"After months of preparation for NOC, finally, here I am, in the heart of Sweden - Stockholm, the first European Green Capital.
Being part of the serene and liberal Swede lifestyle was indeed thrilling, but nothing beats the anticipation I had when I first met my employer in Organoclick AB, M�rten Hellberg or when I had the opportunity to meet Ms Olivia Lum, the CEO of Hyflux.
When you are in the NOC programme, you are among a fraternity of highly motivated people with similar goals of advancing themselves for future success.
Only two months in the NOC programme and I have already learned so much. I feel that I'm learning in an exponential rate here and I can't wait to see what the next ten months have in stored for me."

Nearly two months of residing and working in Stockholm has only but left me craving for more. What more do I exactly want?

• The motivation and excitement that your efforts and actions will be part of the new and revolutionary products waiting to be launched.

• The enthusiasm to be sitting in for every board meeting and being offered the chance to present your thoughts and ideas of ongoing projects.

• The anticipation of participating in class discussions and writing a feasible business proposal that is to be pitched to a panel of experienced venture capitalists.

Last but not least, it's one of the few opportunities in a lifetime to be able to have dynamic and personal communications with the Swedes.The occurrences of ‘fika’ (coffee break) and after-work chill out are just some of the relaxing times for interactions and each of such session has never failed to fill me in more on Swedish culture and lifestyles.

 Tack så mycket NOC! (Thank you so much NOC!) This will certainly be an extraordinary journey that I am already fond of.”

"Best experience of my life." Departing for Stockholm on the 12th Jan was sad and daunting. Imagine, leaving my comfort zone to a foreign land, with a foreign language and a gruelling weather. However, ever since I set foot in Sweden, it marked the beginning of a thrilling new experience. Experiencing the winter with snow is one of things that one can only dream of in Singapore. Coupled with the advantages of experiencing the working culture and challenges here, I have definitely matured and this has also broadened my social and thinking skills.? Most essentially, learning from and adapting to the widely encouraged entrepreneur environment here would definitely inspire and motivate one's dream and plans of being an entrepreneur. Lastly, with all the different food experiments, we would possess a much improved cutlery skills when we return. Absolutely fantastic! Thank you NOC."

Melvin Chng
NUS Computing
Intern with op5

"Winter is not exactly the best time of year in Stockholm with all the darkness and cold. You might get frustrated walking down the swampy road in the 3pm darkness or while cooped up in your room in a state of hibernation. But when you start to think how in a few months’ time, you will simply get over-pampered with the sunny lovely summer, when you can board a ferry into the heart of the Archipelago or just take a stroll up the Gamla Stan, you know the seemingly eternal winter is just part of a fair trade to balance it all out. The Swedish package promises a lot of balance, not just in the alternating seasons, but also between work and life, efficiency and leisure, team and individuality, risk and reward, and most importantly, similarity and difference in the very people you meet. There is no doubt I have become better informed about the culture and people in this foreign land. The immersion in an entrepreneurial setting also taught me all about what it means to take risks and seize opportunities for the ultimate return in life. I am deeply indebted to the caretaking effort of NOC for making all of this possible."

According to the Swedes, as much as they love their dear sun, when the Sun is out during winter, the temperature is always ironically lower. Another check on the long list of eye-opening (Never in Singapore)experiences I have encountered ever since landing here in Stockholm. A plethora of sensations bombard you everyday, be it the consistently stunning natural landscapes, the amicable Swedish hospitality, the exciting entrepreneurial work culture, and the unexplainable satisfaction of cooking a warm meal for yourself at the end of each day. Living here for just a couple of months, has not only broadened my horizons but allowed my ambitions for the future to grow by the minute. Everyday a new opportunity arises and simply awaits for you to seize it. Calling this a once-in-a lifetime opportunity just seems like a superfluous understatement to anyone who is fortunate enough to be on this ride. My sincere thanks to NOC.

