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Higher Education Division

The Higher Education Division (HED) oversees the provision of tertiary and technical education in Singapore as well as registration of private schools. It supervises eight statutory boards - five Polytechnics, the Institute of Technical Education (ITE), the Science Centre Singapore and the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (ISEAS). HED also oversees the development of three autonomous universities (the National University of Singapore, the Nanyang Technological University and the Singapore Management University) as well as two publicly-funded private institutions providing arts education (the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts and the LaSalle College of the Arts)

Mission

The mission of HED is to:

HED comprises the following eight sections:

Functions

Policy Section
Initiate the policy proposals on university, polytechnics, technical and tertiary arts education
Evaluate policy recommendations and oversee the operations of universities, polytechnics and ITE
Establish and maintain close and effective liaison with other external agencies and internal Divisions on university, technical and tertiary arts education matters
Undertake specific studies/projects on university, polytechnic, technical and tertiary arts education
Planning Section
Oversee the National Manpower Planning process for the post-secondary education sector
Conduct research and formulates strategies for the post-secondary education sector
Collect and analyses data for the post-secondary education sector for policy formulation
Formulate and review policies relating to international students for the universities and polytechnics
Academic Research Section
Administer the MOE Academic Research Fund (AcRF) and Educational Research Fund
Formulate policies and staff issues pertaining to academic research
Facilitate the establishment and operationalisation of Research Centres of Excellence (RCEs)
Administer AcRF Tier 2 funding and evaluation of research proposals
Administer AcRF Tier 1 research funding and the Research Scholarship Block for training of postgraduate research students
Private Schools Section
Administer the Education Act and the Education (Schools) Regulations
Formulate and administer policies and regulations on private education
Register private schools
Review regulation of the private education sector
Finance Section
Formulate, review and implement funding policies and framework for MOE-funded institutes of higher learning (IHLs), SCS and ISEAS
Evaluate development budgets and proposals of MOE-funded IHLs, SCS and ISEAS
Monitor development expenditure of MOE-funded IHLs, SCS and ISEAS
Evaluate annual recurrent budget of MOE-funded IHLs, SCS and ISEAS
Plan for budgetary needs
Administer the Tuition Grant Scheme
Review Tuition Grant policies
Tracking of Tuition Grant Bond
Process requests to release / defer / discharge the Tuition Grant Bond
Policy oversight of Financial Assistance Scheme and Scholarships
Higher Education Quality Assurance Section
Oversee quality assurance in MOE-funded post secondary educational institutions
Conduct research on quality assurance of higher education in other countries
Manage HED’s PS21 and knowledge management portal
Human Resource Section
Handle human resource policies and legislation matters concerning statutory boards supervised by HED
Facilitate appointment and renewal of Board members of statutory boards
Manage HED’s personnel and training
Operations Section
Manage HED’s office administration
Handle and monitor HED’s response to public queries

Organisation Chart