NANYANG TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY BILL

Order for Second Reading read.

The Minister for Education (Dr Tony Tan Keng Yam): Mr Speaker, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time."

Sir, 10 years have elapsed since the establishment of Nanyang Technological Institute (NTI) in August 1981. During this period, NTI has made significant progress. The Institute has expanded its physical facilities and increased its student enrolment from just under 600 students in 1982 to the present enrolment of just over 7,000 undergraduate and postgraduate students. Starting with courses in Civil, Electrical and Mechanical Engineering, NTI has since expanded its course offerings to include Accountancy, Business and Computer Technology. In the past 10 years, NTI has produced over 5,600 graduates in Engineering and Accountancy. These graduates have been well accepted both locally as well as by the international academic community. It is timely to upgrade NTI and establish it as a full-fledged comprehensive university.

The Bill before the House seeks to formally establish the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) by legislation. The Bill is patterned along the lines of the National University of Singapore Act but appropriate modifications have been made where necessary.

Sir, I shall now deal briefly with the significant provisions of the Bill. Clause 3 of the Bill formally establishes and incorporates the Nanyang Technological University. The functions and powers of the NTU are specified in clause 5. The University's functions and powers include the provision of facilities to carry out instruction and research in various disciplines and the conferring of degrees, diplomas and certificates including honorary degrees and other distinctions.

Clause 6 provides that the University shall be governed by the provisions of the University's Constitution as set out in the Schedule to the Act. As in the case of the Constitution of the National University of Singapore, the Minister is empowered, on the advice of the University's Council, to amend the University's Constitution by order publicised in the Gazette. This flexibility is necessary as occasions may arise in future when the University's Constitution has to be amended.

Clauses 8 to 12 which relate to the accounts and the audit of accounts of the University, the submission of an Annual Report to the Minister and the grant and acquisition of land for the purposes of the University are standard provisions.

Clause 17 deals with the transitional provisions. All property, assets, rights and liabilities of the NTI will be transferred to NTU. All staff of NTI will become staff of NTU.

In addition to the above transitional provisions, clause 15 will empower the Minister to make rules to provide for the removal of any difficulty which may arise by reason of the establishment of the NTU and the dissolution of NTI and generally for the purpose of effecting the transition from NTI to NTU.

Sir, the Constitution of NTU follows closely that of the National University of Singapore but again with appropriate modifications. The President of the Republic of Singapore shall be the Chancellor of NTU. The Chief Executive of NTU will be its President. The governing body of NTU will be the Council which will have 16 members. Of these, five members, inclusive of the NTU President, will be appointed from among the University's academic staff. Four persons will be appointed by the Chancellor and the other four persons will be appointed by the Government. Three persons will be appointed by the Council, of whom one shall be a graduate of NTU or the National University of Singapore.

The University will have an Academic Board which will have the responsibility for the control and general direction of instruction, research and examinations and will have the power to award degrees, diplomas and certificates. The President of NTU will be the Chairman of the Academic Board.

Sir, to guide the development of NTU as a comprehensive University, I appointed a Committee in May last year under the chairmanship of Dr Michael Fam, Chairman of NTI Council, to take stock of NTI and to recommend the broad future directions for NTU. The Committee has completed its deliberations and its recommendations have been approved by Government. The full details are being released by NTI today but I would like to highlight the main points for the information of Members.

Sir, the overall aim for NTU is to develop it as a comprehensive University with general academic excellence and niches of international eminence. As a comprehensive University competing with the National University of Singapore (NUS), NTU will offer courses from a wide variety of disciplines and break away from the mould of NTI which offered only technology related courses. To compete effectively with NUS and to offer Singaporeans a choice, NTU will not seek to copy NUS but will consciously develop on a different model based on the American Ivy League Universities. The significant difference between the British model, which influences NUS, and the American model lies in the preparedness of the American Universities not to be tied down to traditional disciplines. Universities in America have been prepared to offer tertiary education in new and important areas such as business studies, hotel management and communication studies long before British Universities came to accept the academic credentials of such disciplines.

