrong). That’s really respectful. As I learnt from him, I went shopping this week without using plastic bags. I believe that as long as everybody can start from himself/herself, we can do something to save the earth.

Secondly, from the interview with Wanxin, what she shared with me really taught me something. What I learnt from her is that we should never be stopped by our fears; run towards them and embrace them. Thirdly, during the session “me I and myself” conducted by Shub, I formed a clearer vision about my life, about what I’m going to achieve, how I’m going to achieve it. That was really inspiring. Last but not least, I want to thank all the OCs for organizing such a wonderful conference. That was really fun.

I’m really glad that I chose AIESEC; that I joined AIESEC, for there are so many good AIESECer examples for me to follow; for there are so many things I can do in the world to make a difference. AIESEC rocks!

Written by,
Yun-zhou
1st year members of AIESEC NTU 0708

Missed JUMPSTART! 2007? Here are some of the pictures!

2007-09-14T15:24:00.000+08:00

The talks, the sessions, the dances, the new friends you made, the fun (and "humiliation" for some) - and most importantly, the memories.

Hope you enjoyed JUMPSTART! 2007....

Stay tuned for National Leadership Development Seminar (NLDS) 2007!

AIESEC Overseas Internship Information Talk - Sept 6

2007-09-07T01:29:00.000+08:00

A big thanks to those who came down for the Overseas Internship talk earlier this evening! Among the many benefits that AIESEC can provide to students is this invaluable opportunity to embark on an overseas internship by tapping into our global network.

There are various types of internship exchange, including:
Management -- internships related to administration, finance, accounting, marketing, project management and HR

Development -- usually with NGOs, these internships relate to a wide variety of issues in community development

Technical -- internships related to management and developement in web, software, networks and databases, plus some engineering (relevant for IS students)
Education -- internships related to promotion, curriculum development, teaching and counseling in education sector.

Our global partners include well-known international companies, such as DHL, PwC, ABN-Amro, UBS and InBev!. If you would like a chance to work for these companies and gain some international exposure at the same time, do submit the application form to aiesec@sa.smu.edu.sg by 14th September.

Overseas Internship Timeline:

14 Sept 07 -- Application deadline

22 Sept 07 -- Student Review Board

23 Sept 07 -- Result announcement through email

24-26 Sept 07 -- Contract signing with AIESEC

13 Oct 07 -- Preparation Seminar

Dec 07 onwards -- Matching of Exchange Participants

Details:

1. Internship duration between 2 and 18 months

2. Airfare is not included

3. Stipend covers living expenses

4. Application fee: $245 + $100 deposit

5. Matching takes 2 to 7 months

AIESEC International Congress in Turkey - Updates!

2007-08-28T23:29:00.000+08:00

Hi everyone!

Greetings once again from the AIESEC International Congress 2007 in Turkey – the conference has been really awesome! Besides the huge amount of learning taking place everyday, it’s truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience to be with 650 young leaders from all around the world, discussing issues that affect the world today, building partnerships between countries and LCs, sharing experiences and just making friends.

Here are some highlights of the conference that I’d like to share with you all :)

Developing Leaders Day (Day 3)

This is a day of the conference devoted to helping you understand yourself better as a leader – your unique personality and how you make use of this knowledge to effectively manage a team. The really cool thing was that facilitators from both Cadbury Schweppes and ABN AMRO came together to run Developing Leaders Day (DLD) for all the delegates! I feel that this is a great partnership and a superb way of engaging two of the world’s largest companies as AIESEC’s learning partners.

The theme for this year’s DLD is “Co-Driving Success”. In one session, we made use of the Belbin Team Roles to define the role we play as an individual in a team. Knowing this will enable us to make adjustments and learn how best to manage a team of diverse working styles effectively. It’s a really insightful assessment, and I really hope to bring it back and use it in our LC! Cool! :)

Functional Tracks and Workshops (Day 4)

This was another full day of learning, but this time around our specific functions in AIESEC. Separate functional tracks were held for MCPs, LCPs, VP Communications, VP PD, VP Exchange, VP ER, VP Finance and VP IS. It was indeed a great way to engage in discussions among fellow AIESECers holding the same portfolios as yourself, because these are the people who understand and go through similar difficulties that we face in our roles. This session thus provided a platform for us to share and learn from good case practices from AIESEC chapters all around the world.

