About Us
What is SSAJ?
The Singapore Students' Association (Japan), or 在日シンガポール留学生協会 in Japanese, looks after the welfare of Singaporeans who are pursuing their studies in Japan. A majority of our members are students who pursue their undergraduate studies, graduate studies, doctoral studies, as well as exchange programmes. We are based in Tokyo, and aim to look after the welfare of Singapore students across Japan. We are supported by the Embassy of the Republic of Singapore in Tokyo, the Japanese University Graduate Association of Singapore, and the Singapore Global Network. We have been active since 2008.
Our Exco
The SSAJ Executive Committee, or Exco, consists of SSAJ members who serve one year terms in a variety of roles. The Exco currently consists of the roles of the President, Internal Vice-President, External Vice-President, Treasurer, and Secretary. All of these roles are put up for election during the SSAJ Annual General Meeting held each year, and are open to all members.
The tl;dr of each role:
President: Oversees the vision, direction, and operations of the Exco
Internal Vice-President: Leads the organisation of SSAJ activities and co-manages its social media platforms
External Vice-President: Liaises with external partners for sponsorships or career-related opportunities
Treasurer: Manages the budget of the Exco, handles funding requests, and holds onto the reserves
Secretary: Handles administrative matters of the Exco including minute-taking, maintaining the website, and co-manages its social media platforms.
Our Members
Any Singapore citizen or permanent resident enrolled in an officially recognised educational institution in Japan, including but not limited to Universities, Junior Colleges, Professional Training Institutes, and Language Schools, are eligible to be members of SSAJ.
Students enrolled in officially recognised educational institutions in Singapore and who are residing in Japan with a visa allowing a stay of more than ninety (90) days, are also eligible to be members of SSAJ. (The translation: students on long-term exchange programmes in Japan can join us!)
Goals for the 2020-22
Executive Committee
Empowerment
We want to empower you with the resources to run their own events and initiatives:
Be it funding, skills, or publicity, we want to be there for you, so that you can make your ideas come true. These could be as simple as a board games night and as complicated as a Pokemon cosplay marathon; you’ll never know your limits until you share your ideas!
Regionality
Going beyond Tokyo:
While most of the Singaporeans studying in Japan are Tokyo-based, we are hoping to better engage people living outside the capital. If you’re living outside of Tokyo, we've launched regional chats to better build the SSAJ community.
*If you are already an SSAJ member - the sign-up link for our new chats can be found on our communication channels!
Orientation
Welcome to Japan:
We've launched the 4th edition of the "Student's Guide to Life in Japan", i.e. your beginner's handbook to navigating the web of paperwork, getting a phone number, registering for your My Number card... There may be a fair bit of things to do when you first move in, but we've got you covered! Anything you need to know about living in Japan is in there!
We're also reviving the SSAJ Family Programme (that’s right, kazoku 家族) to give new students a familiar touchpoint especially when they first arrive in Japan.
Informality
Interact with your fellow Singaporean students:
We’re not saying you shouldn’t have a diverse group of friends, but sometimes you just want to find someone else in the country who has shared your 2-week-long 1am cravings for kaya toast.
We hope to create a network of informal chat groups for all sorts of purposes - think casual anime chats, gaming chats, batch chats (e.g. batch of autumn 20/21), and regional groups.
Awareness
Dispelling myths about studying in Japan:
We are working on a Study in Japan portal for Singapore-based students. On the portal, we will consolidate information about English and Japanese courses, as well as scholarship options for studying in Japan. In the future, we also hope to set up booths and share our experiences at Higher Education Fairs in various schools in Singapore. If you have information that you would like to contribute or recommend, please contact us!
Meet the 2022-23
Executive Committee

Wu Shao Chi
President
Shao Chi is currently a first-year student studying global political economics at Waseda University. As someone who enjoys politics, he likes to discuss political issues and ideas with people around him. Some hobbies of his include basketball and photography. Despite currently not owning a pet dog, he is a huge dog lover and would love to have a fluffy pet dog in the future.

Samuel Eng
Treasurer
Samuel is a third year undergraduate student at Waseda University. He is an aspiring fashionista that regularly visits shopping streets in Japan and occasionally bakes sweets when has the time. He enjoys interacting with people both in English and in Japanese, and has made it his goal to serve as a bridge between the Singaporean and Japanese communities. From time to time a casual chu-hi or lemon sour is just the pick-up he needs.

Keziah Lam
Internal Vice-President
Keziah is a first year student at Waseda’s School of International Liberal Studies who spends too much time and money on gacha and Rilakkuma goods. Please let her know if you are successful at recreating yuan yang peng with Japanese supermarket ingredients or if you have any ideas for future initiatives or events!

Yasha Lai
Secretary
Yasha is a second year Master’s student studying in the University of Tokyo’s Information, Technology, and Society in Asia (ITASIA) Programme. She can often be found searching for good bread and coffee, making a mess in a pottery studio, or unceremoniously falling down from bouldering walls. In her term, she hopes to introduce as many people as possible to her favourite bakery in Tokyo, and (more importantly) support the SSAJ community behind the scenes!

Bryan Lim
External Vice-President
Bryan is currently studying Economics at Waseda University's School of Political Science and Economics. In his free time, he likes listening (and sometimes singing) mandopop music and watching J-Dramas. It is also not uncommon to find him cuddling cute and fluffy soft toys. He hopes to create a warm and supportive SSAJ community for students looking to pursue their education in Japan!
Past Executive Committee Members
Exco Term | Position | Name |
---|---|---|
2008-2010 | President | Ms XU Yinghui |
2008-2010 | Vice-President | Mr Gerald CHOO Chong Yu |
2008-2010 | Treasurer | Mr POH Shin |
2010-2011 | President | Mr NG Ying Jian |
2010-2011 | Vice-President | Mr KU Ka Tsai |
2010-2011 | Public Relations Officer | Ms Rebecca LEE |
2010-2011 | Treasurer | Mr Jonathan QUEK |
2010-2011 | Executive Secretary | Ms Christal HAN |
2011-2012 | President | Mr NG Ying Jian |
2011-2012 | 1st Vice-President | Mr POH Shin |
2011-2012 | 2nd Vice-President | Ms Michelle HO |
2011-2012 | Public Relations Officer | Mr LEE Chee How |
2011-2012 | Treasurer | Mr Jonathan QUEK |
2011-2012 | Executive Secretary | Ms OH Xuemin |
2012-2013 | President | Mr LEE Chee How |
2012-2013 | 1st Vice-President | Mr Kevin KOH |
2012-2013 | 2nd Vice-President | Ms TAN Heng Jie |
2012-2013 | Public Relations Officer | Ms Emily LEK |
2012-2013 | Treasurer | Mr YEO Kee Sheng |
2012-2013 | Executive Secretary | Mr Glen WIRAWAN PODIONO |
2013-2014 | President | Mr Matthew GE |
2013-2014 | Vice-President | Mr Nicholas WONG |
2013-2014 | Vice-President | Ms CAO Lei |
2013-2014 | Public Relations Department | Ms LEE Shu Shien |
2013-2014 | Treasurer | Mr NAM Liang Cheng |
2013-2014 | Executive Secretary | Ms Jasmine KWEK |
2014-2015 | President | Mr Royce LEE |
2014-2015 | 1st Vice-President | Mr Austin ZENG |
2014-2015 | 2nd Vice-President | Mr Bryan KUEK |
2014-2015 | Public Relations Officer | Ms THAM Wan Xin |
2014-2015 | Treasurer | Ms Stephanie SIM |
2014-2015 | Executive Secretary | Ms Chermaine LEONG |
2015-2016 | President | Ms Avena TAN |
2015-2016 | Vice-President | Ms NIU Yihao |
2015-2016 | Treasurer | Mr Charles Nicholas LIM |
2015-2016 | Secretary | Ms Leanne YAP |
2015-2016 | Public Relations Officer | Mr LAN Yingjie |
2015-2016 | 2nd Vice-President (Former) | Ms Rachel QUAH |
2016-2017 | President | Ms Dionne NG |
2016-2017 | 1st Vice-President | Ms TENG Siao Shuen |
2016-2017 | 2nd Vice-President | Mr YEO Quan Yi |
2016-2017 | Public Relations Officer | Mr KOH You Liang |
2016-2017 | Treasurer | Ms Rachel TAN |
2016-2017 | Secretary | Ms NG Cheryl |
2017-2018 | President | Ms Sarah GOH |
2017-2018 | 1st Vice-President | Ms Vanessa HOW |
2017-2018 | 2nd Vice-President | Mr TEO Shu De |
2017-2018 | Public Relations Officer | Ms Natalie LIM |
2017-2018 | Treasurer | Ms SEO Kai Hsin |
2017-2018 | Secretary | Ms OH Yong Ting |
2018-2019 | President | Ms Sarah LIM |
2018-2019 | Executive Vice-President | Ms Bernice PUA |
2018-2019 | Internal Vice-President | Ms CHEONG Zhi Yin |
2018-2019 | Public Relations Officer | Mr Jorel CHAN |
2018-2019 | Treasurer | Ms Germaine LAU |
2018-2019 | Secretary | Ms Anthea WANG |
2018-2019 | 1st Vice-President (Former) | Mr HO Yao Nian |
2019-2020 | President | Mr TAN Aik Hui |
2019-2020 | Executive Vice President | Ms ZHU Xiuhua |
2019-2020 | Internal Vice President | Mr Ryan WONG Tian Hong |
2019-2020 | Public Relations Officer | Ms PNG Jacqueline
|
2019-2020 | Treasurer | Ms Zealyn HENG Shi Lin
|
2019-2020 | Secretary | Ms Kaoru YAP
|
2020-2022 | President | Mr Jeremy JEE De Sheng |
2020-2022 | Internal Vice-President | Ms CHAN Qiu Qing |
2020-2022 | External Vice-President | Mr Norman TAN |
2020-2022 | Treasurer | Ms TAN Yi Ning |
2020-2022 | Secretary | Ms TEOH Xin Yi |
2021-2022 | Internal Vice-President | Mr TSENG Kuo Chuan |
2021-2022 | External Vice-President | Ms Charisia ONG |
2021-2022 | External Vice-President | Mr WONG Wei Jun |
2021-2022 | Treasurer | Ms TENG Shi Ru |
2021-2022 | Secretary | Mr Bryan LIM Wei Leong |
2022-2023 | President | Mr WU Shao Chi |
2022-2023 | Internal Vice-President | Ms Keziah LAM |
2022-2023 | External Vice-President | Mr Bryan LIM Wei Leong |
2022-2023 | Treasurer | Mr Samuel ENG |
2022-2023 | Secretary | Ms Yasha LAI |
Contact Us
You can reach us at general.ssaj@ssaj.net. We will strive to get back to you in 3 to 5 working days.
Social Media
You can reach us through a variety of different social media platforms. We have both external-facing and internal-facing platforms.
To get access to the internal-facing platforms, please do sign up with us! Note that only SSAJ members can get access to the internal-facing platforms.
You can follow our external-facing platforms below: