US, Europe models for S'pore's 4th university
By Sandra Davie, Education Correspondent
The Boston-based Northeastern University encourages its students to undertake up to three six-month internships during their undergraduate years and Babson College, ranked number one in the US for its entrepreneurship programme, requires all its students to start and run a company while in university.
These two 'unusual' university programmes are among the different models that caught the eye of the team tasked with looking at how best to expand the university sector here to offer places to 30 per cent of each cohort by 2015.
Minister of State for Education Lui Tuck Yew who led the 13-member team on two study trips in the United States and Europe said the verdict was still out of what form the fourth publicly-funded university should take.
But after a focus group discussion with polytechnic students on Monday, he highlighted some of the interesting features of the institutions that the committee had visited.
The team had visited several American liberal arts colleges, including Amherst, Swarthmore and Harvey Mudd, and also spoke to the handful of Singapore students studying there.
It came away highly impressed with the broad-based education that these colleges require students to cover the natural sciences, social sciences and humanities. The students are encourgaed to think critically, synthesise knowledge, and be exposed to different modes of thought.
Rear-Admiral (NS) Lui said the high quality of education was evident in the fact that a high percentage - up to 90 per cent- of their pre-med students are admitted into medical programmes.
But he was quick to add that the team was also mindful of the high costs involved in setting up these colleges.
The students pay a subsidised tuition fee of US $45,000 yearly, half of the full costs of educating them.
He also highlighted the interesting features of the technical and applied universities that the team visited in Europe and the US, including the Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands, the University of Applied Sciences Eastern Switzerland, the Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art in New York City, and Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering in Massachusetts.
He noted that these institutions were focused on helping students acquire the skills they would need to succeed in their careers.
Their students had maximum exposure to industry through multiple work attachments and through their adjunct lecturers who were from industry.
They were also engaged in applied or "solution-directed" research sourced from industry.
The value of such training can be seen in the top salaries commanded by the graduates of these institutions. Those graduating from the University of Applied Sciences Eastern Switzerland earn higher salaries than those coming from the more traditional universities, because they are able to 'hit the ground running.' noted RADM Lui.
Infact, work-relevant education was also on the mind of the 22 polytechnic students who met the Minister to give their views on the proposed fourth university.
They had asked for more work attachments and research.
The session was closed to the media, but later when summing up their views RADM Lui said among other things, the students were concerned with the reputation of the new university. They called on the government to ensure that it is not seen to be second-rate to the existing three universities.
The Minister noted that there may be more flexibility to do things differently in starting a brand new university, instead of 'grafting one onto an exisiting trunk'.
He said the committee will also hold focus group discussions with junior college students, industry representatives and parents next.
The public will also be invited to have their say though an online forum.
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US, Europe models for S'pore's 4th university 
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