IAAP

Name and Constituency of  Member of Parliament

Dr Lily Neo, MP for Jalan Besar GRC

Question

To ask the Minister for Education whether he will adopt the recommendations by the International Academic Advisory Panel convened here recently and, if so, what are the recommendations.

Response

The IAAP’s recommendations focused on three main areas – developing research & teaching excellence in our universities, increasing diversity in Singapore’s tertiary education sector and investing in lifelong learning.
 
Research and Teaching Excellence in our Universities

In its deliberations, the IAAP strongly endorsed the development of the three autonomous universities into research-intensive universities renowned also for their excellence in teaching.  This is in line with MOE’s view that teaching and research excellence are equally important for our three universities.  As our universities have traditionally had a strong teaching role, more recent developments have focused on supporting them to develop research excellence.  Funding for R&D in the universities has been increased through MOE’s enhanced Academic Research Fund (AcRF).  Starting from the next financial year, MOE will be funding the indirect cost of research in the universities to ensure that resources are not inadvertently diverted from teaching to research.  The universities can also bid for additional research funding from A*STAR and the National Research Foundation.

Diversity in Singapore’s Tertiary Education Sector

The IAAP recognised and supported the Government’s ongoing efforts to widen opportunities and provide more choices for Singaporeans to obtain a tertiary education in Singapore.  These include for example, the establishment of links between our polytechnics and Foreign Specialised Institutions (FSIs) to offer a wider range of degree programmes here.  Ngee Ann Polytechnic’s collaboration with Wheelock College and NTUC Childcare Regional Training & Resource Centre to offer a degree programme in early childhood studies was the first of such tie-ups under this initiative.  Going forward, MOE will continue to encourage more Poly-FSI tie-ups.  MOE will also be studying the feasibility and options for establishing a quality liberal arts college in Singapore, as suggested by the IAAP.  If established, the college would provide a distinctive educational experience for our students and further boost the reputation of Singapore’s university sector.
 
Lifelong Learning

As the economy becomes more complex and knowledge-based, the IAAP felt that Singaporeans will require more years of education and will need to take full advantage of opportunities for lifelong learning.    
At the post-secondary level, the Government already provides substantial subsidies to our educational institutions to keep fees affordable. To encourage Singaporeans to acquire more years of education in the form of quality post-secondary programmes, the Government is establishing post-secondary education accounts, which can be used to pay for tuition fees at publicly-funded post-secondary institutions, UniSIM and WDA-accredited lead training providers. 
In line with the IAAP’s recommendations, we will also do more to encourage Singaporeans to participate in lifelong learning, including increased funding for adult worker training institutions, implementation of more Place & Train programmes for workers and increased subsidies for adult learners taking up post-diploma courses in the polytechnics.  Going forward, the Government will continue to study how best we can provide continuous learning opportunities to every Singaporean, and encourage them to see this as a way of life.
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