Localised Internationalisation Programme in Germany

On 21 November 2022, the head of the department of DEinternational Trade Promotion and Representative of the State of Hessen of SGC, Ms. Melissa Brandner, and the head of the department of membership, events, and communications, Ms. Lakshmi Swarnam, introduced to us the demands of their jobs and the SGC's objectives.

The SGC is responsible for the monitoring of working relationships between Singaporean and German companies. They also organise frequent networking events such as trade fests, to allow companies from Singapore and Germany to communicate with one another, in the hope to spark more connections and partnerships among them. Not only that, but the SGC also works towards promoting tourism for both countries.

Ms. Melissa Brandner also talked about how Singapore's political status and the livelihoods of our people play a huge role in German companies' decisions to set up their businesses here. For example, many German companies, especially those in the Research & Development (R&D) sectors, are most willing to invest in Singapore due to our current corruption-clean and stable political party. Moreover, the companies also appreciate Singaporean politicians for conveying our 10 or 50 years plans and strategies well, as it convinces them that Singapore is a viable and safe option for their businesses. 

Additionally, German experts enjoy living in Singapore for our safe environment, multi-racial society, and convenient transportation systems, which is perfect for them to feel at ease for their families to move here with them, and for their frequent travel flights.

She added that when considering expanding their businesses to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), many German firms' first option would be Singapore, not only due to its geographical location and its rankings in the world but also because both Singapore and Germany have similar characteristics, and there is a common language of English. 

Ms. Lakshmi Swarnam explained that the SGC does business-matching most commonly, to assist German companies to find partners of similar interests, tapping into their vast connections with Singaporean and German firms, by helping them to identify their unique selling points that will cater the most to Singaporeans' tastes, and thus, their willingness to purchase the goods.  

Overall, I enjoyed their sharing as I learned so much about the SGC as well as the connections, similarities, and differences between Singapore and Germany, be it in terms of business, day-to-day lives and their people's mindsets.

On 21 November 2022, the Managing Director of Leistritz, Mr. Eddie Tan, and the Co-Chairman of the SGC's Sustainability Committee, Mr. Joachim Ihrcke, shared with us about environmental sustainability in both Singapore and Germany and how German firms are improving lives of people around the world, including Singapore.

Before this session, I was curious about the differences in the livelihoods between Singaporeans and Germans. To my surprise, Mr. Ihrcke started his presentation with just that. He compared the worlds of the West and the East, in terms of their lifestyles, life choices, stereotypes of one another, workflows, and positions in society, which perfectly answered my question. 

He also flaunts how the SGC builds the balance between Europe and the East, allowing for so many successful partnerships between Singapore and Germany, leading to an improved world we live in.

It is truly an honour to be able to meet Mr. Ihrcke, the creator of the first recycling plant in Singapore. He aims to build a plastic recycling hub in Singapore after he had finished conducting a feasibility study for PolyEthylene Terephthalate (PET) and a Bottle-To-Bottle recycling plant, which he claimed was a "high technology of the finest way", which eliminates 180,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide every year. He also invited us to visit the hub once he launches the first project in 2024.

It was also noted that while Germany's recycling rate is 98.5%, Singapore's recycling rate is only 4%.

Mr. Tan had too shared with us the details of the technologies such as pumps, turbines, and precision and machine tools created by Germans, who are known to be innovative and creative, at Leistritz. The firm contributes to environmental conservation through its creation of organic plant-based meat, as well as using its technology for its ongoing recycling efforts.

In conclusion, I was glad to have learned more about Singapore's environmental sustainability plans for the future and hear Mr. Tan's and Mr. Ihrcke's views on this topic. I strongly believe that Singapore's efforts on recycling should reform and perhaps, adopt German's recycling practices and methods.

On 22 November 2022, a german private tour guide, Mr. Franz Schega, led us on a tour of the Dachau Concentration Camp, in Munich, Germany, which receives about a million visitors per year.

Through Mr. Schega's detailed explanations and his vast knowledge of the camp, I learned more about the history of Germany and I was thrilled to recall some of the things I had learned during History lessons in secondary school, like Hitler's political ruling party.

He told us that in the past, prisoners included the Jews, drug addicts, the homeless, homosexuals, and women that refused to do Hitler's salute. Germans were also brainwashed to believe that prisoners were not humans, but instead, were creatures and animals. I was most surprised and saddened when he described to us the gruesome ways prisoners were humiliated and tortured to death in such concentration camps in the past and to see the gas chambers that the Jews were sent into, where all of them were burned to their deaths... I have heard and read so many stories about the horrors of these camps during World War II, but looking at the actual site, it suddenly hit me that these actions were not just stories, but they were actually things that humankind has done to those of their own kind...

Additionally, Mr. Schega said that many suspects that anti-semitism is rising again, this time, not only in Germany but all over Europe, causing other locals and him, to be genuinely worried about the potential tensions that may arise from this.