Sir, the character of a University is determined by the courses that it conducts. NTU will build on its present strengths in engineering, accountancy and business and add new courses based on these strengths. Due to the limited manpower of NTU, the introduction of these new courses will be prioritised and will be in stages.

From 1991, NTU will offer courses inEducation through the National Institute of Education. In addition, NTU will offer courses in hotel administration in 1992 and communication studies in 1993. A degree programme in hotel administration will be in high demand as there are good prospects in the tourism, travel, hotel and leisure sectors. The degree programme in hotel administration will provide the manpower needed to sustain and further develop Singapore's international eminence in this sector. Similarly, the degree programme in communication studies will produce graduates for public affairs and public relations departments in Government Ministries and the private sector, advertising and media consultancy, journalism, printing and publishing industry and the audio, video and film industry. Beyond 1993, NTU could set up degree courses in fine arts and design, architecture or other professional areas which are considered to be important for Singapore.

Postgraduate studies and research are key factors in determining the international standing of NTU as a University. A good postgraduate and research programme is necessary to help the University to retain good staff. NTU's strategy in this field will be to extend collaboration with both local agencies and international centres of excellence. NTU has linked up with the MIT Sloan School of Management to establish a five-year programme in management teaching and research. NTU is collaborating with the Loughborough University of Technology in the area of teacher training. NTU will also set up the Institute of Manufacturing Technology as a flagship activity with assistance from the Fraunhofer Institute in Germany.

NTU presently has an enrolment of 6,800 undergraduate students. As NTU increases its courses, the undergraduate student population will expand but will be limited to a maximum of 15,000 students. The experience of NUS shows that beyond 15,000 students, the management of the University becomes difficult and the University becomes impersonal.

To support the teaching and research facilities and housing of students, NTU will consciously seek to develop a campus village to provide facilities for social interaction of students, staff and the local community. NTU will also provide residential facilities for students in view of the distance from town and to enhance the quality of campus life. The cost of the development to provide for the academic, teaching and student facilities for NTU is estimated to be in the region of $500 million.

In August last year when I spoke at the 10th Anniversary Dinner of the National University of Singapore, I mentioned that it would be prudent for Universities in Singapore to prepare for the day when they would have to compete with other tertiary institutions or other sectors of education for a limited pool of Government funds. I suggested then that the Universities should seek to lessen their dependence on direct Government financing by charging appropriate student fees and by establishing endowment funds. I am therefore pleased to note that this suggestion has been taken up by NTU.

Clause 29 of the University's Constitution provides for the setting up of an Endowment Fund Committee for the administration of any endowments established for or in connection with the University. NUS, Sir, is also considering setting up an endowment fund and the Ministry of Education is discussing with the two Universities as to how Government can assist them to build up their endowment funds.

Sir, NTU will build on the current strengths of NTI which are closely linked with industry and business. With the implementation of the above measures, NTU will develop into a significant institution of learning which can make an important contribution to Singapore's progress. When fully developed, NTU will play a crucial role in training the highly-skilled manpower which will help us to run successfully the next lap in our social and economic development.

Sir, I beg to move.

Question proposed.

Dr Ong Chit Chung (Bukit Batok): Mr Speaker, Sir, I rise in support of the Bill.

The Education GPC welcomes the upgrading of NTI into a full-fledged University. This, we believe, will provide young Singaporeans with more opportunities for higher education in a wide spectrum of disciplines.

NTU is our second University, but it must never be allowed to be second rate. Neither should it be a Cinderella to NUS. I therefore urge the Ministry and the NTU Council not to stint on resources, nor spare any effort, to give NTU a good start, to be able to compete fairly and on an equal footing with NUS. NTU should give NUS a good run for its money. Healthy competition will break the monotony and bring out, I believe, the best in each institution. As they run the next lap together, they can spur each other on and see who can run better.

NTU should develop its own character and ethos, its own niche in higher education, building upon its strength. As Lord Dainton pointed out, to earn its spurs and gain recognition in the academic world, NTU has to "have some flagship activity of world class." May I ask which area would this be?

