SINGAPORE - Half of Nanyang Polytechnic (NYP)'s students go on at least one overseas stint during their time at the school, either on academic attachments or internships at tertiary institutions or companies.

NYP's director of student care and guidance Chai Kuek Heng said these overseas programmes "encourage students to go beyond their classrooms and develop a global mindset that is necessary to take on the challenges of a fast-changing world".

"We also have financial assistance schemes in place to ensure that deserving students from financially-challenged backgrounds do not miss out on such programmes," he added.

In late 2015, food science and nutrition student Leo Qiao Wei , 22, spent three months in Zurich, Switzerland, on an attachment at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences.

Sai Ms Leo, who got a taste of working in a vineyard when she was there: "It was an amazing trip. I learnt about wine, culture, the (local) language."

Every year, more than 100 Business Management students go on exchange trips to one of 56 universities in 18 countries, as part of the Overseas Student Exchange Programme.

NYP, offering a total of 47 diploma courses ranging from business management to game design, has just launched a new diploma in sustainable architectural design.

This year's NYP open house event will run till Saturday (Jan 7).