The world is coming to Singapore these days, thanks to the thriving private education sector.

Minister of State for Trade and Industry Lee Yi Shyan noted that Singapore has become a popular study destination for international students, whose numbers rose from 86,000 in 2007 to 97,000 last year.

Take the Beach Road campus shared by the Raffles Design Institute and Raffles Merchandising School, as well as the Raffles Education Corp College. Enter the campus on a school day and you will be greeted by student chatter in various languages.

No wonder since the majority of the student population hail from more than 20 different countries - a real boon when it comes to the cross-pollination of ideas.

RUSSIA

Elena Oleynikova, 22, from Kamishin, Russia, is in the first year of her Specialist Diploma in Applied Psychology course at the Raffles Education Corp College.

MISSES... a snowy New Year's Eve

'Russia always has lots of snow in December and January. When I think of New Year's Eve, I think of snow falling, the smell of my mum's cooking and the voices of family and friends.'

HUNGRY FOR... Solyanka

'It's a special soup we have, with lots of meat, vegetables and tomato puree in it.'

SINGAPORE IS... very hot

'It is summer here 12 months of the year whereas in Russia, the temperature can drop to -30 deg C in winter. But I don't mind the cold as we can go skiing or snowboarding, and as kids we can play with the snow outdoors.'

MONGOLIA

Khulan Khishigbayar, 19, from Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, is in the final year of her Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Business (Banking&Finance) course at the Raffles Education Corp College.

MISSES... the Naadam festival

'For three days in July, we have horse-riding, wrestling and archery competitions. We wear our national costumes, go to the countryside for the horse-riding and to the stadium for the wrestling.'

HUNGRYFOR... Buuz and Khuushuur

'I can't get traditional Mongolian food here. My mum usually makes Buuz and Khuushuur, which are dumplings filled with mince meat. Buuz are steamed and Khuushuur are fried. I like octopus, crab and prawns, which I had for the first time here. We don't get seafood as Mongolia is landlocked.'

SINGAPOREANS... ask the same questions about Mongolia

'People here always ask if I live in a yurt and if I ride a horse to school when I say I'm from Mongolia. I have to explain that I live in a city, in an apartment and get around in a car.'

UKRAINE

Ganna Zheleznova, 22, from the Crimea Peninsula, Ukraine, is in the final year of her Bachelor of Commerce (Hospitality Management)course at the Raffles Education Corp College.

MISSES... good,cheap booze and long school holidays

'A good beer, for example something like Tiger beer here, would cost about $2 to$3 in Ukraine.

'I miss having three months of summer holidays and three weeks' break for the New Year holidays.'

HUNGRYFOR... chicken rice and roti prata

'When I first came to Singapore, I was crazy about chicken rice and roti prata. For three to four months, they were the only food I ate until I got sick of them.'

SINGAPOREANS... are friendlier but more self-conscious

'In our culture,we don't smile or say 'hi' to random people, so when I first came to Singapore, people thought I was cold.

'However, people here are more afraid of what others think of them.When I go out clubbing, it is rare to see people really having fun as they are too self-conscious.'

FRENCH POLYNESIA

Mr Philippe Faure, 32, from Tahiti, French Polynesia, is in the first year of his Bachelor of Design (Product Design) at Raffles Design Institute

BACK HOME... there are many mixed marriages.

'Most people in Tahiti have mixed parentage as the Tahitians, French and Chinese inter-marry. I am half-Chinese and half-French myself.'

HUNGRY FOR... raw fish, Tahitian-style

'Singapore food is wonderful so I don't really miss Tahitian food, except maybe for this traditional dish of raw fish with coconut milk, served with tomato, onion and cucumber.'

SINGAPORE... has sophisticated public transport

'Public transportation here is so nice, everything is air-conditioned, unlike back home where it is older and less comfortable.'

SWEDEN

Miss Rebecka Varvouzos, 24, from Stockholm, Sweden, is in the second year of her Advanced Diploma in Jewellery Design course at Raffles Design Institute

MISSES... the Midsummer Festival

'It is the longest day of the year. We pick flowers to make wreaths and put up a maypole, which we then dance around!'

HUNGRYFOR... Swedish hard bread

'We usually eat this type of bread with cheese, caviar or ham. I can get Swedish meatballs at Ikea, but my mum does it better. I like spicy food so I like the food here, but I refuse to try pigs organ soup.'

SINGAPORE... gets lots of rain

'I've never seen so much rain before, and also thunder and lightning, which I don't really like. But it's okay as long as I'm inside when it storms.'

MALAYSIA

Mr Daniel Tiong, 22, from Sarawak, Malaysia, is in the final year of his Bachelor of Design (Interior Design) course at Raffles Design Institute

BACKHOME... we get a day off on the King's birthday

'Each of the nine states in Malaysia has a Sultan. The King is elected from among them every five years. The public holiday changes when a different Sultan is elected.

HUNGRYFOR... Kolo Mee

'It's the most popular noodles in Sarawak. I grew up eating it. You can find it in Singapore now under a different name' QQ Mian. But it tastes slightly different.'

SINGAPOREANS... think Sarawakis one big jungle

'Many people here think Sarawak has no cities. They think we travel by boat and live in the jungle. They are surprised to find out that we have an international airport.'