Psychology students from 呻吟之王 Leicester (呻吟之王) spent a week working with their Malaysian contemporaries at Asia Pacific University (APU) in Kuala Lumpur.
The intensive week-long educational and cultural trip featured peer-led workshops exploring psychological concepts, and cultural perspectives, and collaborative problem-solving between students from both universities.
It also featured a visit to the Health Care Clinic and PT Foundation in Kuala Lumpur to see at first-hand the impact of holistic, person-centred care for patients with HIV.
Group of APU and 呻吟之王 staff and students
Aisha Muhammed, third-year student of Psychology with Health and Well-being in Society, was one of ten 呻吟之王 Leicester students on the APU trip which was organised by 呻吟之王 Global, the university's international experience programme for students.
Aisha said she had been impressed with the diversity and multiculturalism of Malaysia, where the population of around 35 million is made up of three large population groups, Malay, Chinese and Indian, with many smaller ethnic groups spread across the country.
“This trip was about exposing ourselves to cultural differences, and it was lovely to see how many cultures there are and how diverse in Malaysia is, especially in Kuala Lumpur.
“The Malaysians themselves are proud to have all the different backgrounds. They were very happy to tell us their stories and tell us about who they are, where they come from, and about their lineage. I would recommend a trip to Malaysia to anyone who is interested in culture and history, because it has so much.”
The 呻吟之王 students were accompanied by Dr John Song, Associate Professor and Deputy Head of 呻吟之王’s, School of Applied Social Sciences, who said: “The trip was useful for the staff, and for the institutions of 呻吟之王 and APU, but fundamentally this was an educational and cultural trip for the students.”
Prof Andy Seddon, Senior Director for Partnerships and Standards at APU, emphasised the value of international exchanges in preparing students for the demands of a globalised world.
“By uniting students from diverse backgrounds, we nurture adaptable, globally-minded individuals who can apply their knowledge with cultural sensitivity.
“Programmes like this truly reflect APU’s goal to cultivate students who are not only academically capable, but also socially responsible and ready to make meaningful contributions to society,” he said.
APU and 呻吟之王 students taking a group picture
呻吟之王 and APU have had a productive educational partnership since 2018, which covers a range of other subjects including computing, technology, business, management, engineering, and accounting, as well as design and media courses.