This, I believe, should be the aim, for it will not only be put beside NUS for comparison, but be measured against established universities around the world. For a start, NTU can expand its ties with reputable universities overseas, and I am glad to hear that this is being done.

Sir, I note that NUS has a Vice-Chancellor, but NTU prefers the more American title of President of the University. I hope that this is more than a matter of style or fashion, and signals a different approach to University management. Perhaps a more approachable and consultative style, we have yet to see.

I believe that NTU should go further, and adopt the more flexible American style of university management, eg, the American credit system for courses and course accreditation, and place more emphasis on all-round education. It should also break new grounds in areas such as hotel management and librarianship. I am glad that this is also being considered and other areas like PR, journalism and the fine arts.

Another good feature of American universities which NTU can learn is the close nexus between the University and the Alumni. The graduates of this University return year after year, not just to give their money, perhaps they have plenty, but also to cheer their football teams and to meet old friends. We must create this sort of spirit in the new University.

A good university cannot just depend on Government grants or Government direction or Ministerial statements and Ministerial directives. It has to draw upon the larger pool of graduates and philanthropists for funding as well as ideas on how to improve and excel. NTU should also look into this area of having a well-run Alumni Office and expand its links with the community at large.

Indeed, NTU need not go beyond our shores, but go back to its roots to Nanyang University before it, draw upon the support and goodwill of the community at large in Singapore. It can, I believe, rekindle the same pioneering spirit which led to the founding of Nanyang University, but with a new and wider horizon, with a new purpose and new heights to climb in higher education.

I would like to ask the Minister whether NTU would widen its selection criteria and consider mature students who have worked a number of years, but who have missed out in higher education due to financial or other constraints earlier on in their lives, and whether NTU would consider interviewing potential candidates or students so that a more accurate assessment can be made of their motivation as well as inclination.

Sir, it is always exciting to be at the birth of a new University. I wish NTU every success. I hope that in time it will develop into a centre of learning and scholarship. It will not be a second University. It should and I believe it will be a University second to none.

Sir, I support the Bill.

Dr S. Vasoo (Tiong Bahru GRC): Mr Speaker, Sir, thank you for allowing me to join in the debate.

Sir, the setting up of Nanyang Technological University is in the right direction. We are giving the University the accorded status. In the light that there is growing demand for tertiary education, I would like to ask the Minister whether there are provisions to increase the number of places in NTU. At the same time, I would also like to say that many parents are sending their children overseas for tertiary education. May I know what steps would be taken in future to look at the establishment of a third university.

Dr Wang Kai Yuen: Sir, I too rise to support the Bill. I believe that the evolution of NTI into a full-fledged University is in line with the aspirations of the students, the staff, the Alumni and the past supporters of the University. I am also very glad to hear from the Minister that he has put in place an extensive programme to evolve NTI into a comprehensive university. As such, when I listened to the Minister, I tend to believe that perhaps the title "Technological University" could be a misnomer. So my question to the Minister is very simple. Why does he not take this opportunity to drop the term "Technological University" and use "University"? If there is a need to call NTI "NTU" and in line with NUS being a three letter acronym, perhaps we can follow the convention in naming our expressways and call it "NYU".

Encik Abdul Nasser bin Kamaruddin (Hong Kah GRC): ( In Malay): Mr Speaker, Sir, year by year, there has been a progressive increase in the number of our undergraduates. In 1979, when the University of Singapore merged with Nanyang University to form the National University of Singapore, we expected our undergraduate population to grow to between 12,000 and 14,000 by the year 2000. But it is clear now that the estimate is short of the mark, as the number of undergraduates in NUS alone is about 14,500. The progressive increase in the number of undergraduates indicates a rise in the quality of our education and the scholarship of our students. And this increase is in line with the growth and development of our economy and the demand for graduates in our labour market.

The upgrading of Nanyang Technological Institute into a full university, the Nanyang Technological University, is appropriate and timely, as it will not only accommodate the increase in the number of undergraduates that I mentioned, but also cater to the growing range of disciplines needed for Singapore to move on into the next lap. As such, I do not hesitate to give my full support to this Bill. Nevertheless, I feel the following points need to be aired.