The afternoon kicked off with various workshops around topics such as “Effective Induction and Taking Responsibility”, “Effective TN Raising”, and “Financial Management” to name a few. Unfortunately, there was simply too much to cover in such a short period of time that we were unable to go in-depth into each issue being discussed (Shub and I couldn’t stop whining about the LCP track being less beneficial than we expected haha). Nevertheless, it’s always important to maintain a positive mindset when things fall below your expectations, and at the end of the day I was glad to have picked out at least a few ideas that can be applied to the current reality back at SMU.

So that’s it for now. To all the SMU members working hard back in Singapore, GREAT JOB! I’m really really proud of our recruitment so far, and I’ve received feedback that the Welcome Tea was great as well, especially the sharing sessions :)

IC is continuing to inspire me every moment, and everyday there are just more and more ideas I hope to bring back to AIESEC in SMU. Sometimes it gets so overwhelming that I feel the need to just stay in my room, stare up into the ceiling and let everything sink in. But at the end of it, the feeling and experience is always amazing :)

Check out the photos taken at IC!

Sharing the results of our discussions in the park

The food we get at IC. Turkish food! (by the way, did I mention that we have to eat the same breakfast for 2 weeks!)

At Global Village with delegates from Spain

Lots and lots and lots of chocolates from CADBURY!!!

-Pam

Thank you for your attendance at our Welcome Tea!

2007-08-28T10:56:00.000+08:00

Many thanks to the 100-odd participants at our Welcome Tea on Monday night! Thank you for helping to make our evening so much more interesting and vibrant!

Special mention also goes to some of our senior members, trainees and alumni who dropped by to give us their support!

Through the presentations by the speakers and the Q&A session, we hope that you are now more aware of the numerous opportunities available in AIESEC in SMU.

For those who missed the Welcome Tea, please drop us an email at aiesec@sa.smu.edu.sg if you have any enquiries.

Here is a very brief summary of what the speakers talked about:

Introduction to AIESEC: What is the AIESEC Experience? (By David Thong, former Vice-President of External Relations, AIESEC in SMU)

Taking Responsibility and Leadership Roles in AIESEC (By Laura Koh, Vice-President of Incoming Exchange, AIESEC in SMU)

MENA-Singapore Project: Working to Promote Exchanges (By Lun Kai, Vice-President of Finance, AIESEC in SMU)

IS Workshops Series & Poverty through Our Lenses: What are the Benefits of Joining Us (By Kenny Tan, Information Systems Co-ordinator, AIESEC in SMU)

BEADS Conference: How You can Contribute (By Grace Chen, PBOX Projects Director, AIESEC in NTU)

My Experience at IC 2006 in Poland (By Sherina Ng, former Vice-President of Finance, AIESEC in Singapore)

My Internship Experience and Heading for the Future (By Dei, former President, AIESEC in NTU)

Thank you for the overwhelming response on CCA-Day!

2007-08-24T23:45:00.000+08:00

AIESEC in SMU reached a new record of 315 sign-ups to join our mailing list at the AIESEC booth during CCA-Day!

A big thank you to all who signed up for your overwhelming response and enthusiasm.

We would also like to thank the Recruitment Organising Committee, senior members and alumni for your hard work, Dei for your wonderful hats, as well as the Student Association, CCA-Day Committee and the Office of Student Life (OSL) for all help rendered. Special mention also goes to our sponsors, Red Bull and Pilot, whose generosity helped make the event a great success!

Here are some photos taken at our booth today. We certainly had a lot of fun. (And we hope all of you did too!)

AIESEC got featured in BLURT! Magazine!

2007-08-24T23:01:00.000+08:00

[Click on pictures to enlarge]

Greetings from Turkey!

2007-08-19T20:08:00.000+08:00

Hey everyone! A big HELLO from Pam and Cheryl in Turkey!

It's our 4th day in Turkey since we landed on Tuesday morning (14 Aug) 6.30am. After 3 full days of travelling, we have just checked into the conference venue at Yeditepe University. Most of the delegates have not arrived yet - they should be arriving in bulk later tonight. But we're already meeting quite a number of MCPs and AI people...so yea it's kinda like orientation camp, trying to remember faces and names, just that it's on a much much bigger scale. Weather is hot hot hot here! It can go up to 35-40 degrees, especially in the afternoons. Basically I'm just sitting in my room typing this out, and I'm already perspiring!

