Update on Yale-NUS College Partnership

Ms Tin Pei Ling asked the Minister for Education (a) if he will provide an update on the status of the Yale-NUS College partnership; (b) what is Singapore's stand on the resolution passed by Yale College's faculty members; and (c) what initiatives are put in place to promote an accurate and objective understanding of Singapore overseas.

Mr Heng Swee Keat: The Yale-NUS College is expected to admit its first cohort of students in August 2013. There is strong interest from students, and the College has received over 800 applications in its first admission exercise. It has also made good progress in faculty recruitment and curriculum development.

We share the disappointment expressed by NUS and many Singaporeans about the resolution passed by the Yale College faculty members. But this is essentially an internal issue to Yale, which is being addressed by the Yale administration. The Yale administration has also discussed with NUS on how they could jointly correct any misconceptions about Singapore among the different stakeholders of the university.

Several thoughtful Singaporeans and foreigners who understand Singapore well have written in various fora to provide fair and objective perspectives of our society. Indeed, how others view Singapore will be shaped to a large extent by their interactions with Singaporeans both here and overseas, whether it is in the course of their studies, work or their daily life. We must, therefore, continue to encourage such interactions. All of us have a role in helping others better understand Singapore, our values and our way of life.

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