First, both Universities, especially the proposed Nanyang Technological University, should open their doors more widely to accept mature students who have missed the opportunity of a university education after their 'A' levels. This does not mean having to lower the universities' admission standards just to give them more opportunities. We can retain the present standards or review them based on current needs. By opening the door to mature students, we are making educational opportunities available not just to students, but to all citizens who are keen and who can afford further education to university level. At the same time, we would be giving them the opportunity to raise productivity through university study.

Second, both Universities should consider ways of including courses popular among our students studying in universities abroad. By providing these courses, we can discourage our citizens from going overseas to study, and our universities can then be proud of being truly capable of meeting our citizens' need for education and knowledge. On this subject, I would like to know if the Ministry of Education has looked into the number of our young students studying abroad, the courses chosen, their performance and achievements, as recommended by Lord Dainton in his recommendations on higher education in Singapore.

Third, as recommended by Lord Dainton in his paper, efforts should be made to merge the Institute of Education and the College of Physical Education into an institution to be called "National College of Education and Creative Arts", linked to the NTU, as a move to enhance teacher training in Singapore. It would be better if the new institution could form a faculty of NTU, rather than be an affiliated but separate entity. In this way, we would be giving real attention to improving teacher training, school management and related areas. I am confident this faculty will draw keen interest, in view of the growing number of 'A' level holders interested in a teaching career, and we will thereby produce highly qualified teachers for the next lap.

In this connection too, the Government's desire to produce graduates in the creative, visual and performing arts through NTU is evidence of an early recognition of the artistic community. It is now up to our artists to take the opportunity to further their knowledge of their chosen fields. There is no need for me to state the importance of art in our life. But since the Government's recognition is new and market opportunities uncertain, I suggest that promotional efforts be made to draw young talents into the arts, such as by giving special subsidies to students taking creative arts in NTU, or by encouraging corporate bodies to sponsor the fees, etc, of individuals who have shown talent but cannot afford to pursue a study because of lack of funds. Apart from this, the creative courses to be offered by NTU should also cover the ethnic art of every community here. In this way, we will not only be preserving our artistic heritage but, I am confident, through study and research, we will be ensuring that the arts in our midst will find the right direction and continue to thrive.

Dr Tony Tan Keng Yam: Mr Speaker, Sir, I thank Members for their support of the Bill and for their many valuable suggestions and comments on how NTU should develop.

If I may, Sir, I would like to take the points raised by the Members in turn and clarify some of them. First of all, the points made by Dr Ong Chit Chung, the Chairman of GPC on Education. He has asked for some comments on what flagship activities will be taken by NTU. These will be in areas which are related to the strengths and capabilities of NTU and will be focused particularly on technological and professional areas which are important for Singapore. One example of a flagship activity is the Institute of Manufacturing Technology which will be set up by NTU with the assistance of the Fraunhofer Institute in Germany. We all know, Sir, that manufacturing is a very important sector in our economy here. It accounts for about just under 30% of our GDP, and the need for our manufacturing enterprises to be always on the cutting edge of technology is a must if we are to continue to upgrade our economy. I believe this Institute of Manufacturing Technology to be set up by NTU will prove to be of great assistance in assisting our industries here to upgrade themselves and to utilise automation and robots effectively so as to reduce the use of manpower in our manufacturing industry.

The next point regarding whether it is possible for NTU to adopt the American style university administration, I think here we should progress slowly. As I have stated just now, NTU will consciously try to develop itself on a model based on the American Ivy League universities so as to give Singaporeans a choice. But in the case of university administration, I think the wisest move is to make haste slowly. So there will be no change in admission standards, for example, at the present time. I believe that one has to be conservative in such matters, but no doubt, in due course, as NTU develops, they may be able to incorporate some of the consultative type of administration which Dr Ong has spoken about.

Regarding Alumni ties, yes, I agree with Dr Ong that this is very important indeed, and his suggestion that NTU should set up an Alumni office is a good one. This is being done now and the people whom NTU can contact need not only be the graduates of NTU, but could also go back to Nanyang University, which was the predecessor of NTU.

