When Singapore became
independent in 1965 there was only one university, the
University of Singapore. Its predecessor was the University
of Malaya which was established in 1949 with the merger of
two institutions—The King Edward VII College of Medicine and
the Raffles College: which had been established in 1928 for
the study of arts and science. In 1958, in anticipation of
the grant of full internal self-government to Singapore, two
joint committees were appointed to examine the possibility
of creating two autonomous organizations respectively for
Malaya and Singapore. Accordingly, in 1959, the university
was restructured into two autonomous divisions located in
Malaya's capital, Kuala Lumpur, and in Singapore. Two years
later, the division was formalized. On the New Year's Day in
1962, the University of Singapore was formally launched.
In response
to the demands of the Chinese community to retain their
culture and tradition, the Nanyang University was
established as a private university in 1956. Although a
government ordinance of 1959 gave the university a statutory
status, its diplomas and degrees fell short of full
recognition by the governments of the Federation of Malaya
and Singapore for its civil service recruitment.
Consequently, the generally success-oriented Singaporeans
did not encourage their children to attend Nanyang
University. By 1962, however, the government of Singapore,
which was then controlled by the People's Action Party
(PAP), decided to restore government grants to Nanyang
University as a political measure. In the 1960s, the
government used the Nanyang University for technological
education, and in 1980 it was merged with the University of
Singapore. The new entity was called the National University
of Singapore.
Since 1965
education at all levels, including higher education, has
grown exponentially. In 2000, Singapore had six Higher
Education Institutions (HEIs). First, is the National
University of Singapore (NUS) regarded as the flag ship of
Singapore's educational system. It has 8 faculties, 50
departments, 4 graduate schools (medicine, dentistry,
business management, and engineering), and 7 "specialist
research institutes" for advanced study and research in
areas of "strategic importance to the nation's development."
They are:
Institute
of Molecular and Cell Biology
Institute
of Micro-Electronics
Institute
of Systems Science
National
University Medical Institute
Institute
of Molecular Agro-Biology
Data
Storage Institute and the Institute for Materials
Engineering and Research
The NUS has
also established several centers of excellence and
institutes where its faculty is involved in research and
development for "specific applications to industry and
business." It also runs the National Super-computing Centre
for the advancement of Information Technology and computer
and computational technology in Singapore. In these
endeavors, the university gives a high priority to
multi-disciplinary R&D projects, often in collaboration with
industry.
The eight
faculties are Architecture and Building, Arts and Social
Sciences, Business Administration, Dentistry, Engineering,
Law, Medicine, and Science. All faculties offer courses
leading to a bachelor's degree and some have graduate
(post-graduate) courses leading to a master's and a
doctorate degree. In 1996, the NUS had 37,791 students, of
whom 20,507 were males and 17,284 were females, with a
teaching faculty of 3,059, of which 2,290 were males and 769
were females.
A large
majority of the faculty is highly qualified, holding
doctorates from some of the best universities in the United
Kingdom, Australia, and the United States. Most of them feel
frustrated over the lack of research environment at the NUS,
though most of them are happy that academic rewards and
remuneration are not necessarily linked to research and
publication. The faculty is also frustrated because, with a
few exceptions, the NUS does not provide graduate education,
which reduces the NUS faculty to the level of undergraduate
teachers.
Some
departments have begun to grant master's degrees, but
student enrollment is small. Without the challenge of
graduate students the faculty feels they are being
under-utilized in terms of skills they acquired while
working on their doctorates. The NUS does provide financial
support for research during the faculty's sabbatical year if
it is spent overseas at a major university or research
institution. Compared to similarly trained faculty in HEIs
in the United States, the research output of the NUS faculty
is far from impressive.
Most of the
Singapore graduates pursue their graduate work in major
universities, notably in the United Kingdom, Australia, New
Zealand, the United States, and Canada. The Singapore
government and people prefer to send students overseas for
several reasons. First, they feel the graduates need
exposure outside the confines of their small state, which
they regard as essential for Singapore's leadership role,
regionally and globally. Secondly, there is some
justification in their fear that the pursuit of graduate
education under the same faculty may promote inbreeding.
Thirdly, education abroad offers an opportunity for students
to develop contacts in business and industry, which may be
found useful later in their careers.