Altogether, I am very grateful to have been on this tour as I had read the book, The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, a couple of times, it was an experience to see a concentration camp in Germany. 

On 23 November 2022, we traveled to Brotzeit at Raffles City, a German restaurant, and tried out iconic German foods like the Schweinshaxe (roasted pork knuckles), among others. Schweinshaxe is an iconic dish from the region of Bavaria in Germany and it is understood as a traditional and typical German food. 

It was my first time eating German food and it will not be my last. Everything was so yummy! We also tried Singaporeanised German food, which I thought was unexpectedly delicious.

Name of the foods (in order): Apfel Strudel, Rösti Mit Schweinshaxn, Schweinsschnitzel, Lachs Rösti, and Berliner Currywurst.

On 23 November 2022, 2 Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) officials from the Embassy of Singapore in Berlin, Ms. Shirah Nair, and Ms. Celine Teo, who was an ex-saint, shared with us about the history of Singapore and Germany relations and the current partnerships in their shared political interests. They also talked about their experiences of working in and moving to Germany.

Ms. Nair told us about how the relations had continued to build up even after the Cold War, and the unbounded friendship between our former Prime Minister, Mr. Lee Kuan Yew, and the former West German Chancellor, Helmut Schmidt, which has strengthened the Singapore-Germany relationship, allowing us to become like-minded and reliable partners in our respective regions today. She also told us that both countries have a strong belief in the commitment to free trade, multilateralism, and a rules-based global order which made our regular high-level exchanges possible. The exchanges include Chancellor Olaf Scholz's visit in November 2022 and our Prime Minister, Mr. Lee Hsien Loong's visit to Germany next month.

Before this session, I didn't know that Singapore and Germany share so many similar beliefs and interests, which grew other areas of cooperation between the countries, like Science and Technology partnerships and Cultural aspects as well. Both Singapore and Germany are multicultural and have an increasingly aging population.

Ms. Teo told us that she had a cultural shock when she first arrived in Berlin, Germany, due to the German's cold impressions and differences in weather and lifestyles that were led there, as compared to Singapore. However, both Ms. Nair and Ms. Teo agreed that Berlin is a very inclusive country and as much as they missed home, they still want to work and live in Germany to learn more about the world and continue meeting new people through their job, which they enjoy doing the most.        

To end, it was nice to meet some Singaporean speakers during this programme and to hear about their experiences of working and living in Germany. I applaud people like Ms. Nair and Ms. Teo, to choose to move out of their hometowns, and out of their comfort zones, to be greatly exposed to the rest of the world. I believe that a lot of courage and determination are required to work somewhere unfamiliar, and I am thankful to be able to have had this dialogue session with them.

On 23 November 2022, 3 Germans that are currently working and living in Singapore, Kristina, Frederik, and Denise, shared with us their experience and some things they have learned from Singaporeans thus far.

The 3 of them had quite different backgrounds and views of Singapore. While Kristina visited the Marina Bay Sands (MBS) on her visit here, Frederik visited Singapore way before MBS was even built, and had witnessed Singapore's growth throughout the years. However, both were influenced by their Singaporean or Malaysian friends which made them decide to move to Singapore. In Denise's case, she moved here while on her 3-year maternity leave and for her husband's career, with the aim of finding an adventure for her family.

I was taken aback when Kristina said she felt that Singaporeans were more direct than Germans, as this whole time, I was convinced through the other sessions that Germans were more outspoken than Singaporeans, who prefer to beat around the bush. Denise also said that one new thing she learned in Singapore was that making mistakes is good and beneficial for improvements and for one's development, which she found was most effective when she openly discussed her mistakes with her friends and colleagues too.

They agreed that by comparing Singapore to Germany, Singapore has greater accessibility and convenience, in terms of transportation and apps for cashless payments like PayNow. An advice they gave for our next overseas trip would be to have an open mind and to be curious about anything, asking the locals for explanations along the way to learn more about that particular country. Frederick added that our famous saying, "Work hard, play hard." can also be applied should we decide to study or work overseas in the future.

When I asked about their transition from Germany to Singapore, they mentioned about the many WhatsApp group chats they have to communicate with the large German Community here in Singapore, thus they did not have any issues integrating into our society.

Overall, I am happy to know how well Germans are accepted into our society and that they are having a positive experience here!

On 26 November 2022, the German European School Singapore (GESS) invited us to join them at their school's annual Christmas bazaar where the parents had set up booths all around the campus, selling miniatures, foods, and many more!

I learned that Christmas is a very important festive season for Germans, and thus the German school will ensure this Christmas event is possible every year for the student body as well as visitors. The bazaar was splendid, and the little children were singing loudly to Christmas carols while the GESS Jazz Band played songs, which was super adorable. I wished I had such a school event when I was a primary school kid too. 

Overall, it was an exciting event and nothing like a school event I've ever seen before.