PM Lee launched Yale-NUS College -11Apr2011

SINGAPORE: World-renown organisations have come on board as internship partners at the Yale-NUS College.

That's a strong signal that corporations value an education in liberal arts, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

Mr Lee on Monday officiated at the launch of Singapore's first liberal arts college.

Representatives from the Ivy League institution Yale and the National University of Singapore caught their first glimpse on Monday, of the campus.

Spanning about seven football fields -- or 4.68 hectares -- it will boast three residential colleges and other facilities including a gymnasium, science labs, and recording studios.

In 2013, the campus will be a hive of activity, as students move from their rooms to the dining halls, to even a performing arts centre.

Some will even have the chance to set up their own businesses within the college.

Mr Lee said this collaboration has been a complicated project because of differences in social and political contexts.

But Singapore, he said, is a society that constantly wants to change.

"Among Asian societies, I would say Singapore is probably the least dissimilar in ethos to Western societies," Mr Lee said.

"We're open and rational, we hold up the spirit of inquiry, we encourage independent thinking."

While NUS declined to reveal building costs, its president, Professor Tan Chorh Chuan, described the budget to be "sufficient" for it to be competitive against similar colleges in the United States.

The Singapore government will be funding the Yale-NUS College.

Mr Lee said: "But we hope the community will also support it generously through philanthropic gifts.

"The college hopes to build up a sizeable endowment to attain a more stable financial footing".

Since the green light was given just over a week ago to launch the school, more than 30 organisations and companies have offered to be internship partners.

Familiar names include the United Nations, Singapore's Public Service Division, and luxury fashion label Chanel.

This is a sign indicating industries want something more out of a university graduate.

DBS Asset management CEO Deborah Ho said:"Banking, as a discipline, is not just focused on a narrow skill set.

"Apart from academic (achievement), non-academic excellence, independent thought and having the courage to be able to do things differently would be things that we'll be looking for, going forward".

This is where Yale-NUS College wants to step in.

The four-year course will emphasise the comparative learning of different world civilisations and cultures, incorporating the study of Asian histories, societies, cultures, economies and politics.

The first and second year will consist of a range of core subjects, with students selecting a major course of study in their third and fourth years.

Yale University president Richard Levin said: "We're on the leading edge of a historic trend, I believe. So while parents still may have some resistance, I think the tide is running this direction".

Professor Tan of NUS said: "Students today, many of them are still focussed on disciplinary studies.

"But I think that this will evolve over time. I think it's important that we move more towards a deeper appreciation of the fact that 'broad-based' does not mean 'of no value', if you know what I mean.

"In fact, one can think the converse that in the future, broad-based may be more valued than narrow specialisation".

According to professor Levin, Yale University admits up to 1,300 students a year and only about three or four come from Singapore.

He said he believes the college will provide more opportunities for Yale hopefuls here.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Singapore
• Prime
• Minister
• Lee
• Hsien
• Loong
• LHL
• University
• education
• NUS
• Yale
• NTU
• SMU

[butterflye2020]

@lalaalala1 Shame on Yale for they know exactly the kind of totalitarian state Singapore is. The leaders of Singapore know no shame though they shame their citizens and their country. When the government of any society believe they are above international laws, standards, and norms such as Singapore does, it is only a matter of time before they must be dealt with.

[lalaalala1]

@butterflye2020 I don't think anyone should criticise Singapore unless you are a resident there. You do not know the current state of affairs in my country well enough.

[n1choletan]

I have a question- What's the difference between Yale-NUS and NUS?

[butterflye2020]

Absolutely disgusting that Yale would partner with any police-state such as Singapore that derides and robs it's own citizens of their basic personal freedoms and civil rights, and a country that tortures and beats males for minor offenses. Yales reputation can only, and should, suffer as a result of this.