Curtin Uni to open S'pore campus
By Karen Wong
March 27, 2008
THE abrupt exit of the University of New South Wales (UNSW) last June is not stopping other Australian universities from venturing here.
The site that will house the new Curtin University campus here. Picture: SINGAPORE LAND AUTHORITY
The New Paper understands that Perth's Curtin University of Technology will be setting up a campus here.
And it has already snagged a site for it - the former ITE Balestier campus and the former Singapore Civil Defence Force Kim Keat camp.
Sources told The New Paper that Navitas Ltd, an Australian-listed education service provider, has tied up with Curtin to manage its campus here.
The New Paper understands that earlier this month, Navitas was awarded the site at 90 and 92 Jalan Rajah.
The Singapore Land Authority, which manages and leases state land, said the site, which has an area of about 21,600 sq m, consists of two four-storey blocks, two two-storey blocks and two single-storey blocks of classrooms, lecture halls and labs.
It also has a fitness block and a number of standalone storerooms.
The tenure of the lease is up to 2017.
Going by the size of the site, it appears that Curtin is poised to have a major presence here.
It will be the university's second Asian campus. The first, established in Sarawak in partnership with the state government, was completed in 2002.
It is a full campus, offering diploma and degree programmes in subjects ranging from commerce to engineering. It also offers four post-graduate programmes, including a Master of Business Administration and Doctor of Philosophy (Engineering).
Besides its Perth base, Curtin also has a campus in Sydney.
The New Paper understands that the university will have a full campus here, offering a wide range of subjects and programmes.
The university is well known to Singaporeans for its business school and accountancy programme.
Subjects available at Curtin's main campus include journalism, health sciences, information systems, engineering, pharmacy and psychology.
It is not clear at this stage when the campus here will be ready, but it could be as soon as late this year.
The New Paper also understands that Navitas, which offers a range of educational services for students, including university programmes and language training, will help run the campus while Curtin will manage the academic programmes.
Navitas, formerly known as IBT Education, has a market capitalisation of over A$650million ($820m).
It also offers student recruitment services for universities and other institutions in Australia, Canada, China, the United Kingdom and the United States.
A senior Navitas official is expected to chair a press conference later today, with more details about the venture.
The setting-up of Curtin's campus here is another feather in a cap for Singapore in its efforts to become an education hub.
So far, under the Global Schoolhouse initiative, Singapore has attracted more than 15 internationally-renowned institutions, including the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business, SP Jain Centre of Management, Insead and New York University's Tisch School of the Arts.
When contacted yesterday for details about Curtin's campus here, the Economic Development Board said it would not be able to comment until after the official announcement.
Source:
http://newpaper.asia1.com.sg/news/st...60272,00.html? 
Curtin Uni to open S'pore campus 
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