International Academic Advisory Panel Sixth Meeting 8-12 January 2007

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1. The Ministry of Education’s International Academic Advisory Panel (IAAP) has concluded its sixth meeting in Singapore. Over the last five days, the IAAP held extensive discussions on the theme of this year’s meeting – “Developing Singapore as a Knowledge and Research Hub” – with a focus on building world-class educational institutions and encouraging research in Singapore.

2. The IAAP visited the Autonomous Universities (AUs) – National University of Singapore (NUS), Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and Singapore Management University (SMU), where members had the opportunity to interact with university board members, senior management, faculty members and students. The IAAP also met with the polytechnic principals, which allowed them to gain a better understanding of Singapore’s polytechnic sector.

3. The IAAP is of the view that Singapore is well-positioned to be the knowledge and research hub of the region. The IAAP observes that the 3 AUs are excellent universities with a strong emphasis on teaching and a good foundation in research, and are now poised to bring their research to the next level. At the same time, the polytechnics have also evolved into strong technical institutions and can take on a greater role in providing courses in tertiary education. Singapore is a small country and our people are our only resource. Investing in the development of our people is the only way to sustain our competitive advantage. It is also noted that Singapore is the only country in the region with an English-speaking base. The IAAP believes that sustained investment in R&D is the strategy to stay ahead and will have a transforming effect on Singapore’s economy and society in the long run.

4. The IAAP strongly endorses the development of NUS, NTU and SMU into research-intensive universities renowned for excellence in education. Research and teaching excellence will be the twin pillars for the success of our AUs going forward. The IAAP welcomes the commitment by the Singapore Government to provide more resources for R&D for Singapore-based universities. Our AUs will be able to leverage on these additional resources to improve their academic research quality, as well as to enhance the overall quality of educational experience for our students and to imbue them with creativity, innovation, enterprise and a sense of service to the community.

5. The IAAP endorses, in particular, the initiative by the Ministry of Education and National Research Foundation to provide funding for the establishment of Research Centres of Excellence (RCEs). The vision is for the RCEs to conduct world-class investigator-led research with a global impact. The RCEs will build upon the AUs’ existing research capabilities, and will serve to attract top academic research talent and retain them in Singapore. At the same time, the RCEs will engender interest in research among local students, and encourage more of them to pursue research careers. The IAAP is of the view that the RCEs will catalyse the development of our AUs into research-intensive universities and will strengthen their prestige globally.

6. The IAAP is pleased to note that the Ministry of Education and the National Research Foundation have decided to fund the indirect costs of research[1] at our AUs. This move will also help ensure that resources are not inadvertently diverted from teaching to research.

7. The IAAP is of the view that as our AUs seek to build research excellence, it is equally important for them to continue their pursuit of excellence in teaching and learning. The IAAP believes that Singapore has the potential to become a centre of excellence in teaching innovation and learning for university education in the region. Top quality teaching is a key foundation of a world-class university. The AUs, as national universities, must also continue to fulfil their critical role of training graduate manpower for Singapore’s economy. In this regard, the IAAP recommends that our AUs continue to work towards achieving teaching excellence.

8. The IAAP recommends that Singapore can distinguish itself further as a premier education hub by increasing choice and competition. The IAAP notes that a significant milestone is the entry of the University of New South Wales (UNSW), which will set up a full teaching and research campus in Singapore in 2007.

9. The IAAP supports the recent move to establish links between our local polytechnics and Foreign Specialised Institutions (FSI) to enhance the learning experience of students and to offer a wider range of degree programmes in Singapore. The IAAP notes that there is an increased opportunity for collaboration between the polytechnics and universities. Nevertheless, the IAAP holds the view that the polytechnics should retain their role as providers of applied and practice-oriented education. Going forward, the IAAP feels that Singapore could study the option of establishing a small, private institution of the highest quality, along the lines of the small liberal arts colleges in the United States, to provide a different education experience for our students.

10. The IAAP is of the view that Singapore should study how education provision for each individual can be enhanced in response to the rapidly changing needs of a dynamic knowledge-based economy. As the economy becomes more complex and our tertiary education sector diversifies, it is timely for the Government to consider exploring more flexible approaches in catering to the continuing and professional education needs of Singaporeans. One possible approach for the future is to provide individual education accounts to promote such learning. This would help meet the aspirations of our people and ensure that our workforce will be responsive to the ever-changing needs of the economy.

11. The IAAP members would like to thank the Ministry of Education for organising the meeting, and providing the opportunity to discuss issues of importance concerning the tertiary education sector. The next meeting of the IAAP will be convened in 2009.

[1] Indirect costs are those incurred in the course of a research project but which cannot be attributed specifically or exclusively to the project. They involve resources used on a common basis by different individuals and groups, making it difficult to assess precisely which users should pay what share. Examples are space, light, heat, maintenance, library, computer services, and administrative support for recruitment, procurement and financial reporting.