Graduation 2020: Jeromy Chua Kai Ching

International undergraduates form an important contingent of the Class of 2020. This year, students from the Philippines, Fiji, Cambodia, Singapore, Papua New Guinea, Malaysia, Lebanon, Vietnam, Pakistan and Thailand will graduate from UNSW Canberra.

Jeromy Chua Kai Ching, a Training Officer from Singapore, will graduate with a Bachelor of Arts degree, majoring in Indonesian studies and geography.

He said studying at UNSW Canberra enabled him to pursue a unique major in Indonesian studies, while also providing the opportunity to develop his military leadership at the Australian Defence Force Academy.

“Being put into a learning environment filled with counterparts from various countries and services is also very motivating, inspiring me to want to better myself in both the military and academic aspect,” Jeromy said.

The highlights of Jeromy’s studies proved to be immersive experiences across offered across both of his majors.

“In my first year, I had the chance to visit Mount Kosciuszko to learn about field sketching and about the alpine ecosystem there,” Jeromy said.

“In my second year, I travelled to Indonesia for a cultural and language immersion program for two weeks, which was really eye opening and allowed me to practice my Bahasa there.”

Jeromy will remain in Australia, continuing his studies at the Royal Military College Duntroon next year.

He will return to UNSW Canberra in 2022 to complete his honours degree before heading back to Singapore as a Platoon Commander.

It’s a path he recommends to other international defence student.

“While the thought of moving away from home for studies may seem daunting, the opportunity to study in UNSW Canberra is truly unique and one that should not be missed out on.”