Singapore Government Press Release
Media Division, Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts,
MITA Building, 140 Hill Street, 2nd Storey, Singapore 179369
Tel: 6837-9666

MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN THE MINISTRIES OF EDUCATION OF THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA (PRC) AND THE REPUBLIC OF SINGAPORE

The Ministry of Education (MOE) will be signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China (PRC MOE). Mr Chiang Chie Foo, Permanent Secretary (Education), will be meeting Mr Yuan Guiren, PRC Vice-Minister of Education, on 29 May 2002 to sign the MOU to formalise an exchange programme for outstanding university students between PRC and Singapore.

This exchange programme had been proposed by Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong to PRC Vice-President Hu Jintao during the latter’s visit to Singapore in April 2002. PM Goh had proposed that PRC and Singapore could establish an exchange programme for the youths of both countries to enhance understanding and friendship between the students in China and Singapore, and to allow our students to learn from each other. The programme will commence next year. Each year, 50 outstanding university students from each country will be selected to participate in a 15-day exchange programme.

The two Education Ministries will enlist the help of the All China Youth Federation and the National Youth Council of Singapore to run the exchange programme.

MOE and PRC MOE had signed an MOU in 1999. Since then, there has been an increased number of high-level visits, exchanges of students, teachers and researchers, and exchanges of scholars between our two countries. The university student exchange programme will serve to further strengthen the strong linkages between Singapore and PRC.