?. Meeting a venture capitalist over a multi-million dollar investment,
2. Traveling hundreds of kilometers (around 5 times the width of Singapore) to finalize a collaboration project with an industrial partner,
3. And trying to figure out Fluid Dynamics (a much hated module back in NUS) and applying them in my company design
- These were the things I would never imagine myself doing 10,000km away from home in this strange land, and all in the first week at work in Cortus AB.
The program has facilitated the learning of the fundaments of entrepreneurship: from strategic market positioning to pure humility of getting a cup of coffee for your boss. It isn't easy to be a minority or being the one with a different accent for the first time, but it is certainly an invaluable and exciting experience to work in a different culture.

揟he NOC program is all about stepping into the unknown. Getting away from the comfort of home, friends and loved ones will be one of the many challenges. People will question your beliefs and many will doubt you. You might even have doubts yourself. But you know that your experience here will shape your actions and thoughts as a human being. As a fellow human being, you will be mover for change, for the betterment of others and yourself. My NOC stay so far has been an eventful one. We work hard and we immerse deeply into the culture as well. Even doing simple things like mushroom picking and watching the local football matches with my boss has thought me many meaningful things about life. Well, I would like to share more of this..but first of all - winter's coming and so is the snow!?

"I would like to thank NOC for giving me this opportunity of a lifetime.  It gave me the chance to jump out of my comfort zone, force me to do things which I would never ever consider back at home (*ahem* cooking). I have come to believe that if an individual is out of his or her comfort zone, there is no fear of failure because you possess nothing. It gives one a chance to try out as many new things as possible. By doing so, the individual is able to grow exponentially and discover the things he or she is passionate about. In a nutshell, NOC gives you a once in a lifetime opportunity to help you gain experience on entrepreneurship but in the bigger picture, NOC is the opportunity of your lifetime ?discover who you really are."

"Coming to Sweden, coming to Europe has been one of the best decisions I have made. Two months into my internship I am now very much part of the company and am no longer just an intern. I have been given this wonderful opportunity to truly experience what it means to start up a company and Forsslund Systems have become my family and my baby, as if I had started the company together with Jonas. Other than work, I've learnt to live life for what it really is and each day I rediscover what I truly want in life. Being involved in many activities in Europe, from attending conferences, planning activities and events, running in zero degrees, and just having lots of laughter and joy with my friends, it has opened my world to a myriad of opportunities and possibilities. Even if I am doing the same things as i had done in Singapore, the lessons that i have learnt before are always reinforced and enhanced. I look forward to each new day because it brings along with it new experiences and new perspectives. This experience is one that had been pivotal in my life and I can't wait to see what comes next. NOC does not end with my internship, but it is merely the beginning. A brand new day is dawning and with joy and great anticipation, I await it's arrival.

."

"Two words ?Stockholm Syndrome.

This program takes you down, punishes you with the myriads of reports, the perpetual battle with internship tasks and school projects, dealing with foreign languages, accommodating to sub-zero temperatures amplified further with the missing of family, friends and home-cooked food only to find yourself waking up every morning yearning for more.

A life-changing experience indeed.?/p>

Fazli Mansor
NUS Computing
Intern with op5 AB

"Cutting to the chase:
Wow, Sweden? Yes, cool huh. Is it cold there? Noses have been dropping off. What's the food like? Enough meatballs to feed Indonesia. What do you do there? Pick nose off the floor, work as an intern, eat meatballs,travel Europe, study entrepreneurship from the experts, and learn so much about people who are so different from us and yet so similar. Do you miss Singapore and NUS? I'll have to be dragged onto the plane to fly home, but you can't believe how much more you'll appreciate what we've had all along. So what are you waiting for? Apply for NOC, experience the life-changing goodness for a greater purpose in our home nations."

