FOURTH UNIVERSITY

FOURTH UNIVERSITY: 10.

Mrs Josephine Teo:

Mrs Josephine Teo asked the Minister for Education (a) if he will provide the reasons for the expected steady state enrolment of the fourth university being reduced from 12,000 to 4,000; and (b) whether the target to provide 30% of each cohort with university education opportunities by 2015 will still be met.

Mrs Josephine Teo asked the Minister for Education (a) if he will outline the scope of partnership between Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the fourth university; and (b) what steps are being taken to ensure that Singapore benefits from the partnership.

The Minister for Education (Dr Ng Eng Hen): The Member asked if the target to provide for 30% of each cohort to enter our public universities will still be met. The short answer is "yes". That is by 2015, we will be on track and that has not changed. The Member also asked on specifics of our enrolment. Let me use this opportunity to clarify.

The Committee on the expansion of the university sector, which was tasked to find ways in which to achieve this increase from the current 25% to 30%, recommended two main ways to achieve

Column: 840

this. One was the establishment of a new university and, second, through the expansion of the Polytechnic-Foreign Specialised Institution programmes.

Let me speak on the new university first. It was recently announced that the university will partner the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and a top Chinese university. MIT's involvement will be deep and extensive. Courses in modules which MIT will help to design are expected to be vigorous and are expected to stretch the students' capabilities. As such, students need to have the requisite academic standards to benefit from these programmes and we expect the admission standards of the new university to be high. All eligible Singaporeans who apply will be admitted, but we project that the new university will take in about 800 to 1,000 undergraduates each year at a steady state.

In our previous projections – the Member is correct – that one of the scenarios has a larger intake – about 2,000 a year – but this was before the specific US partner was confirmed. The smaller intake that we have now based our planning on, is realistic, considering the partnership with MIT in selecting students that will be best suited for the programmes. Together with the new university, the 30% cohort participation rate will be met through the establishment of the Singapore Institute of Applied Technology (SIAT) which will offer degree programmes and tie-ups with reputable foreign universities from around the world, in partnership with our polytechnics. The SIAT will create a new peak of excellence in our higher education landscape and, at the same time, expand opportunities available to students. The SIAT will provide around 2,000 full-time places annually by 2015. Polytechnic upgraders are expected to be able to obtain their degree from foreign universities after two years in SIAT, a shorter time compared to the length

Column: 841

required in existing public universities. We estimate that the Government will spend an estimated $1.6 billion to develop the SIAT over the next 10 years.

The Member asked for some details of MIT's involvement. As we all know, MIT is renowned internationally for its rigorous undergraduate education. It will help the new university develop an innovative science and technology curriculum, which will adopt best practices from MIT and have design as the integrating factor for different disciplines. MIT will also advise the university on its pedagogy and the academic structures.

In addition, MIT will also help kick-start the development on the new university's research capabilities. It will develop major research programmes that involve top-class faculty in partnership with the new university. MIT has committed to send its faculty to undertake teaching activities in research at the new university, and the newly recruited faculty of the new university here will spend up to a year in MIT participating in the activities on the MIT campus and collaborating with the MIT faculty in R&D. Student exchanges will also contribute to the close links between the two institutions.

I would like to assure Mrs Teo that the MIT leadership and faculty have expressed strong support for the partnership and the partnership will build on the strong educational and research linkages that already exist.

3.00 pm

Mr Speaker: Order. End of Question time.

[ Pursuant to Standing Order No. 22(3), Written Answers to Question Nos. 12-14, 20-25, 27-29, 32, 36-38 and 41 on the

Column: 842

Order Paper are reproduced in the Appendix*. Question Nos. 15-19, 26, 30-31, 33-35, 39-40 and 42 have been postponed to the next available sitting of Parliament. ]

*Cols. 867-898.