Meet Syaiful Iylia, one of our 2020 NLB Scholars, who is now pursuing a degree in Politics and Philosophy at the London School of Economics (LSE), and seizing the vibrant learning opportunities available under the scholarship, including the summer school programme on Diplomacy: Theory and Practice and a French language elective in France last year. Syaiful is eager and excited to apply his knowledge to contribute to enhancing the resources and programmes in his areas of study.

Beyond classroom learning, Syaiful has picked up more invaluable insights along the way. He has learnt to thrive in an environment with diverse cultures different from what he had experienced growing up in Singapore. Actively involved in the Singapore Society at LSE, he has helped build bonds and forged a deep sense of community among the Singaporean students, and to create a home away from home. His term break travels to other parts of Europe, including museums, also helped him to gain a deeper appreciation for the arts and literature and their impact on human civilisation.

Meet Yelani S Bopitiya, one of our 2021 NLB Scholars who is a Year 2 Arts student at the Yale-NUS College.

She chose the NLB scholarship as she saw a good fit between NLB's mission and her own aspiration - to create possibilities for everyone. She believes that her multidisciplinary undergraduate studies will help her better understand and serve the needs of the community, and imagine new possibilities to help others increase their access to knowledge and opportunities.