With regard to mature students, a point brought up also by Mr Nasser Kamaruddin, now that we have got two universities and we have a better capability to cater for the needs of students who are leaving our schools and junior colleges, I would envisage that in due course both NUS and NTU will be able to take in more mature students.

With regard to new methods of assessing students for admission, like interviews, this is already being done by NUS. There is no doubt that as NTU settles down they will look into such matters.

Dr Vasoo has asked whether the number of places will increase in response to demands for university places in Singapore. This will certainly be done. As I said, the undergraduate population in NTU will grow to a maximum of 15,000 students, which will be more than double what NTI has today. But I would just like to remind all Members that this expansion has to be done without lowering academic standards. Our two universities - NUS and NTU - have reputations which are quite enviable and I do not think their standards should be compromised just to let in more students. In the long run, this will neither be good for the students nor for Singapore.

With regard to the third university, I believe I have spoken on this point in the Committee of Supply during the debate on the estimates of the Ministry of Education. For the time being, I believe we should concentrate on the development of NTU and Temasek Polytechnic. But perhaps in the later part of this decade there may be a need for a third university. When that comes, Members can be assured that the plans will be ready. In this connection, perhaps it might be useful to give some general idea about the orientation of this third university. We have two universities now. With the establishment of NTU, the NUS, which is based very much on the British model, can be used to cover essentially perhaps developments in Britain and in Europe, while NTU will develop consciously on the American model, and in a sense will strive for closer contacts with American tertiary institutions.

It would seem to me that if we were to set up a third university, as I said, perhaps in the later part of this decade, it might be sensible and useful for the third university to link up with a Japanese tertiary institution. In that sense, with NUS, NTU and the third university, we would have links to America, to Europe and to Japan - the three economic centres which will predominate in the coming decades. This would be in line with the growing internationalisation of Singapore and will provide us very valuable links to the three main economic power houses which will predominate in the world in the coming decades.

Dr Wang Kai Yuen has asked why we still use the term "Technological University" and not just call it "Nanyang University" by dropping the word "Technological". Sir, there had been a tremendous debate within the NTI Council and between the staff as to what should be the new name for NTI, and the possibility brought up by Dr Wang Kai Yuen was in fact discussed. The final result, Sir, was that, as the first choice, we should call it the "Nanyang Technological University", and I think for a very good reason. The words "Technological University" reflect, as it were, the origin of NTU, that it started off as a technological university concentrating on professional disciplines which would be of use in Singapore. Now that it is going to develop as a comprehensive university and would add new courses, I believe that it is still useful for the word "Technological" to remain within the name of the University to remind future administrations of how the University started and why it was started. This would mean, I would hope, that in future years, courses to be developed by NTU, while deriving from the technological roots, will have a strong professional bias so that it will be seen as a professional university quite different from NUS which is a general university along the British model and this will thereby give Singapore students and their parents a better choice.

Next, a few points brought up by Mr Nasser Kamaruddin. Regarding the courses, I believe I have already stated that we will look into adding new courses which will be useful for Singapore and which will be in demand by students.

Regarding the course in Education, yes, there was a choice as to whether we should have a National Institute of Education (NIE) or whether we should have a Faculty of Education within NTU. The final decision was to have a National Institute of Education because the NIE will also have to provide for Education courses for quite a large clientele. They will train degree-level teachers for the primary and secondary schools, but they will also take in teachers, for example, who will take a two-year programme and get a certificate in pre-school education or in early childhood education. Having Education in the form of a separate institute but as part of the NTU gives us more flexibility in the awarding of certificates or diplomas which are appropriate to the level of training taken by the various categories of people who will be studying in the NIE.

Finally, Sir, on the creative arts, with the development of the arts as envisaged by my colleague, BG George Yeo, yesterday, I think there will be a demand for such people in the coming years. After NTU has settled its courses in hotel administration and communication studies in 1992 and 1993 respectively, I think they will be in a position to provide courses in the creative arts, fine arts or design from 1993 onwards.

Question put, and agreed to.

Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole House.

The House immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill. - [Dr Tony Tan Keng Yam].

Bill considered in Committee; reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed.