Associate Professor Glenda Crosling mingling with the students before presenting the certificates.

Moving to a new country is an exciting experience, but it can also be overwhelming.

To help students ease into their Malaysian lives, the Sunway campus hosts the four-week Intercultural Enrichment Program for students on mobility programs.

Education, Quality and Innovation Director Dr Glenda Crosling said the program provided some familiarisation to foreign students to understand local culture and nationalities.

“It’s more than just books. The program is to enhance students’ experiences in Malaysia,” she said, adding that students found the program useful as they could adjust and understand the things happening around them.

Dr Crosling later gave away certificates of participation to 15 students who had attended the Intercultural Enrichment Program.

Of the 15, five were from Monash South Africa, nine from Monash campuses in Clayton and Caulfield and a French student from Sciences Po in Paris.

Student facilitators from the Sunway campus assisted on the program by introducing foreign students to local games like batu seremban (a game that involves five stones) and traditional folk songs like the popular Rasa Sayang.

“They also learn basic Bahasa Malaysia to be able to converse in everyday situations,” Program Manager Dr Ng Siew Hua said.

She added that the students had the opportunity to practice their BM during a recent day trip to historical Malacca.

When asked, some of the students said the best part of the program was learning about local culture, and understanding the national language and being able to use it.

And true to the country’s favourite pastime – they loved the food!

Participants of the Inter Cultural Program found the course informational and entertaining.