"There are no words to describe the wonderful journey that I have been part of in this beautiful country filled with warm and friendly people. If I just say that I have learned a lot from my experiences here, it is simply an understatement. It is more like something inside me has changed for the good. Meeting people from diverse backgrounds with a strong entrepreneurial spirit and overflowing with positive energy has truly inspired me to follow the paths that they have embarked on to fulfill their dreams and ambitions. My company, LogMaster Systems, has been treating me not like an employee but more like a part of their family. They have constantly been giving me opportunities where I can learn more and increase my knowledge. My boss Klas motivated me to learn Swedish and today if I can speak quite fluently it is definitely because of his encouragement. I cannot thank them enough for all that they have done for me. A life-changing (might sound a bit clich閐, but I cannot find a better word) experience indeed, with umpteen opportunities to find, discover and explore a new you. Jag 鋖skar Sverige and vill inte resa tillbaks (I LOVE SWEDEN and I don't want to go back)!"

"Every passing minute is a chance to turn it all around.” Indeed, it's that very moment of sending my application to NOC as I teetered on the verge of uncertainty that sprung me off onto this journey. It has been a ride, I would say, as I have experienced and learnt so many things that would not have been possible without first daring myself to take on this rarely threaded path. I'm glad I'm given this opportunity, and am even more glad to have known so many amazing people who have made an impact to my life. The sheer entrepreneurial passion of my bosses Björn, Anders and Agneta have constantly spurred me to simply 'do it', instead of creating never-ending lists of business ideas. Well, things might not always work out as expected, but at least, NOC has given me a good headstart. Let's hope my first venture Totallyhotstuff.com could attest to the merits of taking the plunge into this awesome programme!”

Luke Chong
NUS Business
Intern with Kista MedKom Center

Juliana Ung
NUS Computing
Intern with SenseGraphics AB

Tai Xu Hong
NUS Environmental Engineering
Intern with Attana AB

Mahesh Kumar
NUS Computing
Intern with Result AB

“A life-changing, eye-opening adventure strung together with unexpected surprises, amazing experiences, new friends and countless lessons learnt both in and outside the office. Clichéd? Not if you were an NOC entrepreneur like me in Stockholm!”

Harpreet Singh
NUS Mechanical Engineering
Intern with myFC AB

“Looking back, I simply can't imagine going through life having not experienced the sheer awesomeness that this program encapsulates."

Bernice Chua
NUS Arts & Social Sciences
Intern with myFC AB

Cheryl Ng Shu-Ling
NUS Life Sciences
Intern with Mabtech AB

"Note to self: Never ever eat ice-cream when its -2 degrees outside! Even if the seniors tell you to!" But seriously, Stockholm has been everything I've imagined it to be so far. It is clean, the people are always at hand to give you a smile, the city is run efficiently and the architecture can take your breath away, or your digital camera space, if you like taking photos as much as me! It has indeed been a terrific opportunity, to be experiencing a totally different culture from the one I have grown so used to back home. It has only been a short time, but already I am adapting and learning so many things, most of which I cannot find in the classroom. As for the NOC program, it is a wonderful opportunity to experience the hustle and bustle of working life, and I can assure anyone that an internship here is nothing like the ones back home. The fast-paced life of an intern in a start-up company is a real eye-opener, and I already feel I am better for the experience.

I will miss home, but I am really glad I took up this opportunity. I have NO regrets. Thank you NOC!"

Harpreet Singh
NUS Mechanical Engineering
Intern with myFC AB

Alison Wee
NUS Life Sciences
Intern with Curictus AB

Huang Sipei
NUS Chemical Engineering
Intern with HLB Catheter AB

Ramkumar Shankar
NUS Computer Engineering
Intern with SenseGraphics AB

Jeffrey Lim
NUS Computer Engineering
Intern with Columbitech AB

Rameez Akram
NUS Electrical Engineering
Intern with Columbitech AB

"My internship at Attana has reinforced my understanding of specific competencies and strategies that are essential for a start-up. The support and contribution that I make largely depend on new initiatives and market needs. Conventional methods in Sales and Marketing are important but the thought processes behind it are dynamic and far thinking. I believe that immersion in this atmosphere and daily interaction with founders and colleagues is a valuable experience in the context of what is at stake."