Formerly
called the Nanyang Technological Institute (NTI), Nanyang
Technological University (NTU) was formally granted the
status of an independent university on July 1, 1991. The NTI
itself was established in 1981 as an engineering
institution, which was to have a more practical orientation
than the NUS. Located in Yunnan Garden, it has six schools:
civil and structural engineering, electrical and electronic
engineering, mechanical and production engineering,
communications studies, applied science, and accountancy and
business.
The NTI and
NUS have a common curriculum for first-year engineering
students followed by a three-year course at either
institution—depending on the academic standing of the
student. NUS gets the superior students. The degree in
engineering was, however, awarded to both the NTI and NUS
students by the National University of Singapore. During the
decade following its establishment, the NTI determined its
policies in regards to admission, curriculum, and
examination requirements in close consultation with the NUS
departments.
The NTI
developed collaborative links for research and teaching with
local industry as well as with corporations, research
institutes, and universities overseas. Regular internship
programs were established with several local firms involved
in civil, structural, and electronic fields for final year
students.
In 1991 the
NTI had about 3,000 students and a fairly well qualified
faculty. The government decided to transform it into a
full-fledged university. The NTU has exchange and
collaborative arrangements with the Massachusetts Institute
of Technology (MIT) and the Sloan School of Management and
the Mechanical Engineering Laboratory (MEL) in Japan.
The National
Institute of Education (NIE) was established in 1973. At
that time, the Teachers' Training College (TTC), founded in
1950, was the only institution providing teacher-training
facilities in Singapore. NIE trained primary school teachers
and non graduate secondary school teachers. After 1973, the
NIE became a comprehensive teacher-training institution,
providing facilities for training preprimary, primary,
secondary, and junior college teachers. The institute is
located in Bukit Timah. The NIE attracts students from
Singapore and the entire Southeast Asian region. The NIE
merged with the Institute of Education and the College of
Physical Education in 1991. It has four schools: science,
arts, education, and physical education.
Since 1991,
NIE has offered four-year courses leading either to a
Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree with a
Diploma in Education. It also offers the Postgraduate
Diploma in Education programs for university graduates and
the two-year Diploma in Education and Diploma in Physical
Education programs for holders of GCE "A" level.
Additionally, the NIE offers a number of in-service training
programs. The postgraduate work in education at the master's
and doctorate levels at NIE is rewarded with degrees by the
NUS. The high quality and range of research conducted by the
NIE is reflected in Research and Evaluation Abstracts for
Classroom Teachers (REACT), and numerous other reports. In
1996, NIE had 3,095 students, of whom 857 were males and
2,238 were females. The faculty numbered 420, of whom 204
were males and 216 were females.
There are
four major polytechnics in Singapore: Ngee Ann Polytechnic,
Singapore Polytechnic, Temasek Polytechnic, and Nanyang
Polytechnic. Ngee Ann was established in 1963. It gives
diploma courses in electrical and electronic engineering,
mechanical engineering, shipbuilding and repair technology,
building construction and maintenance, business and computer
studies.
Although the
Singapore Legislative Council approved Singapore Polytechnic
Ordinance in 1954, Singapore Polytechnic did not begin to
function until four years later in 1958. It offers two types
of technician diplomas awarded after either a three-year or
a five-year course. It also has a two-year certificate
course. The fields covered are: civil, structural,
mechanical and marine engineering, land surveying,
architectural draftsmanship, nautical technology,
aeronautical maintenance, and many other specialties of
practical value to industry. Its students are linked with
industrial plants, construction companies, and other
businesses for practical training. The Singapore Polytechnic
also provides graduate education in land surveying, process
plant engineering design, plastics design, industrial
management, and maritime studies. Of note is the
Polytechnic's Department of Continuing Education, which
offers evening classes for full-time workers who would like
to obtain higher technical and management skills.
The Temasek
Polytechnic was established in April 1990, and the Nanyang
Polytechnic in April 1992 to meet the rising demands of
industry and students. In 1996, the four polytechnics had a
combined enrollment of 51,254 students of whom 29,736 were
males and 21,518 were females. The combined strength of the
teaching staff was 3,410 of whom 2,272 were males and 1,138
were females.