So anyway, we have one day to rest before all the meetings start. We will be having the Asia Pacific Growth Network (APGN) pre-meeting over this weekend (18-20 Aug) which will be followed by IC proper (21-30 Aug). So before we both get swept up in the whirl of activities (and parties), here's an update on our trip around Turkey in the past 3 days!

Day 1: Istanbul

We explored the main attractions of Istanbul on the first day, namely the Blue Mosque, Aya Sofya, the Hippodrome, and Basilica Cistern. All these attractions are situated in one area of Istanbul called Sultanahmet. Sultanahmet is basically "Old Istanbul", a UNESCO designated World Heritage site that is packed with so many ancient buildings and ruins that makes it one of the world's most historically rich cities.

The Blue Mosque

This is one of the largest Ottoman mosques every built, and it gets its name from the tens of thousands of blue tiles used to decorate its interior. It was constructed between 1606 - 1616, and boasts a huge courtyard and central prayer space. But most of all, I love the view from the exterior because you get to truly appreciate the beauty of its perfect symmetry :)

Aya Sofya (Church of the Divine Wisdom)

Constructed in year 537 as a church, then converted into a mosque in 1453 during the Ottoman empire, the Aya Sofya is really really magnificent. All of us just couldn't help ooh-ing and ah-ing at the domed ceiling and grand interior. It has remains of both a church and a mosque, and we had a really interesting time uncovering the Christian mosaics that were being plastered over by the Muslims when they turned the church into a mosque.

Hippodrome

The Hippodrome is where chariot races took place during Byzantine times, but nothing remains of it now except for a few columns. (we were so disappointed...we expected to see remains of a huge stadium or something haha!)

Basilica Cistern

A huge underground palace used to store water for buildings during the Byzantine period. It's very cooling inside the cistern, and you can still see the shallow pool of water and sinister-looking fishes swimming around inside. Really cool and eerie :)

Day 2: Captivating Cappadocia

We caught the overnight bus to Cappadocia - (all of us tried to catch some sleep along the way) and alas we reached our destination at 6plus in the morning. After checking into our hotel, we proceeded for our guided tour to several locations in Cappadocia. The scenery was breathtaking (I’ve never seen anything like this before): the wind and weather had created conical shaped fairy chimneys and mushroom shaped ones out of the volcanic landscape. All of us climbed up the steep slopes leading up to the fairy chimneys (and boy, were the slops an uphill task since we had to watch our steps; should we step on loose sand, we’d lose our footing and slip a little.) Our little conquest to climb up the fairy chimney ended pretty soon once we finished taking pictures.

above: one of the mushroom shaped fairy chimneys

above: one of the numerous cave churches showcased in the open air museum of Goreme

Headed back to the hotel for lunch; once lunch was over, the tour guide brought us to the cave churches and the open air museum in Goreme (more climbing involved). The open air museum showcased the cave churches- some of the rooms were very well ventilated: in spite of the hot weather outside, the cave rooms were kept cool (and I still wonder why some were hot and stuffy while others were cool. Amazing!) There were several churches with murals painted on the walls and ceilings. Some of the rooms had this black stuff on the walls.. why? Because the people back then cooked in them! :) Pam was clever to figure out first that these were kitchens. Other rooms had holes of varying sizes dug in the ground- some of these were graves.

They also carved dining rooms out of the rocks! :)

We went back to the hotel, where the horse ranch’s staff were waiting there to pick us up for our horse-riding activity! :) At the horse ranch, each of us was assigned to a horse and everyone picked up horse-riding pretty fast (except for me, I almost fell off my horse cos the saddle tilted to the side)! We rode past the Red River, and it was such a pretty sight!

Day 3: Trekking in Cappadocia

There was this sense of dread at first. The itinery stated we had to walk 5km. Oh no.

Upon arrival at the Red Valley, none of us were excited yet and the walk downhill was rather tedious (steep slopes again!) and we didn’t dare to think what it would be like if we had to climb the same way back up.. (thank goodness we didn’t)

Halfway during the trek, the scenery made our climbing efforts worthwhile! There were dozens of great rocks, carved homes, gorgeous landscape- coupled with a fabulous tour guide who told us stories of history and geology. :) wonderful experience

Explored an underground city where early Christians used to live in while they were escaping persecution - the passages were just so narrow: these were meant to hinder the enemies’ movements. I think it worked splendidly. We seriously had such a hard time walking.

So that's all from both of us for now...will definitely share more with you guys when we're back!

ALL THE BEST WITH RECRUITMENT AND WELCOME TEA!!! update us with the numbers through email ok?

Missing you guys...

-Pam and Cheryl :)

Here's the NDP'07 fireworks to brighten up your day....

2007-08-14T01:23:00.000+08:00

[Note: click on "play" to begin. Pause and wait for the clip to buffer for a minute, then play it again]

Celebrating NDP!

2007-08-12T12:36:00.000+08:00

Singapore turns 42!!

On 9th August, a bunch of us "Very Patriotic AIESECers" from all 3 LCs decided to meet up to catch the fireworks display at Marina Square. We stood at the rooftop area of Marina Square, and though there was no view of the floating platform and the stage, we still managed to catch a few snippets of the parade - what we termed were like "teasers" to us! :)

Here's what we caught from our very unique vantage point of "The Rooftop @ Marina Square":

- helicopters with the Singapore flag during national anthem

- F-16s zooming past

- guards of honour marching out from the performance venue

- a pair of apache helicopters performing stunts

- police speedboats on the marina bay waterfront

- Paratroopers making their descent

- FIREWORKS!!!

We were all starving after that, so we proceeded to Changing Appetites for a sumptuous dinner of huge burgers, lotsa cheeeeese and mudpies! -yum-

It was a great evening hanging out with you guys, and it warms my heart to see us coming together just to crap and hang out, and share happy little moments like these :) See we don't always meet just to do AIESEC work!!

-Pam

Some Random Posters

2007-08-11T09:50:00.000+08:00

Hello, dear AIESEC in SMU!

I made some posters for fun! I think they look cute!!

We can use it to do some email announcement regarding each department in our LC.

- Tian, VP OGX

Some Thoughts Regarding AIESEC

2007-08-08T01:48:00.000+08:00

Today, I met one non-AIESEC final year student online and he asked me about AIESEC internship and whether we have internships in Thailand, France,Japan and Korea.

I said " Yes, of course we have. We are present in 100 countries"

Then he asked again whether there is any chance to find permanent jobs in the internship companies.

I said " Yes, it happens before. "

He was very excited and said that "AIESEC internship is the only option for me to live abroad and find a job overseas."

I thought I shall feel happy as AIESEC is providing opportunities to aspiring young people to work overseas. But I didn't know why that I felt sad.

Upon reflection, I think that most people outside AIESEC are still viewing AIESEC as "an overseas internship Agency"or a springboard to work overseas. This image is not what we want to Create and it is not the essence that reflects AIESEC values.

For people who have gone through positive AIESEC experience, they have a strong attachment towards AIESEC as AIESEC offers them a platform to grow as a person as well as a leader.

As AIESECers, we want to make this organization grow and make AIESEC better through our Contribution. But for people who have not gone through AIESEC and who are just recruited for Exchange, they may find it hard to understand what AIESEC is really about. What they can do for AIESEC is limited. Some of them are unwilling to be involved in AIESEC at all as the purpose of them joining AIESEC is just to go for the overseas internship.

It brings me to think about the role of OGX. What shall OGX do to change this impression of AIESEC for our Pocket Interns and the general students' population? What is the Purpose of OGX? Is OGX just there to improve our Exchange Numbers?

I have not found the full answers to the questions yet, but I think it is a good starting point. Maybe we shall start to think what the real meaning is behind the work we do and shift the focus away from just increasing Exchange Numbers. I won't feel proud to tell people that ' We have done 100 exchanges this year and all of them are non-AIESECers." This is not what AIESEC wants to achieve.

Behind the exchange number,there is a deeper goal which is to give MORE and More AIESECers an opportunity to live diversity and challenge their world views.

AIESEC wants to create a holistic experience for its members and Exchange is just one of the steps to complete this leadership experience. We are growing Leaders with World View not Employees who go to overseas to find permanent jobs!

I think in the future AIESEC work, we shall focus more on the following things,

- The right positioning of AIESEC during Recruitment and the Promotion of AIESEC as a leadership platform

- Encourage more AIESECers to go for an overseas experience(DT, MT,ET,TT ,CEEDership and Conference)

- EP integration and Re-integration( This part is very important as they will involve EP into AIESEC and they will make a difference to this organization.)

I really hope that slowly by slowly, we can change the way the students view us. We lose our purpose if we are seen as a stepping stone or springboard to work overseas.

I hope one day AIESEC Singapore will grow to a stage that all Our EPs will be AIESECers who take up overseas internships to complete their AIESEC experience.

Do the work not to make numbers, but do it with meanings and purposes.

Yuan Tian
OGX VP SMU

Highlights of AGM

2007-08-07T15:24:00.000+08:00

It's official!

AIESEC in SMU has now achieved full LC status! Woohoo! This means that LC SMU is now officially recognised on AIESEC.net and can even run for the coveted 'Best LC Award' in the coming year!

At this year's Annual General Meeting (AGM), held at the NUS Business School, the AIESEC community also rectified changes to our Constitution and the Conpendium.

At the end of the meeting, we also recognised certain individuals in the community for their enthusiastic involvement and outstanding contribution to their LCs and AIESEC in Singapore. Here are the esteemed winners of this year's awards:

New Member Excellence Award (SMU): Yuan Tian
New Member Excellence Award (NUS): Siew Yik
New Member Excellence Award (NTU): Grace Chen
Best LC Leadership Award (SMU): Pamela Su
Best LC Leadership Award (NUS): Ker Ying
Best LC Leadership Award (NTU): Alvin Hong
Best MC Leadership Award: Sharon Tan
Exchanger of the Year Award (ICX): Pamela Su
Exchanger of the Year Award (OGX): Mayas Singh
LC of the Year Award: NUS

Congratulations to Yuan Tian and Pamela from SMU, as well as the other award-winners!

We also concluded the eventful day with a wonderful BBQ!

Many thanks to NUS for hosting the event and all the participants, alumni and CEEDers for their attendance!

- Laura, VP ICX

Roomsdb.net - Find rooms for free!

2007-08-03T01:03:00.000+08:00

Tired of hunting for rooms all over Singapore?

Want to do away with all those expensive property agent fees?

With Roomsdb.net, you can now access a database of over 700 listings of available rooms for rental in Singapore - all for free!

Those who want to find a room for rent can now use the powerful search filter to look for rooms based on the following factors: price, size, address, room category, date and district. With just a simple click of the mouse, you can also check out other details of the location, such as address, nearby ammenities and even the contact numbers of the property agents or the house-owners themselves.

This also means that you can now deal directly with the house-owners themselves without having to enlist the services of expensive property agents!

The search function is also easy to use. For example, a simple search made for house-owners all over Singapore who are advertising for single rooms costing $300 to $400 a month yielded 25 hits.

If you want to rent out a spare room, you can also make your postings on the website just by filling up an online form.

Super GOOD NEWS - All of our 3 SNs are realised!

2007-08-02T04:52:00.000+08:00

Hello AIESEC!!

I have some good news to share with you!

Last month, three of our SMU SNs were matched to very good internships in Australia, U.S.A and Germany respectively!

Just in one month time, All of our Three SNs have obtained their visa and now they are realized! They have already started working in their respective companies in the three different Continents!

It is definitely an exciting challenge for them and let us wish them all the best in their internships.

We hope more of us as @ers will take up the challenge to do an internship overseas and I am sure it will be a life-changing experience for you!!

- Yuan Tian, VP OGX

Gathering with visitors, trainees & mentors

2007-08-02T04:23:00.001+08:00

On Monday, July 16, a couple of us brought our trainees (Kristin and Sabrina from Europhia) out to dinner and we were joined by Pirjo - who is currently working at DHL - and Gaudy from Switzerland who was in Singapore for a week of sight-seeing.

We feasted on a good, old, sumptuous meal of Zi-char which our guests found very palatable (and spicy!). Throughout the meal, we had a good time sharing our respective experiences on traveling, AIESEC hoo-has and gossiping, among other topics.

And how could we not end off the evening without a trip to Rochor Tau Hway for dessert?

Are we going to have more of such informal outings soon? Definitely!

Stay tuned for more....

AIESEC in SMU blog established!

2007-08-02T04:05:00.000+08:00

After much anticipation and fanfare, AIESEC in SMU finally has our own blog!

This being our maiden post, I would first like to congratulate the LC for having grown by leaps and bounds. Since our founding in 2002 as a registered society in SMU, we have indeed come a long way.

In the words of Jose Ortega y Gasset, "Life is a series of collisions with the future; it is not the sum of what we have been, but what we yearn to be."

There still lies a long way ahead of us and much work left to be done. Let us focus upon the future that continues to remain bright and eventful for us.

Cheers to AIESEC!